PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/18/2008

THE REST OF THE STORY...

Barry & me with Doug & Heather Shantz, my pastor and his wife.
How blessed we were to have them guiding us during this time!


At the reception, Carol-Ann sang a song that she had written especially for my wedding day talking about some of the funny and some of the serious times of my growing-up days. She sang it again 5 years ago at our 25th anniversary party--what a great memory, Carol-Ann!

Because my parents were still in Liberia, Gord had a recorder ready, and he went around the reception area putting together a tape with lots of comments and greetings for them to enjoy.

(I realized much later that my mother calculated the difference in time zones, and at the exact time our wedding began, she sat in the living room, thinking of us and imagining it all, and refused to be disturbed until the wedding was over. That makes me cry!)

I got a turn, but I have no idea now what I said!

My friend Rene headed up the preparation and serving of the most wonderful reception. There was lots of food for everyone, and this was a major feat, as there were no RSVPs and no way of knowing how many would be there. Everyone attending the ceremony was invited to go downstairs to the fellowship hall afterwards to celebrate with us. The planning and preparation and work and expense and love that went into it makes me cry again when I remember. Now, 30 years later, I have a better idea of what they did for me than I was able to understand then.

No frosting on my face...

I love this picture, not because we were young or good-looking, but because it symbolizes the way Barry treats me. When he fed me cake that day, he did it with kindness and consideration, and that has been his way--every day--for the last 30 years.

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/17/2008

THE CEREMONY

My uncle Frank and me
As I mentioned before, my mom and dad were not able to be at our wedding, so I asked Uncle Frank to walk down the aisle with me. This was a first for him and for me, and I love the comforting way he is holding my hand!


The wedding party waiting for me
Keith was Barry's best man and traveled all the way from Colorado to be at our wedding. This meant a lot to Barry and to both of us.



After we lit the unity candle, I sang a song to Barry. It was Kenny Nolan's song, "Love's Grown Deep." Heather Shantz, my pastor's wife, did a beautiful job of playing the organ for me to sing!


The kiss
(People teased us that if they had blinked, they would have missed it!)


Here we are, Mr. and Mrs!

I was probably the most un-nervous bride ever! Not one question or doubt crossed my mind, (and it certainly helped that a lot of other wonderful people were doing all the worrying for me!)

But I know the real reason was because I had confidence that my marrying Barry was pleasing to God. Years before, I had tussled with wanting my own way on this, no matter what, but circumstances and an awful lot of prayer brought me to the point of saying, and truly meaning it, "Okay, Lord, only if you want me to!" After that, I never pushed my way forward or initiated any relationship with him, knowing that if God was for it, it was not up to me to make it happen. Oh, how glad I am to be able to say this now -- after 30 years!

(Okay, I admit there must have been just a teeny nerve somewhere, because there was that dream I had the night before the wedding...I was all dressed in my beautiful white wedding dress, sitting on a soccer ball and bouncing around in the little church foyer!!)

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/16/2008

Barry and I have celebrated our 30th anniversary in a calm sedate manner, just like you knew we would! We still like spending time with each other more than with anyone else, so a few hours out with an unhurried agenda, some good food, talking, being quiet, totally comfortable with each other -- well, that was our celebration!

Here's a little flashback to 30 years ago...

THE PREP

Fastening the dress...
Carol-Ann is looking on to make sure I don't rumple something!

I wanted to get our wedding dresses from Liberia where I was born and grew up. Barry's parents and mine were living there at the time, and the moms went out shopping with measurements in hand to see what they could find. They bought my dress and two complete sets of the attendants' dresses so that I could pick which I liked best!










Adjusting the veil...








Giving Carol-Ann and Paula their bouquets...
Rene, a wonderful organizer and one of my best friends at church, took me under her wing and made this wedding happen. I still have no idea of all she did to orchestrate everything, including the reception! She asked Ruth, who is famous for her gorgeous garden and wonderful flower arranging, to make our bouquets and corsages. I did not know it until much later, but Ruth was so nervous about having them perfect and unwilted on that hot July day! The flowers turned out beautifully, as Ruth's flowers always do!

Giving Heidi her basket of flowers, another of Ruth's creations. Heidi (Rene's daughter) was the most beautiful flower girl I have ever seen!

Mary, Barry's cousin, was also a bridesmaid. She was driving with her mom from New Jersey for the wedding and could not make it in time to get dressed with the rest of us ladies. I miss her in these prep pictures, but she will be in the pictures tomorrow.








Don't be dropping that ring, girl!
I don't want to be hearing that ring rolling across that church floor!

And what, pray tell, was the groom-to-be doing while the ladies were beautifying themselves?? Can you believe it?? Playing a little soccer to get his mind off things!

If you have read the comments and are wondering what on earth we are talking about, here is the picture I "dressed" up!

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/15/2008

It was 30 years ago today!

(I ran out of time! We are taking a half day off and going out together to celebrate. More pictures tomorrow.)

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/13/2008

My pastor Doug Shantz, Barry, and me

Barry and I had the distinct honor (and fun!) of being the first people that Doug married. He was understandably nervous but did such a great job. We had been engaged for two years, me living in Toronto, Canada, and Barry living in the western United States. Barry came to Canada about 2 weeks before the wedding so that we could take care of last-minute details -- like marriage counseling! Doug had several counseling sessions with us and assigned us books to read and homework to do.

It was our appointed evening for our next session with him, and I told Barry I wanted us to wear the matching skirt and shirt we had. All the dresses for our wedding were purchased in Liberia (a joint effort between our mothers). This skirt and shirt must have been bought for us at the same time, but right now I cannot remember the details about them. (Maybe someone can remind me??) We arrived at the church for our session, and ... another surprise! All the men and ladies of the church were there to give us a wedding shower!

The church basement was beautifully decorated on the theme of a "wishing well," and there was no way I could have thought of wishing for all the wonderful things we got that night. There were some very fun-loving folk in that congregation, too, and they put forth some of their very best efforts for us! (Check out the inflatable Blue Jay baseball player standing in front of the wishing well!)

Our wonderful friends filled that wishing well to overflowing and gave us an evening we won't ever forget.

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/12/2008

(More than one picture this time!)

Two months before my wedding, our friend Merle suggested that Carol-Ann and I sleep over at her house one night. That sounded like great fun, so we got on the bus and over we went.

I'm sure Carol-Ann was in on it, but I was totally unsuspecting! I was too new to all the North American ways to even realize or think about a lot of things. In fact, I am sure there were many breaches of etiquette on my part because I did not know the customs or understand what was expected.

How shocked I was to find a whole group of my friends, ladies young and not so young, from church! Merle and everyone gave me the best time and made me feel very special.



Carol-Ann, Beth, Merle, and Marilyn busily chatting (one of the things we all do best) while watching me open my gifts!


Opening the special gift of the evening, one that my friends went together to buy for me -- a lovely white negligee set. I had never had anything nearly that elegant and beautiful! And I'll always be grateful to my friends for knowing me so well and getting me something I would love and enjoy wearing.

I have been thinking back 30 years and realizing once again how very blessed I was to have friends and a church family who loved me and went WAY out of their way to make this time in my life perfect for me.

My parents were still living in Liberia, and the only communication we had was letters that took weeks to go back and forth. My church family took me in and did so much for me. To be honest, I didn't know what I was doing, had absolutely no money, and wanted almost nothing! So when they asked me what I needed or wanted, I could not even give them hints! They were not put off by that and came up with what was exactly right for me. Now those were true friends!

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