Mountain Musings

AND LIFE GOES ON....CATCHING UP

Where did September, October, and November go?  I'm really wondering! And what has been happening since the busy summer of wedding planning and Hannah and Christopher's wedding?

Well, it almost doesn't seem possible that Hannah has been married for almost three months! Yes, we do miss her a lot but bottom line...she is totally loving married life, setting up her home, preparing meals for her husband, harvesting vegetables, hosting gatherings at their home, making new friends, and becoming adjusted to life in Michigan!

And, yes, our garden girl found a garden away from home, ready and ripe for the harvesting. Here are Hannah and Christopher spending a Saturday gathering potatoes:

And harvesting butternut squash with Christopher's brothers:

Every time I get a photo from her, she is smiling (a lot!) and says she is enjoying it all!

In the meantime, Tom and I were left with a garden that needed harvesting with the last of the veggies and cleaning up before the winter hits. We've been doing it bit by bit, as old folks have to pace themselves! This is no joke!

 

And we did get out and about this fall to enjoy the Skyline Drive and have a picnic. The leaves this year were not very vibrant, but the day was beautiful:

Picnicking on the Skyline Drive with friends:

Other things Tom has been up to include building a brand new lectern for our church. It is definitely an heirloom...a beautiful piece of furniture! Here he is installing it so it would be ready and in place for Sunday's services:

Tom has also become a guitar teacher for our grandson who wanted to learn guitar. They enjoy a long-distance zoom guitar lesson together every Monday afternoon:

Speaking of grandkids...I can't leave the others out! Here's a picture of four cuties ready for church on a Sunday morning:

And these two sweetie grandsons live faraway too! I love getting their pictures on text!

Time to Travel.........

In October Tom and I were able to travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary from back in August...and scenes like this one below were common sights.

   photo credit: The Traveler World Guide.com

Our destination was the Sight and Sound Theater to see a presentation of "David."  Excellent production!

Lancaster is well known for Amish wood-working and quilt shops--perfect for both of us! I visited several of the shops and enjoyed looking around at the quality furniture, fabric, crafts, and quilts:

While we were that far up north, we continued on to Connecticut to visit Tom's siblings. It had been many years since we were up that direction. Here are all four siblings together in sister Ellen's backyard:

We also had a photo session one day with Tom's two sisters who were recipients of a quilt I made each of them:

Here are Ellen and her husband Ed holding the Scrappy Sunflowers quilt I made her for a retirement gift:

And here are Tom and sister Sue holding the Wonky Stars Scrappy quilt I made for her birthday:

One of our activities while there was walking Long Island Sound...a beautiful area and beautiful afternoon:

Our New England visit soon came to a close, and we made it home in time to celebrate Jonathan's birthday with his annual Turtle Cake!

His birthday also consisted of a trip to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. which he absolutely loved since his passion is planes! 

I told him I could understand how he would love all the planes in the museum....if that yellow plane in the picture below happened to be a yellow quilt on display, I'd love it, too!

And last but not least....Mail Call!!  Look what I received as a late birthday gift...I'll take a late birthday gift like this any day--a beautiful sunflower table runner from my quilty friend, Chris!  Thank you, sweet friend!

Just two old people wandering the streets of Staunton:

Hope you've enjoyed this catch-up post. Everyone have a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

~Deb

Is That Wedding Music That I Hear?

Is that wedding music I hear?

The bride's adorned and ready to appear.

There's heavenly preparation

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music that I hear?

 

Credit: Happy Finch Photography

Crimson & Peach Autumn Wedding Flowers by Cristy's Floral

 

The family is preparing for a wedding;

All have been invited to attend.

The bride is standing ready

Waiting for the signal;

When the groom says

"Rise, my children, come on in."

 

 

Credit: Happy Finch Photography

 

 

Is that wedding music I hear?

The bride's adorned and ready to appear.

There's heavenly preparation

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music that I hear?

 

 

 

 

Soon we'll rise to leave

This land of sorrow

For that ceremony in the air

The Father then will lead us

Through the holy land of splendor

Have you made your preparation to go there?

 

 

Credit: Happy Finch Photography

 

 

Chorus:

Is that wedding music I hear?

The bride's adorned and ready to appear.

There's heavenly preparation

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music that I hear?

 

There's heavenly preparation

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music-Oh is that wedding music I hear?

 

Songwriters: Phil Cross / L. Kirk Talley

Wedding Music lyrics © Kirk Talley Music

 

 

Well, we just had a wedding! It was a great celebration and time of rejoicing! Hannah and Christopher were a happy and beautiful couple, and the ceremony was truly God-honoring.

So thankful for the many friends who attended! These are just a few...wish we could have snapped a photo of everyone!

And I'm very thankful for the friend who made the beautiful wedding cake and cupcakes! Thank you Jean, cupcake queen!

Credit: Happy Finch Photography

 

Loved seeing these family members in the bridal party, Jonathan and Sarah!

And the happy couple departs....to worlds unknown...as all the guests sing the Doxology as they make their way through all the streamers:

  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! 

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready."  ~ Rev. 19:7

 

It was a beautiful wedding, indeed! May the Lord bless you abundantly, Christopher and Hannah!

~Deb

Hannah's Bridal Shower

Looks like there's a party happening!

This past weekend was a very special occasion for Hannah! We traveled to Michigan for her bridal shower, so beautifully given by her fiance's mother and sisters.

The theme of "He has made everything beautiful in His time" was a special verse for each of them, acknowledging God's working in their lives to bring them to this point....in His timing. Thank you to Christopher's sister, Grace, for her artistic crafting of the verse!

As guests arrived, they were instructed...."this direction for the shower, please!"

All the decorations were lovely, especially on this corner cabinet, and the purple hydrangeas everywhere just added the perfect touch:

Here's a view of this side of the room as we began with a Welcome and Prayer.

And if you notice that computer set up in front of the corner hutch, that's Hannah's sister Sarah and little daughter attending the shower virtually all the way from Georgia!! Sooo thankful Sarah could join in!

And a view of the opposite side of the room as we all sang a hymn to begin. You can see Hannah, the guest of honor, on the left with all the generous gifts awaiting in front of her:

Here are two of Hannah's future sisters-in-law who helped put on the shower:

Hannah and I are chatting with Christopher's Grandma, who is a delightful lady!

Beautiful and delicious dessert table:

Drinks provided were Orange-Apple Lemonade and Raspberry-Peach Tea:

Lots of fun conversations and getting acquainted with the Michigan relatives!

So what's a bridal shower without a game or two. Here's Hannah and guests writing down answers to one of the games.

The corner hutch in the photo below belonged to my Aunt Bunny and was passed down to Hannah. It is filled with antique pieces, and Hannah will enjoy it here in her new home:All the guests enjoyed guessing various things about Hannah and Christopher's preferences and how they matched up...Mexican or Asian? Stay home or Go Out? Early Bird or Night Owl?

Also in this photo below, you can see Hannah has brought her quilt ladder (made by Dad) with her various quilts displayed. The mirror over the sofa was also a handmade wood piece by Dad to use in her new home.

Hannah is posing with another future sister-in-law who is married to Christopher's brother. They will live right down the road from each other after the wedding:

Time to open some gifts...and such nice gifts were given. Hannah was very appreciative of everyone's generosity:

These young girls brought her the gifts and helped her open:

At the close of the bridal shower, the groom-to-be made an appearance; and one of the shower gifts--a striking red clock--was installed immediately in just the perfect spot! Love it!

We're back home in Virginia this week with more wedding list to-dos to tackle and cross off the list. I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into our weekend. It was definitely an encouraging time. We're very thankful!

~Deb

 

(photo credit: bridal shower hostesses, thank you!)

"From Heav'n He Came and Sought Her"

We are happy to announce to you all that, as of Friday evening, Hannah and Christopher F, a godly, thoughtful, and earnest young man from Michigan, are now engaged to be married! 

In the Lord's providence, our two families met at a Bible conference last May, and we enjoyed a meal, a hike, and other times of fellowship together there. About a month later my phone rang, and there was Christopher! He (bravely and respectfully) told me he had an interest in getting to know Hannah and asked if that would be agreeable to us.

So, in the ensuing months we got to know one another in a family context, and then Hannah and Christopher sought the Lord's wisdom in a courtship relationship -- many many phone calls, several long-haul personal visits both ways between MI and VA, video calls, emails, texts, etc.  They really stretched their virtual technology and wore out the asphalt between VA, WV, OH, IN, & MI!  Then, after getting the blessing of his father and me (Tom), Christopher came for a visit this past weekend; took Hannah for a long walk around the property; and proposed to her on the front porch. And she said Yes, she would be honored! :)

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 

(Hos 2:19)

Here are our two families rejoicing for them...

Happy hearts as they visit at church...

Please pray for them as they seek to glorify the Lord during this time and their future marriage!

 

"I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

(John 14:2-3)

~ Tom and Deb, with Hannah

*Title from the hymn The Church's One Foundation

Looking Over Our Shoulders ~ Happy 40th Anniversary To Us!

"Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together."  ~ Psalm 34:3

 

Tom and I just returned from our 2nd honeymoon...our wedding anniversary trip back to Chincoteague Island, Virginia, celebrating where we spent our honeymoon 40 years ago! How in the world can it have been that many years?

We started our anniversary weekend off with a Zoom call with the four kids, spouses, and the grandchildren for a long-distance 40th anniversary celebration party...that was a total surprise and so delightful!

What a special time of visiting together, opening unexpected gifts and cards, and viewing the "Look Over Your Shoulder" video Hannah put together with photos from our wedding day, the kids growing up, marrying, babies arriving, all through the years...what a tear-jerker, looking back over the last 40 years!

Looking back....

August 23, 1980 (Who's reading this who was at our wedding??)
Four kids came along pretty quickly...busy years, fun years...

And they grew up, and we started homeschooling them....dad teaching math and science and mom teaching the rest of the subjects: We went on dozens of field trips and enjoyed those 17 years of homeschooling immensely...and then all four graduated and ended that season of our lives... And two of them married and started us on the journey of being grandparents...

So that's where the years went! Looking over our shoulders this past week has shown us the Lord's wonderful blessings to us through the years!

Summer, 2020 (Recognize us?? Are we really those same young kids in the first photo?)

Hannah did a super job on our anniversary video using, with permission, "Look Over Your Shoulder," words and music by Heather Schopf © Forever Be Sure Music.

If you'd like to hear Mrs. Schopf and the Forever Be Sure team sing the song Hannah used, you can watch their official Youtube music video posted here. The words to the song are so appropriate...very poignant. (This is the music team's public video, not the private family video.)

We started our anniversary off with a car selfie on the road to Chincoteague! I'm so very thankful that Hannah could stay with Granny so I could take a few days away. Thank you, Hannah!

I would say this trip brought back lots of memories...but to be honest, after 40 years I didn't remember anything about the area, except the name of the hotel we stayed in both times...The Refuge Inn.

We crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and started seeing some beautiful scenery: Lots of water and beautiful inlets everywhere! Below we are crossing Mosquito Creek...I kid you not! There was a sign! I wasn't very excited about that...mosquitoes love me way too much! We arrived at The Refuge Inn, donned our masks made by Hannah, climbed lots of steps with all our luggage, and started settling in for a few days: Our room was nice, complete with a Smallwood Home wall sign which told us to Make Yourself At Home. I loved that!

Our number #1 planned activity was a boat ride the first morning to see dolphins and hopefully see the famous Chincoteague ponies, which we found out was not guaranteed...it all depended on where the horses were when the boats came around.

Tom's all ready for the excursion and looking forward to this adventure, as we had not seen the ponies 40 years ago when we were honeymooning. Yes, we did see dolphins, but they never jumped up...but it was exciting to see several swimming around the boat!

There were only four other people on our Daisey Island Cruise, plus the tour guide, and we were all socially distanced. The day was quite breezy at 10 - 15 miles per hour. Very fun two-hour tour!

We motored on to where the ponies could be found on the island...and success! They were there! The annual end-of-July pony penning and swimming across the island (which started in the 1800's) was cancelled this year. The event usually draws a crowd of 4,000 people to this small island. Instead, they ended up having an online auction which netted the local fire department $390,000, the highest amount ever raised any other year! And just when it was time for us to boat to a different part of the island, the ponies started their wandering trek back into the forest. We were there at just the right time! Our guide told us he's had tours that never saw the ponies. So very thankful! There they go... We hung around the ponies for quite a long time, and, Hunter, our born-on-the-island tour guide with a degree in marine biology, regaled us with much knowledge and many stories. He knew all the pony's names...Pappy's Pony, Starry Night, Cinnamon Blaze, Summer, Susy Sweetheart, Unforgettable, Bay Girl...and most famous was Riptide. We finished up our tour with boating by the Assateague Lighthouse:

It was an excellent tour and perfect day for being out on the water! Hunter is docking the boat in this next photo...neat island scene: That evening we borrowed the 1961 Misty of Chincoteague video from our hotel and watched the story of the horses on the island, which I had never seen or read about before this trip! Watch a 1-minute clip here. Have you seen the movie? Read the books? I enjoyed our movie evening! The next day we planned a bike ride (aka adult trike ride for an old lady! LOL!) over to Assateague Island and the beach there.

Okaaayyy....am I ready for this?? Citronella arm bracelets and anklets? Check. Tons of spray? Check. I love that trikes come with baskets! Tom's all set for his biking jaunt over to the beach:

We made it to the beach where we sat and watched the waves and lots of surfers for awhile...pretty beach, pretty day! I wish now that we'd planned a real stay-all-day beach day...but this was biking day and catching a quick glimpse of the beach before lunch type of day: Tom wrote on the beach like he did on our honeymoon....Tom (heart) Deb...40 Years! Awww...

Here's our selfie before we head back (smiling, even though dealing with literally dozens of mosquito bites from biking on the bike path through the woods instead of staying on the main busier road). Tip: Mosquitoes don't know what citronella bracelets mean....and...always take the main road. I'm sure there are lots of other photos from mini-golfing, Chincoteague Museum, Mariners' Point, visiting Island Creamery and Famous Pizza I could share...

But I'll close with a photo of one of the gifts from all the kids...a canvas from Smallwood Home with the wedding song Tom wrote and sang on wedding day. You can see the photo of him singing to me imprinted behind the words. I absolutely love this!!! So perfect! Thank you to all the kids for such a special gift!

Today precious friend, God makes us one

My dear love for you will never be done.

Let's seek Jesus' face and know Him anew

So that His love may be our love, too.

 

Oh, magnify the Lord with me

And let us exalt His name together

May our union bring more glory to Him.

 

My dearest lover to you do I cleave.

This marriage will last because God we've believed.

With service and truth our lives we now gird

To spread His good news in deed and in word.

 

Oh, magnify the Lord with me

And let us exalt His name together

May our union bring more glory to Him.

~~Tom Girotti, 1980

 

Then Samuel took a stone...and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."  ~ I Samuel 7:12

Happy 40th Anniversary to us!

~Deb

Flashback Friday

I was reminded this morning that today is our special Proposal Day Anniversary....37 years ago today I was asked to be Tom's wife. Sooo glad I said YES!

I searched the blog and found this post from 2005, and I'm pasting it here:

Who Is That Young Couple?

Proposal Anniversary! Yep, 25 years ago today Tom popped the big question (down on his knees!) in his parents' living room. It was snowy that weekend in Connecticut so we couldn't drive to Mystic Seaport (the original proposal location). That didn't bother me, as I had no idea what was up anyway. His family did though, and they were in the next room waiting for us to come out and make the announcement. (I said YES!!) A few minutes later we re-enacted the whole proposal and Sue, Tom's sister, took this picture. It's one of my treasured memories. Six months later we were husband and wife--the second best decision of my life! I am very thankful for the just-right husband the Lord gave to me!

~~

 

Now....that was an easy post...copy and paste!  Maybe I can come up with something new next week! Have a great weekend, folks!

 

~Deb

Save

Proposal Anniversary! Yep, 25 years ago today Tom popped the big question (down on his knees!) in his parents' living room. It was snowy that weekend in Connecticut so we couldn't drive to Mystic Seaport (the original proposal location). That didn't bother me, as I had no idea what was up anyway. His family did though, and they were in the next room waiting for us to come out and make the announcement. (I said YES!!) A few minutes later we re-enacted the whole proposal and Sue, Tom's sister, took this picture. It's one of my treasured memories. Six months later we were husband and wife--the second best decision of my life! I am very thankful for the just-right husband the Lord gave to me!

~~

 

Now....that was an easy post...copy and paste!  Maybe I can come up with something new next week! Have a great weekend, folks!

 

~Deb

A Look Back at 2015 ~ Part 2

Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward. There is none to compare with You: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. ~ Psalm 40:5

We've been highlighting some special times and remembrances from 2015. Part 1 ~ Winter/Spring was posted here. And today begins Part 2 ~ Summer/Fall.

July, 2015...Georgia Visits Virginia. In July Eric and his family came to Virginia for a "courting visit." Fourth of July celebrations filled a fun weekend! Here's the gang around the picnic table: At the end of the weekend, we took a picture of both families together. Very fun times:Also in July we celebrated Granny's 87th birthday. Jonathan, Hannah, and Sarah brought in her favorite pound cake with a candle in the middle. I think turning 87 should certainly be a highlight to a year, don't you?August...Virginia Visits Georgia.

On this particular courting weekend we toured a historical home, painted a garage together, played games and more tennis, and visited an Olive Oil store. Here's Hannah tasting some flavors of vinegar: My friend, Victoria, and I visited a flower garden:There are actually so many pictures that I could post of visits from this summer between our families....but everything can't become a highlight! This is just a smattering to give you an idea.

This photo of Sarah and Eric together after church on Sunday is a nice highlight from our trip to Georgia:  

In August Tom and I celebrated our 35th Anniversary in Alexandria, Virginia.We wrote last year about our anniversary trip near the end of this post, along with other happenings around that time.

Someone volunteered to take our picture together here in front of Alexandria's City Hall and Market Square:Here we are enjoying a meal at Mount Vernon Inn.: One more entry before we wrap up the Summer portion of Looking Back at 2015...

Labor Day Weekend....Georgia Visits Virginia.

We wrote about Eric and Sarah's engagement on this post back in September. These are some extra photos from that weekend.

Here are Eric and Sarah after hiking to the top of Humpback Rock: A grilled fish taco picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway: Labor Day finally arrived, and a fun scavenger hunt took place. Here's everyone trekking around the yard trying to find clues...Sarah was looking for "something."  Look what was waiting at the end of the hunt! Highlight of all highlights!!Here are the rest of us back at the house watching and waiting for Eric and Sarah to return from the proposal site: Now that the engagement was official, a wedding was planned for November!

Looking Back at 2015...Fall.

Since the wedding to-dos kicked into high gear, posting on the blog in October was almost non-existent, although there are three newly written posts I'd like to link to.

I dated them with October dates so they will appear on the blog in the order they happened back in October, 2015:

October, Dayton Days...Hannah and I sold baskets and soaps! Read about it here.

October...Friends came to visit, and I wrote about our special time here.

October, NCFIC Conference...we spent the weekend in Asheville. Read about it here.

The best highlight of 2015, Eric and Sarah's wedding: 

I hope you've enjoyed this look back at 2015. We're looking forward to the good things the Lord will bring about in 2016!

"I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old." ~ Psalm 77:11

~Deb

A Look Back at 2015 ~ Part 1

Most bloggers write their previous year's highlights post in early January. Well...Hello, February! How did you get here?!

We're finally getting around to "looking back" at a few of the memories of 2015...some photos may not have made the blog the first time around and others you might remember. And some events/happenings we didn't take time to put on the blog. Take a look:

Winter, 2015....A big portion of the winter was spent over at Jonathan's house helping with various building chores. My main job was writing verses on the studs all over the house. We blogged about it here and here:Last February, Tom's sister came to visit...fun times! We're anticipating another visit from Aunt Toots at the end of this month and hope that she isn't greeted with lots of the white stuff again: Also in February friends from over the mountain came to visit...we had lots of fun talking and playing games: Here I am with my friend: On the week leading up to Valentine's Day each year, Sarah makes meals for our family..lots of delicious and varied meals all week long! We all just love Sarah's Cooking Week!

I wonder if she's told her new husband, Eric, that she has to leave Georgia and come home to Virginia to cook for us all next week? Somehow I doubt it since it's his birthday week. We'll miss her Cooking Week for sure this year!

Last March Hannah introduced a new product, Beard Oil, on her website and blog. Jonathan was her tester, and here they are together after Hannah gave him a sniff to check out the fragrance: Also in March, Hannah and Sarah met with their friends Anna and Abigail for a delightful picnic lunch and some girl talk. These are the girls who were such wonderful helpers for Sarah's wedding in November....but who knew back in March that she'd be getting married last year? In March we also hosted our friends from PA, Nelson and Sarah and their family, who were overnight guests: Spring, 2015...In April we made a trek to Atlanta for the Civil War History Tour with historian, Bill Potter. Lots of families were on the tour, including our Atlanta friends here: Little did we know that Eric and Sarah's first real conversation in this graveyard on the tour would lead to friendship, courtship, and marriage:

Market Saturdays beginning in April were a huge part of 2015 for both Hannah and Sarah. Here's Tom with Granny and Hannah at the Memorial Day market:  In June we made a trek to Michigan to honor Micah as he graduated from his Residency program:On our route back to Virginia, we met up in Ohio with Eric and his family who were also traveling back home to Georgia from a weekend away. It was a great family lunch date and their first face-to-face meeting after their long-distance courtship started:Here we are getting better acquainted with the family: Well, that's just the first half of the year! More wonderful memories to come in the second half. What highlights will be next?

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.~ Psalm 103:2

Stay tuned for Part 2.

~Deb

Wedding Behind the Scenes, Ceremony, Reception, & Our Guests

We promised more wedding pictures, so first here are some behind-the-scenes decorating shots. Wonderful friends helped prepare the green apple and hydrangea vases for the reception tables: Emma and I worked on labeling the favor bags of raspberry fudge which Sarah made: ...while lots of smiling kitchen workers prepared salads for our guests: And, of course, the tablecloths had to be ironed....did you know that two dads working together can do some great ironing? Our dear friend, Kate, set up the cake on wedding day and was our cake server. Thank you, Kate! Here's the reception area all ready for our guests. The color of the day....green: A view of the wedding party participating in singing with the congregation during the ceremony: The siblings of both the bride and groom sang As Man and Woman We Were Made while the bride and groom prayed together as husband and wife and signed a copy of their vows: Food line: Our menu:Some of our special friends visiting with the bride and groom: Hannah and our friends:Thank you, friends, for coming to share the day with us: New neighbors who blessed us by coming to Sarah's wedding: Tom's two sisters and brother-in-law traveled from Connecticut for the wedding, and it was wonderful to see them again: Father and son in conversation: Friends from church: Soon it was time for the bride and groom to depart for their honeymoon. Here are Sarah and Eric leaving as guests throw fall leaves into the air. What a wonderful wedding day!: We appreciate our friend, Kyle Decker, who took lots of photos throughout the wedding--and a lot of them are in this post--Great job, Kyle!

A big thank-you goes to the professional photographer, Carla Jane Photography, for her photos of the wedding. This is one of my favorites: Welcome to the family, Eric! We all pray that God's richest blessings will be on your marriage as you both serve Him together.

 ~ Deb

 

Wedding Memories ~ Eric & Sarah

Well, the wedding day that we planned for, prayed over, and eagerly awaited has now come and gone! That was quick! And now the newlyweds are enjoying their honeymoon and beginning their life together!

The tears around here have come at the most unexpected times this first week without Sarah. But the happiness we feel for both Eric and Sarah far outweighs missing her, and we're so very thankful that the Lord, in His good timing, brought the two of them together.

Here are some snapshots of wedding day:

Tom and Deb with the happy couple, along with siblings Jonathan, Hannah, and Micah:  The groom spoke at the end of the ceremony and then thanked all the guests for being a part of their special day: The green-themed Guest Book table included a photo of the couple, Sarah's favorite hymn plaque, Mr & Mrs pumpkins, and the guest photo book...(thank you to Dee over at Red Letter Words for the word art plaques we used to decorate):At the other end...a vase of green hydrangeas with white - green-tinted roses, a basket of raspberry fudge favors for guests to take home with "He Picked Her; She Picked Him" printed on the tags, and another plaque with a line from the Come Thou Fount hymn: Each church pew was decorated with a verse from I Corinthians 13: Jonathan and Hannah, brother and sister of the bride: Sarah helped her friend Anna put final touches on the cake table before putting on her wedding dress: The groom's mother, Victoria, added her touches to the table also: And here's Sarah all dressed in her momma's vintage wedding dress and ready for the ceremony to start: The wedding cake table is shown with the three cakes in place; guests had a choice of Funfetti wedding cake or key lime pie, the groom's favorite dessert:Sarah's oldest brother, Micah, flew in that morning to be at her wedding. Here, Micah escorts Granny:The five bridesmaids wore green and each made their dress in whichever pattern they chose (this is the only quick shot I have of the bridesmaids until the photographer's photos arrive, but this gives you some idea): The groom's parents:Dear friends, Anna and Kim, who helped with Sarah and Hannah's hair: This sweet lady had a hard time pinning her husband's boutonniere (ha!):Our next post will include some behind-the-scenes photos and our special guests at the reception. Stay tuned! ~Deb

Time hasn't permitted me to respond to all of your well-wishes in the last Wedding Day post. However, we always appreciate your visits and comments so much and look forward to touching base with you soon. Thank you!