Week 51 -- THE WEDDING!!!

I have SOOOOO many photos to share...too many to post on the blog, so I'll be sharing links to facebook so you can browse through wedding photos as you have time. It was truly a beautiful wedding and we feel so blessed to have been here for it. I have to say, after seeing both my kids married in small, intimate, immediate-family-only ceremonies, I am a fan! Fun, relaxing, special, wonderful :)

But it wasn't All Wedding, All Week and I do have a few other photos to share for Project 365, so let's start with those, shall we?

On Monday good friends from Michigan came down to spend the day with us. We go way back with Jim and Peggy. I actually knew Jim before I knew Ivan, and then he was one of Ivan's groomsmen. We met Peggy a number of years ago after she started homeschooling her kids. It's a long story which I won't go into here, but we introduced them about ten years ago after they'd both lost their first spouses to leukemia. Our connection is deeper though, because they also joined us in Uganda and spent a few months helping out at Kasana Children's Center. I could write a whole post on our friendship!

We've had fun playing "Words With Friends" with mom on her iPad. This week she walloped me in one game -- after scoring a 72 point word! You know I had to document that with a photo :)

While Jim and Peg were here, we went to see Tina at her office and then explored the rest of the building where she works. We discovered an art exhibit on the second floor that was absolutely stunning, not only in the individual pieces but how it had been arranged. When I went back with my camera two days later, I was disappointed to find they'd already dismantled a good portion of the exhibit but I did snap a few photos. The exhibit, called "One Big GOOD: Celebration of Freedom" featured three artists. Here's what the Grace website had to say about it:

Jennifer M. Flowers BS' 08 and Christi Ziebarth BS’ 95 exhibit a visual voice of artistic abolition. This sensitive collection of conté portraiture and mosaic-montage celebrates hope and healing for Ghanaian orphans saved from present-day child slave trade.

The third, Dianna Williams, is a fiber artist who created the dolls as well as wall hangings and other textile pieces for the show. I loved how they set up vignettes showing children doing what they should be doing: playing, as opposed to being forced into slave labor.

Speaking of textile pieces, I FINALLY finished the baby quilt! Just in time to give it to the expectant parents on Friday.

I ended up hand quilting just the floral batik piece and machine quilting the other squares and the borders. Just not enough time to do it all by hand.

And now, for the big event of the week: THE WEDDING! 

Like I said, there are just too many to share here so I'm linking to my facebook album and to Michael's photo gallery (he and his wife Karina did the photography). Obviously, his are SO MUCH BETTER than mine! But then, he's the professional! I just thought you might like to see my point-and-shoot photos too. Even though I'm giving you the links, I HAVE to share a few of the photos here! Of course :)

I promised a picture of the whole crafty project we worked on the week before. I'm afraid I didn't get a very good photo of it, though. Even using the photo editing features on Picassa, I can't make it any clearer than this:

The banner says "Kyle & Tina" and it really was very cute. I'm just a terrible photographer. We used lovely papers in red, black, white and silver to create it.

 (photo by Michael Metts)

I realized last night while downloading photos to the computer that we hadn't asked anyone to use our camera and get photos of us with the couple. But here's a shot that Michael took during the wedding:

Some signage taking place afterward...

 The happy couple with Jon and Natalie. Yesterday was also Jon's 29th birthday! So the poor guy not only has a December birthday (and that whole here's-one-gift-for-your-birthday-and-Christmas thing) but now he has to share it with Tina and Kyle's anniversary every year. Poor guy :)

Kyle's niece loves her "Uncle" Tina (she hasn't quite got the aunt and uncle thing figured out) and the feeling is mutual:

Michael did an amazing job! He's based in Chicago but does weddings throughout the Midwest. I love all his photos but this is one of my favorites so far (he still has lots more he'll be posting):

My sister-in-law, Sharon, made the cake. It was so beautiful and delicious! She made thin white chocolate sheets that she wrapped around the cake (which was an almond and lemon confection of pure heaven) and sprinkled with tiny white chocolate curls, then topped it with a fresh floral piece that matched the bride's bouquet. 

At one point during dinner, Kyle and Tina read letters they'd written to their parents. Oh my! Not a dry eye in the place! I did really well at keeping my emotions in check until that point. We were so blessed by what their letters conveyed. Michael took this photo:

Okay, I'm going to restrain myself and end with one final photo. There's the tell-tale tinkle as someone taps the side of their glass ---- and the couple responds: