Daniel and Lauren Ashley Wedding Photos - Part 2

Okay, I promise...after this post I will not talk about Daniel and Ashley's wedding again...ever...well, at least for a little while.

Last week, I shared pictures of the Cambodian ceremony that we celebrated.  This week, I want to share with you the pictures from the 'Big Day'.  And what a day it was.  A beautiful celebration from beginning to end.

I never imagined that having your child get married would be so emotional, wonderful, joyous and just plain fun!

So, here's a peek at the day.







Getting ready, the bride and groom were all smiles.

Brothers

 

Sisters

 

Dad, do not make me cry!

 

Walking our girl down the long, leafy aisle - it felt like a dream.

Finally, Mr and Mrs Or

The most beautiful bride ever!

 Our new family portrait

 Grandma and Poppa Vaters...look what you started!

Incredible to have so many of the Rutledge clan come from Canada to share our joy!

 After the food...

and the cake (lots of cake)...

 They danced.

 We danced.

Everybody...

I mean everybody, danced. 

 

...happily ever after.

Bah! Humbug!

"Only 40 more days until Christmas!"

"Ugh!"

"Mom, why don't you like Christmas?"

I guess "Ugh" isn't quite "Bah, Humbug!", but to my daughter's ears it did make me sound a bit like Scrooge...okay, a lot like Scrooge.

I love Christmas.

I do.  I just don't understand why we start the countdown before we've even had Thanksgiving!

I love the decorations

• the sparkling lights and the festive colors.  
• driving through the neighborhoods to check out the displays
• picking out the perfect tree
• filling the house with lights and decorations
• the Boat Parade in Newport Harbor.  

Everything is transformed for this wonderful season.

I love the gifts - picking out something special for the people I love and anticipating the look of delight when they open the brightly wrapped package.

Oh yeah, getting gifts too!  That part is great!  I always seem to forget that I will be at the receiving end as well.

I love the food.  I love the food.  Oops, I wrote that twice.

You know what I mean.  All those scrumptious holiday treats that we eat only at this time of year.  Then we ask, "Why don't we make this the rest of the year?" only to realize that if we did, we would weigh approximately the same as a baby hippo (or a mama hippo.)

There are the delicious baked goods for starters (dessert first.)  In my family the list here is long.

Dessert is very important.  Each family event is rated by how many desserts are available. 

One or two, that's for amateurs!

At the top of the list is Grandma's pulla, otherwise known as Finnish coffee bread.  It is the most amazing sweet bread, made in a braided loaf, with a hint of cardamom - off the hook!

All other baking is secondary to the bread.  We must have the bread.  My sister has become an expert at the bread-baking also, so dozens of loaves are baked and consumed over the holidays.  Just thinking about it now is making me a little light-headed.

But, of course, the bread isn't it.  There's

• caramel corn (Kathy's favorite)
• shortbread (Steve's favorite)
• sugar cookies (Sam's)
• chocolate fudge
• Nanaimo bars (an overall fav)
• peppermint bark

• chocolate covered pretzels
• Chinese chews (Rachel's favorite)
• pumpkin pie
• and the must-have jam-jams (Poppa's contribution to the holidays)

just to name a small portion of the required holiday baking.

We eat real food too, not just dessert.  You know, turkey, potatoes, carrots, yams, green beans, stuffing... I could go on, but I think you get the point.

So...what's not to love about Christmas?

It's so much work!

The decorations are beautiful but they don't just fly out of the boxes and land on the tree and around the house by themselves.  Somebody has to put them up.

The gifts are wonderful, but (don't spread the word on this), little elves do not magically appear with them gift-wrapped under the tree.

The food is marvelous, and I know you can buy it pre-made in the store, but in our family, that just doesn't cut it!

So...when I see Christmas looming on the horizon, I get tired before I've even started.  I just see long 'to-do' lists looming and the days shrinking away while I seem to spin my wheels getting very little accomplished.  I want to relax and enjoy the moment, but 'the moment' never seems to come.

Oh yeah, I forgot one thing.  One little thing.  One major little thing.

A baby.

Born in a manger.

I know this is the only way to keep my sanity during the holidays.  I have to keep reminding myself what Christmas is really about - what the fuss and bother really mean to a believer, to one who is a follower of the Christ child born in a manger, over 2000 years ago.

If we had no gifts (now my kids are starting to panic), if the decorations never came out of the boxes, if the celebrations and parties never materialized and the baking never took place, Christmas would still be Christmas.

All of these are trappings and ornamentation - trappings that pull me away from the focus of the season - to celebrate the birth of my Savior.

For a child is born to us,
      a son is given to us.
   The government will rest on his shoulders.
      And he will be called:
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
   His government and its peace
      will never end.
   He will rule with fairness and justice 
      from the throne of his ancestor David
      for all eternity.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT)

A Love Letter

Today is my handsome hubby's birthday.  We have been together since I was 18 and he was 21, which basically means, we have grown up together.  There have certainly been a lot of growing pains in our years together.  We have laughed and loved, fought and cried.  But through it all, we have grown closer to each other and to the Lord.

Indulge me, while I send a little love letter to my sweetie.

Things I love about Steve

~ he is a man of  God

~ that smile!

~ he is a loyal friend

~ he has a great sense of humor

~ he loves his children and isn't afraid to tell them


~ he has THE best laugh

~ he's still a mama's boy


~ he can cook (this is a biggie!)

~ he gets better-looking every day

~ he adores me

~ he's mine.

Steve, I love you more today than ever.

Grow old with me.  The best is yet to be.

The Gift of Pain - Chapter 4

For Chapters 1-3 of My Story - The Gift of Pain, click on the link at the right.


Finally, I had been seizure-free for six months and I headed to the DMV to renew my license. I was heady with excitement and talked for days about all the places I would go when I once again had my independence.

I filled out the forms, and handed them over with a smile. My joy was short-lived when I was denied my renewal because of forms that had been incorrectly submitted by my doctor. I felt so desperate that I literally stood at the counter of the DMV sobbing and begging. The lady apologized and said her hands were tied. I would have to return once my paperwork was in order.

Another four months passed. I filled out forms, received doctor’s clearances and jumped through hoops. Finally, on July 16, 2004, I took the written test for the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles and I passed! The huge smile on my driver’s license said it all. I had my freedom back.

When I drove the car home, my family was waiting at the curb for my arrival.  My children and family wept with me, thanking God for answered prayers.  That evening I got in the car by myself, cranked up the stereo and drove for hours along the California coast. It was truly one of the happiest days of my life.

I decided to have a celebration party. Steve said he would cook and asked how many people to expect. I told him around thirty and started calling everyone I knew. That Saturday, we threw a party. At the final count, eighty people showed up to celebrate with us.

I had them take the written test for the DMV to see how many of them would pass.  Trust me, it's harder than you think!  I studied hard to pass that sucker.  I wanted to take the time to thank God for his healing and thank my family and friends for their support and prayers. I would not have made it those years without them. Little did I know how much I would lean on their support and prayers in the years that followed.

(Yes!  These are all their children, with a few missing!  We miss you Pryer Family!)

At the time, my brother-in-law owned a vintage VW Beetle. I had my friends pose in the car as a memento of that incredible day. I know the pictures are grainy and everyone looks a bit creepy with red-eye, but these pictures make me smile.

Life returned to normal, with my seizures in check, and I began to enjoy life more than ever. I started up a small purse design business, named Jenny and Lucille (the precursor to Jenny and Pearl) with my dear friend Doneanne.

Doneanne is one of the most creative people I have ever met and it was such a joy working with her. (Congrats to you, dear friend and your handsome hubby as you look forward to baby #4!)

Every week we would load up the van with our pop-up tent, tables, and product and head to the Huntington Beach Pier for the weekly craft show.  We loved coming up with new designs and the feedback from our customers at home parties and boutiques was very rewarding.  That period of time was a wonderful reprieve and shored me up for the challenges ahead.

Steve had been suffering from pain and pressure in his left arm for a while. We weren’t too concerned but took him to the doctor to have it checked out. They did some blood work and had him run a stress test. Everything came back normal and they sent him home, saying it was a touch of the flu or a pulled muscle.

Thursday, January 12, 2006 was a beautiful sunny day. I was out shopping when my brother called, asking if he could pop by our house to pick oranges off the tree. I told him I would meet him there and in the early afternoon I pulled up to the house, surprised to see Steve’s car in the driveway.

I went in the house and found Steve lying in bed. He was sweating profusely. I was immediately concerned and told him we needed to get him to the doctor.   He argued with me, claiming they would just send him home again like they had previously. All he wanted to do was take a nap, certain he would feel better when he woke up.  My brother and I stepped out and talked about Steve's condition. Something just wasn’t ‘right’ and we agreed that, if Steve wouldn’t go to the doctor, we needed to call 9-1-1.

Back in our room, Steve was struggling to breathe. I grabbed the phone and dialed emergency. Thankfully, there is a fire station just a stone’s throw from our house and within seconds, I could hear the siren in the distance.

Psalm 91

You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,

Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.

Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,

Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
 I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.

I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"

Psalm 91 (The Message)

School's Out!

The last couple weeks have been an onslaught of parties, promotions, picnics and more!  We have packed more socializing into the last month than we do the rest of the year.

Today our sweet daughter was promoted out of junior high.  No more uniforms - hooray!  She is off to yet another party this evening.  Oh, the sweet days of youth!

I am SO glad that summer is here and with it a more relaxed schedule.  Why is it I hate making school lunches so much?  It is one of my least favorite chores and I 'm determined that by next fall, I will relinquish that task to my now-promoted children.

We are looking for cheap and easy ways to fill our summer days, the beach being #1 on our hit list.  Let's place bets on how long it will be til one of the kids says "I'm bored."  I'm betting it's before the weekend arrives.

I've also decided that this will be a good time to ignore child labor laws and put my kids to work on some things around the house.  I'll fill you in on how that goes!

Congrats Zack and Sam, moving on to junior high!  Congrats Rachel and Jacob, leaving junior high behind!  Congrats to Norb and Jonny, celebrating birthdays today!

Sorry this is short and sweet today, but I gotta go frost a cake - chocolate, yum!

I am working on a posting about another personal hero.  This young lady is amazing and you will want to hear her story.  Check back tomorrow to read it.


May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants.  May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.
Psalm 144:12 NLT

Aaahh!

That's the sound of me sighing, as another week comes to a close.

And what a great way to close out the week - a beach picnic with family and friends in Coronal del Mar.

Happy Birthday, Zack!

I couldn't get enough of the scenery last night, so I thought I would share my favorites with you.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the view!

This hill looks deceptively small, but three switchbacks later - I'm gonna feel this in the morning!

Beautiful beach-side blooms!

This is why we come to the beach in the evening.

What a perfect way to end the day!

I hope your weekend is restful and blessed.

P.S.  Don't forget to nominate your personal heroes in the post "Personal Heroes - Chapter 2"

National Donut Day

Today is National Donut Day.  I knew you would want to be aware of this before this day passed and you had to wait another 'hole' year (sorry for the pun) before you got to celebrate it again.  I haven't had my donut yet and even thought, for one brief insane moment, of making donuts today.  But, I got over that and I think I'll head up to our favorite donut shop,  DK's on Chapman Avenue.  The donuts there are baked fresh all day and they are Yummy!

I found out some interesting facts about National Donut Day and thought I would share them with you.  I know you're curious, right?  This is according to the site www.holidayinsights.com

National Donut Day is always the first Friday in June and it was started to honor the Salvation Army "Lassies" of WWI. It is also used as a fund raiser for needy causes of the Salvation Army.  This is what caught my attention, since one my favorite pics of my grandmother (the Pearl in Jenny and Pearl), is of her dressed in her Salvation Army uniform.

Anyway, during WWI, Salvation Army "lassies" served in Europe on the front lines, making home cooked foods, boosting the morale of the troops. Sometimes, they cooked doughnuts in oil inside the metal helmets of American soldiers. Thus the name 'doughboys'.  These brave ladies were the only women outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines.

So today, on National Doughnut Day, look to see if your local doughnut shop is offering free donuts to raise funds for the Salvation Army or for another needy cause. If they are, give generously!  Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme are offering free donuts today, so check it out.  For my Canadian friends,  ask your local Tim's to make it a tradition!

While we are on the subject of National Days, let me share with you just a few of the other National Days coming up in June.  Hey, any reason to celebrate is a good one, right?

6   National Yo-Yo Day- my brother would like this one
7   National Chocolate Ice Cream Day - Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, anyone?
8   Best Friends Day - nice
9   Donald Duck Day
10 Iced Tea Day - refreshing
11 Hug Holiday - definitely
14 Flag Day
17 Eat Your Vegetables Day - this one must be popular with the kids
18 National Splurge Day - Oh yeah!
20 Father's Day - love you Dad
22 National Chocolate Eclair Day -I thought every day was chocolate eclair day.  French's Bakery here I come!
23 National Pink Day
23 Take Your Dog to Work Day (Why!?) .....date varies
24 Swim a Lap Day
26 Forgiveness Day - good idea
27 Sun Glasses Day

"Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, 
    make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!" (Amanda Bradley)