Anniversary

Today is hubby and my wedding anniversary. Not just any anniversary either, mind you, but out 25th anniversary! God is good!

What do we have to show for 25 years together? Not many earthly possessions; retirement accounts, vacation homes, new cars, etc. But we have been blessed with CHILDREN! Twelve and one on the way. Many would say we are "poor", but some understand the richness that children are in a marriage. We consider ourselves very rich indeed!

Yesterday our oldest son and daughter-in-law moved away.... up to northern British Columbia, where dear DIL hails from. We knew this day would come. It is bittersweet. We were so blessed to have them living so close for most of their first year of marriage.

This picture is probably one of the last times the whole family will be together for quite a while. You wouldn't believe how the moon, stars and tides had to line up just to get this picture taken (with a timer too)! **WARNING: for those of you with all younger children still, read ahead at your own risk... it is what happens when children become adults and are all going in different directions at the same time... but ignorance is bliss, so if you want to skip to the next paragraph, I don't blame you!** Second oldest son was flying home from being on staff at the YWAM base in San Francisco, CA all summer the day we took this picture. He was supposed to land at 2 pm. He missed his flight. He got home instead about 7 pm. We ate a hurried dinner together and took this picture. You see, this was the ONLY day we could because my husband would be at work the rest of the week, third son was moving out the next day (to an apartment around the corner from us - so nice!) and four days later fourth and fifth sons were leaving for a week at the YWAM Gleanings For The Hungry base in CA. They won't be back till after oldest son is gone. Did that all make sense? I could make a power point presentation of it...would that help?

So, we took the few minutes we were all together and with a borrowed flash unit (thanks Paul!) and some great editing from my sister (thanks Julie!) we have a picture of all of us together.

25 years... wow! We have so much to "show" for it, praise be to God!

It has been a great year!

Our 2007 Family Photo

This year, like most, has had its ups and downs. New this year was having one of our children get married. There is no way to express the great joy we have experienced as parents and as a family, as we moved into this new "season" of life. There have been many hard times, hard years, tears, and prayers to get to this point. Some years we were sorely discouraged, not knowing and not understanding God's path for this child. Yet, God has been faithful to continue the work He has started in the child. In the book Passionate Housewives Desperate for God, page 40, the author's friend Janet is quoted as saying, "How would I have learned patience and trust in a sovereign God, were it not for wayward children?" . God has a purpose in everything.

And so, here are some of my favorite pictures of the wedding to share with you. But don't be deceived. Pictures are just a moment in time, and though they are beautiful, they do not tell the whole story. Be encouraged, as you wipe runny noses, wash the laundry, potty train and teach your children to read.... The glorious fruit of your labors is just around the corner. Keep the goal in sight, and do not grow faint of heart.

THE WEDDING!

Just a quick pic of our family, now 15 of us, that was taken by a friend the day of the wedding, September 22nd. Won't have the pics from the photographer for a couple more weeks. Nice to see how we looked even from the side view of this pose.

We've done it! We have a married child! Wow! It was a great wedding! We had a lot of fun getting to know our new daughters parents and her siblings (all from Canada). The bride and groom are off enjoying the sun and sand, and each other, in Cancun!

It has been an incredibly busy time for us and now we need to take some time to re-group as a family and get back to a routine and start school. Well....we'll get to that in a few days, after the rest of the wedding guests have gone home.

Merry Christmas!