A+C The I DOs

Continuing my recap and photo sharing from the wedding of Adam and Courtney, today's post is about the ceremony.

The I DOs.

Adam and Courtney wanted to get married at Purdue, where their love story began, so they needed to find a church that would allow non-members to be married there, and would also allow an outside officiant to perform the ceremony. They decided on Trinity United Methodist Church, which met all their criteria, and was beautiful to boot. It is the oldest church in Tippecanoe County, and was a lovely setting for the exchanging of vows.

Adam seated the grandmothers and the mothers, which was a special way to start the ceremony.

Adam seating Courtney's mom.

The bridesmaids' dresses were available in slightly different styles, which allowed each bridesmaid to select the style that worked best for her. Here is David's wife, Shylah.

 Andrew's wife, Darci.

This is Courtney's friend and college roommate, Megan. Notice Jennifer waiting in the doorway.

Jennifer was supposed to go before Megan, but she was downstairs nursing her 12 day old baby! No one panicked, and Megan just went on and they discreetly switched places after Jennifer got to the alter. Bless Jennifer's heart, she was a trooper throughout the whole day, dealing with fussing (baby Piper's), tears (hers), and all the emotions that go with watching your baby brother get married when you are 12 days postpartum. I know she was honored to be a part of the wedding party, and to stand up with Adam and Courtney.

 Courtney's sister, Britney.

 Courtney's best friend and maid of honor, Chellsey.

And here come the cutest little flower girls, our granddaughters Haleigh and Ella.

Followed by grandsons Matthew and Noah, looking quite dapper. Matthew liked to refer to himself as 'corraller of children' instead of ring bearer. He did a great job walking 18-month-old Noah safely down the aisle. So cute.

Here comes the bride!

I love the smile on Adam's face as he waits for Courtney to join him at the alter.

Courtney and her dad.

Such a beautiful church!

Our good friend, Reverend Jamalyn Peigh Williamson, performed the ceremony. She was the associate pastor at our church in Greensburg several years ago, and we have remained close friends ever since. I have made several trips to Haiti with her, which pretty much makes us family. She has been the officiant at the weddings of three of our children. They even have the t-shirts. True story.

Jamalyn's homily was personal, humorous, and meaningful. Even 11-year-old Matthew made a point to find her at the reception to tell her she did a good job. :)
I love this photo of Adam's 3 brothers listening.

Little Haleigh stood sweetly beside her mama.

One thing I have been told by several people who know either the bride or the groom is how they bring out the best in one another. I have heard it from members of Courtney's family, and I have heard it from our family. And isn't that what marriage is all about? Two great individuals who are even better together.

I pray that they will always remember the happiness of the day, the love they share, and the strength in the union of two lives in a marriage. May God bless you, and may you continue to bring out the best, to be the best, and to see the best in one another.

Remember to pray, laugh, love, forgive, laugh some more, forgive again, and keep praying.

You may now kiss the bride. (I love David in this photo.)

Mr. and Mrs. Adam and Courtney Stewart!

A pom pom exit cheering them on as they walk side by side into their future. Amen!

Photos by LinneaLiz Photography.

A+C The Day

I hope to do several posts about Adam and Courtney's wedding rather than post a zillion photos all at once. Okay, maybe not a zillion, but pretty close to it. :)

The Day.
I was up early the morning of the wedding for an errand to purchase a forgotten item. I remembered lanterns and faces and oranges (oh my!) but forgot the jewelry I had selected to wear to the wedding. So off I went to the mall to purchase replacements.

When I walked out of the hotel to cross to the parking garage, I stopped in wonder and thanks for the bright blue sky God had painted for us that morning. A beautiful day for a wedding. As a wise pastor always assures us, no matter the weather or mishaps leading up to the ceremony, at the end of the day, they'll be married. She's right, of course, but it was nice to be greeted with a morning like this.

(Some of) the boys enjoyed breakfast together at Pappy's, while the girls were at the salon for hair and makeup appointments. Of course, for the most part, the guys have it pretty easy as far as preparations go. The groom did get a little help from brother-in-law, Bryan, with the tying of his tie. (Rumor has it that Bryan helped most of the guys with their ties.)

Then it was Mom's turn to pin on the boutonniere.

 My baby boy. Getting married.

The girls' room is always a flurry of activity through a cloud of hair spray and the sound of excited chatter. I call this one 'how many bridesmaids does it take to get the bride into her dress?'

Courtney and Adam had chosen to see each other before the ceremony so that they could do most of the photographs with the wedding party around campus. The photographers set up their first look, and caught these cute pix of the special moment.

A kiss with the bell tower in the background.

The bride and groom start their day together.

Their wedding party included their siblings and their spouses, and close friends from high school and college. It was a big, beautiful group.

They went to several campus locations for some cool photos of special places.

The steps of Hovde Hall made a good spot for the group to pose.

Of course, there were some sweet ones of the almost-married couple.

The bell tower is the spot where Adam popped the question last June.

And now, the day had finally arrived!

Next up: The I DOs.

Photos by LinneaLiz Photography.

No Foolin', It's the Hodgepodge

It's an April Fools' Day Hodgepodge! Thanks for stopping by, and here's hoping that no one plays you for a fool today! I especially hope the weather is finished giving us glimpses of spring, only to snatch it away again. It's been a long winter. Thankfully, today's forecast calls for 69 and sunny. No foolin'!

Thanks, as always, to Joyce for hosting the party. Click on the button to pay her a visit, and be sure to say hi to the other Hodgepodgers as well! (Thanks also to Joyce's newly married Daughter1 for updating my header photo and bio! Check out her design services here.)

1. In honor of the date...when were you last sent on a 'fool's errand'?

I don't know if it was a 'fool's errand' but I made my first trip to Jungle Jim's on Monday. It is a tourist attraction disguised as a grocery store, which, according to the website, offers over 150,000 products. Including octopus. And alligator jerky. And super fresh (as in still swimming) tilapia.

There are all sorts of interesting items decorating the store, I even noticed that someone ran off and left her ruby slippers. I don't think we're in Kansas any more.

They have cheese, cheese, and more cheese, including this fancy carved block. O-H...

2. Peter Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, The Energizer Bunny, The Easter Bunny, Rabbit (Pooh's friend), White Rabbit (of Wonderland fame), or the Trix Rabbit...which of these 'famous' rabbits can you best relate to right now?

Seems like I'm often rushing to get somewhere or to get something done. As my late mother-in-law used to say, "that's why God gave us the last minute." I have improved a bit, but I'm still going to say that I relate most to the White Rabbit of Wonderland. I'm late, I'm late…

3. When did you last find yourself scrambling to get something done? Explain.

It's just a week and a half past the wedding of son Adam and his bride (wife!) Courtney, and I did a fair share of scrambling to pack, load, arrange, and implement some of the things that add to the fun and festivity of a wedding. So much fun.

4. Last time you were up at the literal crack of dawn? Why? Last time you stayed up all night? Why?

All nighters or an appointment with the crack of dawn usually involve travel for me. Which is a good thing, and worthy of the interruption to my sleep. I most recently stayed up (almost) all night when we were waiting for the birth of sweet baby Piper. So worth it.

5. Crack a book, crack a bottle, crack a joke, crack an egg...which have you done most recently?

Crack a book. I have read two good ones for my book club recently, Yellow Crocus, by Laila Ibrahim, and The Aviator's Wife, by Melanie Benjamin.

6. What's your favorite part of a typical weekend? Tell us why that's so.

Sunday afternoon nap. Obviously.

7. What's something I'd find on a bookshelf in your home? Other than a book I mean!
Family photos, and a few knick knacks. (Do people say knick knacks any more?)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I plan to share additional wedding photos soon, so be sure to come back if you care to see a few (dozen hundred) more. This is one of my favorites of the bride and groom and our grandchildren, who loved being part of Uncle Adam and Aunt Courtney's big day.

Matthew, 11, Piper, 12 days, Adam, Courtney, Noah, 19 months, Ella, 3 1/2, and Haleigh, 5.