“Wherever you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Your people will be my people, and your God my God.” [abbreviated verse from the Book of Ruth].

The only One who is perfection is our Lord.  We strive, oh how we strive, but alas we will never reach that elusive potential, for it is owned only by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

We’ve all heard many times that something must go wrong on your wedding day to ensure good luck.  Mostly this refers to bad weather.  In my case recently, the weather was the last truly beautiful day we had this summer, everyone was healthy, and everyone showed up.  Well, I almost didn’t.  Barely five minutes prior to my daughter Sawyer and I headed down our dusty dirt road to the church, I realized I didn’t have my ring.  THE RING.  There was only one. My engagement ring that is the most perfect ring one could be given was also going to serve as my wedding ring.  For almost five years I have kept this ring safe, never once in all those years misplacing it.  Until five minutes prior to my wedding ceremony.  Sawyer and I looked everywhere, even dumping out our trash bag and going through the contents, avoiding the glass that broke as we upended the bag.  We washed our hands.  We pillaged the trash again.  We washed our hands again.  I finally announced, near hysterics, that we must go because now that I had lost my ring I simply could not be late on top of it or Greg would never go through with marrying me.  (Hey, I’m not perfect!)  Our pastor worriedly looked at Greg and stated “They’re cutting it close aren’t they?”  But we made it, and upon my announcement to my son Brady (who reminded me he had wanted to hold onto the ring for me) and our pastors, and their looks of disbelief, even after one of our pastors let Greg in on the secret lest he be surprised when Brady handed over the wrong ring, we carried on, recited Love’s Promise over the wrong ring, and got hitched! We kept it small and simple with our children, one sibling each, Greg’s mother, and our close-knit little group of friends who have been with us through thick and thin.

I’m thankful for so many things, mostly that God put this man in my life a little more than a decade ago.  I’m thankful for my daughter who calmed me and handed over her ring for me to “borrow” so she could finally get that stepdad that is apparently the best thing since sliced bread (he has a Father’s Day card she gave him that says so, and he’ll use it when necessary).  I’m thankful for my son who proudly walked me down the aisle (he whispered to Greg when the vows were exchanged that he “wasn’t calling him Dad even if the house was on fire” and Greg had to stifle a laugh – their private joke from the movie Stepbrothers). I’m thankful for my sister and brother-in-law who made the trip from upstate NY and helped us put this backyard reception together. I’m thankful for Sawyer’s boyfriend Matias who generously helped set up the yard, picked up drinks and ice, helped my sister pack those little butter cookies in those even littler favor bags, and who also served as our amateur photographer.  I’m thankful for our son-in-law Maurice for generously giving his professional photography and video services during our ceremony.  I’m left spellbound and speechless for my friend Connie, who pulled off my surprise to Greg by singing near ceremony’s end a Capella Anne Murray’s “You Needed Me”, in the most magnificent voice you can ever imagine.  I’m thankful to my friend Amy for all those delicious little deviled eggs!  I’m thankful for our church friend Nancy who when asked about using  Queen Anne’s Lace from the side of the road for my bouquet, took that idea and my desire for white hydrangeas and ran with it (she gifted me with a beautiful altar arrangement and white hydrangea plants to plant in my garden as keepsakes)! I’m thankful for my daughter from another mother Adalea, who styled my hair so beautifully and professionally, then dashed back home to retrieve her boys and make it back for the ceremony.  We’re thankful for our son Mac and grandson Chris who picked up our food at Mission BBQ in Dover and promptly delivered it to the house prior to the ceremony (that’s when I discovered my ring was missing, and I can laugh now at the look of horror on Mac’s face when I realized it. You guys should have seen his face)! And we are so very grateful for our friend Pastor Buddy and our Pastor Dave for coming together and conducting the most thoughtful, warm and meaningful little country church ceremony we could ever dream of; it was the most blessed testimony. And we’re thankful for Brady’s girlfriend, Monica, who found my misplaced ring later that same night after praying to her  St. Anthony.

I’m thankful for my children, my new children, my family and my friends.  I’m thankful for all the well wishes we’ve received.  We took a very important day and kept it simple.  We made it about us.  We included little details that were important to us.  We didn’t go “all out”, we simply chose things we liked, purchased my ever-present drop cloths (literally my furniture is slipcovered in them and I needed more anyway to make curtains), picked Queen Anne’s Lace from the side of our road and honeysuckle vine from the edge of our woods.  We got married in our little country church and fellowshipped afterward in our back yard next to the corn field. I made our wedding cakes (who else?) and forgot to finish our cutting cake, so it was a plain Jane that I stuck a topper in and that was just fine and dandy.  And this man . . . my husband . . . I was frustrated with him beforehand because he was engrossed in his laptop – – only to discover he was you-tubing how to tie his flowered tie, the tie he refused to wear when he saw all the little flowers on it – – but he decided to surprise me and wear it after all.  We shopped together for his pants, shirt and shoes.  He came home one day and there was a tweed vest added to his collection.  And then the flowered tie showed up.  Y’all, I had the most handsome groom this side of the Mississippi!  I had the most handsome groom EVAH!

So I’m a newlywed!  And wedding season is still in full swing for all my brides-to-be, going strong through October . . . marriage is NOT overrated.  I hope everyone has had the honor of being on a guest list for one of this year’s weddings . . . I hope you’ve all gotten to enjoy my cakes and desserts.  If not, head on over to our website and order yourself something!  You and Mill Stream Farm will be a match made in heaven, I promise!

P.S.  Take a peek below at some of the simple things from our special day!