Ok, so after the actual wedding, there was the expected hour or so of taking pictures with the whole wedding party, the family, etc., etc. I stuck around and snapped photos for a while until it dawned on me that since the main photographer was here taking pictures, that meant that there were probably none being taken of the reception! So leaving the auditorium (and another of my photography-loving cousins to snap away with her camera), I headed over to the fellowship building where the guests were already making themselves at home ;). I just went around taking random pictures of the guests, the food, and the decorations. Later Aunt Bonnie said she was so glad I took pictures of random people! Even though I had no idea who they were, they were special friends to Jenae and her family, so they were glad that there was a photographic record of their presence.
Finally the wedding party was done with pictures and came over too, where the bride and groom exchanged the traditional bites of cake and sips of punch, and greeted innumerable friends and guests, until poor Dane looked like he was about to fall over, he was so tired and hungry! But he held up bravely ( ;) ), and finally it was time for them to leave. In a flurry of bubbles, a din of hearty laughter and calls of congratulations, they sped away in their shining chariot for the land of happily-ever-after! Well, not exactly :D ... The first part of that sentence was truthful, but the shining chariot was actually a somewhat ancient white Toyota pick-up, lovingly be-decked with window paint, masking tape, and tree branches by Dane's devoted brothers! As for the happily-ever-after part... Well, if the Lord stays first in their lives, as He seems to be now, that part will come true also.
After the couple left, clean-up began. There was lots to do, and the C. family had worked so hard already! Mom let Trissy and me stay and help while she took the grandparents on back to Aunt Bonnie's house, and led one of Dane's brothers back too, who was taking a load of gifts to the house for them. Aunt B. was still visiting with people, and didn't know that Mom had said we could stay and help, so when she was ready to take the cakes home, she assumed that she was supposed to give us a ride - plus she needed help holding the cakes to keep them from sliding around in the car. So we quickly found the C. girls and told them we had to go, but they had an idea: since we hadn't really gotten to visit during all the hub-bub, maybe we could go to their house the next day after church! They had cleaned especially that week, hoping that they could have some friends over, maybe people from the wedding! That sounded great to us!, but we agreed that the "Moms make the final decisions"! We promised to talk to Mom about it, and Mrs. C. said she would call a little later and see if it was alright.
So we went back to the house and just all relaxed, rested, and got to 'breathe' some after finally getting everything unloaded and creating some semblance of order after all the merry caos! :) The rest of the day was very relaxing and enjoyable, just sitting around visiting, reading, watching a little of the Olympics, playing games with the younger cousins (Uncle David and his family got to come, as well as Uncle Alvin and his (I'll tell more about his family later)), and later eating pizza for supper. I know, so healthy isn't it? But Uncle David inssisted that everyone was too tired to cook for the crowd, and it was lots more important that we get to enjoy this family time - so that's what we did!
The hour finally drew late, and we began to part our different ways - Uncle David's family stayed with Uncle Billy and Aunt Bonnie, but their house can only accomodate so many, and the rest of us were in hotels. So we said good night, and parted.
The next morning we gathered again (minus Uncle Alvin's) to have church at the house - Uncle Billy's eyes bother him so much that sometimes they are unable to go to church even, because the fumes in the air from perfume, aftershave, or lotion get in the scar tissue in his eyes and make him so sick. So we had church at their house together, as a family. After church, we sat around and visited some more until Uncle David's had to leave - he was going to be preaching in another church that night, and it was quite a drive, so they left right before lunch. For lunch we had left-over pizza :) ! After lunch we took nice naps that felt so good after all the sleep we'd lost!
Then later Mrs. C. called, and it was decided that we could go! So we were there at their farm for supper and a wonderful time of fellowship and getting to know each other better. Trissy and I exchanged addresses with the girls, and hope to write each other. As we pulled out that night, I wished SSSSSOOOOO bad that I'd had a camera! - As we all left in the van, the whole 10-member family was standing in the entrance to their garage, waving and calling good-byes. They were all silloetted perfectly against the light, and the effect of all the obvious differences - boys and girls, little people, young people, and adults, parents and children - and yet the family, was just an incredible picture! Maybe you can imagine it. I didn't have a camera, I wasn't able to 'capture' the moment, but I have a feeling that that image will stay with me a long time, and will always be connected in my mind with feelings of warmth, hospitality, friendship, and love.
Well, I hope you have enjoyed my narrative of our Wedding Trip! Be sure to tune in next time for another maybe-not-so-exiting-but-deffinitly-real-life episode of :
-Kyrie<><
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