 |
| We're Married!!! |
Well, we have just returned to Malawi. It has been a wonderful three weeks of wedding preparation, wedding celebration, and visits with family and friends. We feel so favored by our Father and I want to just recount everything in detail.
We flew into Albany New York on July 11th. We rented a car and traveled north 2 hours to our Lakeside cabin. It was so wonderful to be able to visit ever so briefly with my brother John and his family before they had to leave and return to their home in NM. They had supper prepared for us and our beds made up and we so appreciated that!
Tuesday, we took to cleaning up the cabin making lists, etc. Our kids, Nathaniel and Anna drove up from VA and surprised us by arriving a couple hours earlier than what we anticipated. How wonderful it was for us to be able to spend several days together before other guests and family arrived for the wedding. We bought and planted more flowers for the area, mowed the lawns, cut brush, cleaned out the “junk-room”, began purchases for the reception. (Thanks to my sister Mertie, there were already flowers planted in the window boxes and in a couple flower beds.) We had some sweet times of prayer, playing, and visiting together and just being family. We were blessed with beautiful weather.
We worshiped at Hague Wesleyan Church and it was nice to reconnect with friends from years past- Pastor Skip and his wife, Janet, George and Cam Brown, Chuck and April Reeder, and others. God is growing this church family and using them to spread the love of Christ in this area of New York. The Church was so gracious to allow us to use some of their chairs and tables for the wedding and reception. One of the members there even offered their pick-up to transport the chairs and tables to the site of the wedding and reception! May God show His favor on these brothers and sisters and continue to use them to grow His Kingdom!
Sunday before the wedding, Derek and his family arrived. How blessed we feel to be connected a family who loves our Father, loves each other and with many similar interests. Gary and Sue Homsher, parents to Derek, were such a blessing and help in preparing for the wedding. Derek’s older sister, Danielle, also was a blessing by helping around the kitchen, picture taking and just being a sweet young lady!
 |
| Nathaniel and his sweetie, Courtney |
Nathaniel’s girlfriend, Courtney was also up the week prior to the wedding. She was such a help around the cabin, food preparation, and it was a good time to get to know her better and she to know our family. Later that week, several cousins from Michigan arrived and camped out at Rogers Rock campground. It was so special for Anna to have her cousins be a part of this special event. Rachel played a huge role by being the “lead” photographer. What a blessing that was for us. Then the bridal party began to arrive in time for the rehearsal. The Homshers put on a delicious lasagna dinner for all of us that we ate right there on the point.
 |
| Rehearsal Dinner with Homshers |
Side Note: The week before the wedding, David and Nathaniel were out canoeing and came across a “lost” section of an old wooden dock. It was floating just under the water, and posed danger to any motor boat. They drug the dock into our bay, and then began wondering if it might make a good platform for the wedding ceremony! After much effort, we were able to get it out of the water, let it dry out several days and with the help of other grooms men, were able to put it into place for the wedding! After the wedding we were informed that the dock belonged to my cousin….who had lost their dock earlier this year and they were quite pleased to see that it had been found and brought back home! J
One of our prayers was that God would favor us with clear weather. The night before the wedding the forecast went up to 40% chance of rain… We just prayed and decided not to worry about it, trusting God and his plans. (We did have the Wesleyan Church building as a back-up and it would have been a beautiful setting and perfectly suited. But we did not need them as it turned out to be a beautiful day! Thanks to all of you so much for your prayers.)
 |
| Mertie Klinger's beautiful handiwork! |
My sister Mertie Klingler was such an amazing help in purchasing things ahead of time for me. She is a member at Costco and was able to find some amazing “special deals”. On top of that, she made the beautiful wedding cake! She was learning and re-learning a lot of techniques and types of frosting to form the flowers and cover the cake….. so many, many hours were put into making the cake and that was her amazing gift to our family! It was beautiful!
 |
| Beautiful Queen Ann's Lace and Anna Bella's |
(Anna had some dried flowers that were “significant” to her that we put in her bouquet. Her brides maids bouquets we made from dried flowers, and Queen Anna’s Lace. With the lake in the background, greenery from the trees and grass, together with all the wild flowers, and Anna Bella’s, it was just gorgeous. There were mason jars filled with some pebbles from Lake George, and a few flowers- Queen Ann’s Lace and Anna Bella’s and hung on metal steak- hangers at the end of each row of chairs that Gary Homsher had made. (We kind of liked the “Ann” theme!)
 |
| Morning of wedding, brunch for 20! |
We had a brunch for the bridal party and family the morning of the wedding. Sue and Gary made some cinnamon rolls and a breakfast casserole. I made sausage swirls, croissants, bran muffins, had 2 different Entmans pastries, coffee, tea, orange juice, and fruit parfaits. Immediately afterwards, we all began setting up the decorations, and the girls began to get ready. Mom and Dad Hooten arrived with Snyders just a little before the wedding began. Anna was so happy that her Grandpa and Grandma Hooten were able to make it to the wedding. There was much prayer that went into their travels and we thank God for helping Grandma especially as they road all the way from Georgetown, TX. Grandpa did quite well and was content most the time and we thank God for that too.
 |
| Nathaniel escorting Grandma and Grandpa Hooten |
David married Anna and Derek and was able to do it without tears! (We all did our crying the night before at the rehearsal where we all had some special words to share with the bride and groom to be and it was a really sweet time with everyone involved.)
One little “hitch” was when David asked Derek what he had as a sign of his commitment/love to Anna, his best man pulled out the ring…which was a lollipop ring! That stumped David for a second, but he held his own, and eventually the real ring appeared and he was able to continue with the ceremony. J
 |
| Two Anna's- friends |
Friends of Anna’s and Derek’s came up from VA, Anna Park, school friend from Kenya, came up from PA, other friends and family from PA and a dear friend from Abilene, TX! Randy and Kitty Trail came up from NC. Kittie was such a help in putting flowers together and helping with “protocol” … we didn’t have enough time to finish doing the decorating we had planned, but it was beautiful anyway.
We served shrimp, meat balls, quesadillas, Thai chili chicken kabobs, spinach ravioli, flower basket made from fruit, cheese, crackers, rolls, vegetables and dip , a mozzarella ball and bowtie pasta salad, pineapple banana slush punch and cake.
Anna’s cousin Rachel Snyder was the photographer and we can't wait to get her pictures! As Anna and Derek left, oats, along with some silly string and dried bougainvillea from Malawi were thrown at them. They drove away around 6:30 p.m.
After they left, everyone went down to the lake for a swim which was wonderful! It was a very hot day!
 |
| Jerry, Micha, Nathaniel with Derek |
 |
| Courtney, Savanah, and Ali |
I praise God for the physical and emotional strength that He gave me these past three weeks. I praise Him for good health. I praise God for the friends and family who were so helpful in many ways. I praise God for a sweet ceremony that was so Christ centered. We received many sweet words regarding the wedding and we want to give all the glory to God. Thank you Father, for your help and favor on our family these past three weeks.
Our last week was spent with David’s mom and dad and sister and her family from Michigan. Most the bridal party left Saturday evening or Sunday. Nathaniel and Courtney had to leave Monday, Trails left on Tuesday along with the Snyder kids. Mom and dad and Dan and Dee Dee left on Thursday afternoon.
 |
| Snyder family |
 |
| Dear Friends, Randy and Kittie Trail |
Anna and Derek came back early from their honeymoon to see grandma and grandpa before they left. We had a nice couple days with Anna and Derek before we returned to Malawi. And now we are back home…… tired but filled with many beautiful memories and pictures! Thank you all for your many prayers and love shown to Anna and Derek!
0 comments:
Post a Comment