The date of my last blog post feels like a very, very long time ago -- probably because seven and a half months is quite a long time! It would be much easier to just let the time go on growing longer and longer, but I keep having this little, niggling urge to at least say that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I am, in fact, still alive and well! I now have a married daughter, and I have reached the grand milestone of being halfway to ninety.
Without trying to be dramatic, I suppose I should (in keeping with my long held belief in being genuine and authentic) also say that in these months of silence I have gone through a bit of a faith crisis, and our family leaving the church we attended for twelve years, and a major eye surgery, and abnormal uterine bleeding that resulted in multiple tests and a biopsy and severe anemia that lasted throughout a good five of the seven months. Not to mention navigating preparations for the first wedding in our family, and discovering that being the parents in that scenario is a whole other level of stretching than I've ever known before.
Suffice it to say, there are reasons that this blog has remained silent for many days!
Even now, I really don't feel like going into all the details of the past seven months. That is why I say that it would be much easier to just let the time continue slipping by, than to write a blog post. I don't know why it used to seem so important and useful to share my thoughts and feelings with the whole world? I guess there is a time and a place for every season. Mostly, I feel like that season is past.
There are a few of you long time readers that still check in with me occasionally, and it seemed like it would be nice to at least give you a little glimpse of Jasmine's wedding, because I know you would all be interested. I don't have any "professional" photos from the day, just a myriad of snapshots, mostly taken with less than stellar cellphone cameras.
Here are the collages and captions I shared on social media:
1) The Dress
2) The Dessert
3) The Stacks & Piles
4) The Elbow Grease
5) The Set Up
6) The Families & Bridal Party
7) The Celebration
8) The Fragments That Remained
A little further explanations for you.....
Number 1) The Dress was a long process in coming! We explored all manner of options, but I ended up with the honor of sewing the bride's dress and we settled on using linen. Jasmine drafted the skirt pattern and I had the terrifying (and fun) job of cutting and sewing. My favorite part of the dress was hand crocheting lace edging around the neck, cuffs and waist.
Number 2) The Dessert. We made individual frozen cheesecakes for the dessert. The collage only shows the strawberry ones but we also made mocha and vanilla. The wedding was a very collaborative effort by both families, and the groom's family provided and prepared the main course for the reception, which was pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, and coleslaw.
Number 3) The Stacks & Piles. So many, many details! I should have also had pictures of all the many lists.....
Number 4) The Elbow Grease. The ceremony was held in a beautiful, old church in our local town. Friends of ours offered the use of their old barn (which is within walking distance of our house) for the reception and Jasmine lit up like a light bulb at the idea! It made for a lot of extra work (think - no running water or electricity) but the setting was beautifully prefect for the homey, comfortable atmosphere they were going for. We are forever indebted to our friends for their offer and for all the work they put into helping make it happen!
Number 5) The Set Up. We gathered hydrangeas from friends and cut wild blackberries and foraged greenery to make bouquets for the tables. My brother's family came early, and Jasmine's cousins helped with set up and decorating, along with Jasmine's fabulous reception coordinator and many other helping hands that I won't even start naming!
Number 6) The Families & Bridal Party. The day finally arrived! The wedding was Friday afternoon June 28. Jasmine and Uriah had all of their siblings in their bridal party, plus a couple of close friends.
I have to add here how one of Jasmine's mentors stepped in at the last minute, when she heard how Jasmine was reconsidering her choice of no bridal bouquets, and gifted her with gorgeous bouquets that she and her sister foraged from multiple people's gardens and flowerbeds and arranged, free of charge! What a gift friends are.
Number 7) The Celebration. The day was truly lovely and beautiful. I felt a peace and ability to relax and enjoy that came only from the prayers of others! It was also very warm, and the spontaneous decision to move outside for open mic turned out to be, hands down, my favorite part of the day. The setting was perfection -- right down to the children frolicking happily on the dirt pile and the rows of hay bales! (My apologies to the mama's who had to deal with grubby little people and stained clothes)
Number 8) The Fragments That Remained. Saturday morning Uriah's family helped us load up tables and chairs and we picked up the fragments that remained.....
It's hard to believe that was only two weeks ago! Life has moved at a much slower pace in the days since, and I suddenly find myself with so much brain space.....
People: What will you do now that the wedding is over??
Me:
And there, my friends, is a glimpse of Jasmine and Uriah's wedding.
