"Thou Mayest...": Wedding bells

Leader to people:

Let love be genuine and live in harmony;

Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good.

Out do one another in showing honor;

Be humble and never conceited.

Congregation:

Love is stronger than death

And jealousy is cruel as the grave.

Floods cannot drown love.

Leader to people:

And wealth cannot buy it. Put love above all else;

let Christ's peace rule your hearts. Always be forgiving,

as Christ has forgiven you.

Congregation:

Love is not jealous or boastful, arrogant, rude, or stubborn, irritable, resentful, or possessive.

Love is patient and kind.

Leader to people:

Do not love in word or speech only, love also in deed and truth.

Receive each other in sincerity,

find mercy and grow old together.

Congregation:

Love rejoices in the right, it bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things,

for love is faithful and endless.

This was the responsive reading my little sister, Marie, chose to use in her wedding a few weeks ago. I loved a lot of things about their wedding but as I was standing up there, sweating, during the ceremony, this was what struck me and stuck with me. The reading itself didn't feel familiar to me. It wasn't one I remembered doing Sunday mornings, and I couldn't even place many of the phrases in their exact places within scripture. Hearing it read, and responding to it, was like taking a deep breath as you set down your pencil after a long exam. Its simplicity and call to act assures me that what happens in this world is not in vain...but that it does matter. And that acts of love, are themselves, acts of redemption. I was grateful to Marie and Tyler for sharing this me.

The wedding was wonderful. But of course, when you (and your wife) are in a wedding...it is more than showing up for the free food and dancing. And when it is your own, or your immediate family, a wedding can become quite the animal. I have to give my sister a lot of credit. She was far from a bridezilla. I don't think anything could have actually gone wrong, except for the best man not being able to get my sisters wedding band off of the pillow that it was tied to, which did happen (we cut if off after the ceremony). Even in that, she never stopped smiling or laughing. I'm not sure where it comes from, no offense mom, but Marie, Drew, and myself all seem to share this sense of calm...we are usually just at ease. From the stories I heard Marie was the calmest one out of all of her brides maids haha.

Maybe this is why??? Just kidding hahaha...love this picture though. Thanks Kelsey =D

Throughout this past year, trips home have always lead to a mix of emotions. We are excited to see our families, excited for some *real* summer time...but usually a little overwhelmed by everything that we have to do, the people we have to see, and just missing Seattle. And this trip home certainly feel into that same category. It was wonderful to be home, it was wonderful to be with and see all of our family. Here are some of the highlights from my trip

Highlights of the trip have to be:

Playing a round of golf with Tyler and some of his buddies (I shocked them all with a 174).
Getting to see Dana Jo, who was our wedding photographer, again. Kelsey and I wish we were best friends with her. She's wonderful.
Their rehearsal dinner. Particularly the part where I tried...but couldn't speak due to uncontrollable tears.
The wedding!
Getting to see Greg, my best man and closest friend, for the first time since Christmas.
Getting to meet our new 3 month old nephew
A wonderful night where Kelsey's parents had my parents over for a post wedding crash. Just the 6 of us.

I won't actually post her pictures, but here is a link to Dana Jo's blog and some of Marie's beautiful wedding pictures.

And here are a few of my own pictures from the trip!

Marie and her flower girl at the rehearsal. Marie babysat her for years, most of high school and even when she would come home from college.