November 8, 2014

Wedding Day for our 

Youngest Son

November 8, 2014

God is good!  Stephen and Kristina were married Saturday about noon.  They radiated love for each other and love for the Lord.  They have prayed individually and together about this marriage and many others have prayed with and for them.  They have wanted to do God's will.  This is a happy couple!  They are also a sentimental couple.  The red ribbon on the bride's bouquet is from the first flowers Stephen ever gave to Kristina.

The bride and bridesmaids. 

Kristina was a beautiful bride who smiled her way through the entire day.  She looked lovely and she was gracious to all the guests.  Her attendants are very sweet young ladies.  One was leaving the next day on a mission trip to India.  Another is leaving soon for another country where she will serve.  They were all kind, gracious young women.

You may notice one of the groomsmen is a Texas Longhorn, 

four are Texas Aggies, and I believe the other is from Texas Tech.  Great guys!

The groomsmen are equally high quality young men.  Of course, I am partial since 3 of them belong to us.  The best man has been a faithful friend to Stephen for the time he has been in Dallas.  They are in the same Bible study small group and he has been a strong prayer partner.  The other non-family groomsman is a medical doctor and he and Stephen became close friends at Texas A&M in Singing Cadets.  His parents have become very special to Ron and me.  The other three are Stephen's brothers.

The flower girls and ring bearer are some of our grandchildren and you know how I feel about those sweet children?

During the wedding, I was able to hear the "I Do" that each the bride and the groom spoke.  I heard much of the ceremony, but even sitting on the front row, I did not hear it all.  The minister knows both Kristina and Stephen well and it made for a very special ceremony.  I think the minister was as happy as they were.

Since it was a late morning wedding, we all had to be up early.  They boys all left very early, and then Ron, Vickey, and I went a little later.  I was able to take many photos while the photographers worked.  In some of the photos you may see them working.  I tried to stay  out of their way but got as many photos as I could.

Me, Jean and Gene Smith, and Ron

Special friends were able to be there like the minister who baptized Stephen many years ago.  Gene Smith was the associate pastor here when Stephen was young.  All of our family formed a strong bond with Gene and have stayed in  touch over the years.

The reception was a lovely lunch following the wedding.  It was at another location, Edison's of Dallas, and the place had been beautifully decorated with lots of fresh flowers and candles.  A very good meal was served and it was a very relaxing afternoon.

A photo booth in the lobby held fun for any who wanted to participate (and many did).  A video was made of advice or well wishes from friends and family.

The bride's cake and the groom's cake were nicely done and tasted great.

Bride's cake

The groom's cake is a replica of a currently popular board game enjoyed by many young adults: Settlers of Catan. 

Kristina and Stephen showed off some fancy dance steps.

A few weeks ago we didn't know if Mom would even be well enough to attend the wedding, but she was there and dancing with several of the guys in the family, including the groom. Below she is dancing with my brother.

Below she is with the groom.

 From the oldest...

...to the youngest, a good time was had by all!

Stephen and Kristina headed out for a few days away on a honeymoon and the rest of our family returned to the hotel to later eat leftovers from the rehearsal dinner the previous evening.  We had a good time, but it was obvious we were all exhausted.    

The weekend could not have been better from start to finish.  We all had a good time.  Everything went well.  We thank God for granting us beautiful weather and for helpful, kind staff at the hotel and restaurant.  Most importantly, we thank God for the lovely young lady He has given to Stephen.  Welcome to the family, Kristina!