{{tying the knot}}

News of a Romantic Nature ...

This is going on, guys:

Yep. After two years of being an official couple, Daniel asked Abigail to be his wife. Get that? My best older brother is marrying my best friend, probably by October. Furthermore, I got to be in NoVa when he proposed which meant that instead of waiting a week or two to celebrate, I was bludgeoning the car window for them to open the door probably two hours after the initial proposal when I pulled up to his apartment. We had an impromptu ice-cream party and toasted the happy couple with some Martinelli's and Abigail informed me as we sat side by side on the couch an hour or two later,

"You're doing your happy-wiggle."

Yeah, apparently that's a thing. Anyway, I'm so terribly TERRIBLY excited about this, and I want everyone who reads this to leave a big old fat comment if you can. I mean, it's an ENGAGEMENT, people! <3

A Spring to Remember :)

On the "Guess Who" family photo post, our winners were Carrie, Shi of Narnia, Maddie, and Kelsey! Congratulations--large families don't intimidate you.

(That, or you happen to know us really well....*eyes Shi, Maddie, and Kelsey sternly* ;)

Ahhhhh...it's been a great spring. :) I think back on last spring and see my vision crowded by hundreds of pounds of peas and a kindred measure of weeds. It was a good spring, but so busy with garden work that we had no time for anything else.
This year it's been one long, crazy, beautiful whirl of gaiety. Let me count the events...

Mid-April found me (Rachel) going off to the North Carolina mountains to the Maidens of Virtue retreat.

(Kudos to those who spot me in the mass. :)

We had a weekend or two of life's busyness and then the Wedding Marathon started. Daniel, Sarah, and I were down in NC with the Taylors/Hendersons 3 weekends in a row! :) The first weekend was a bridal shower for Anna Henderson-soon-to-be-Taylor. It was gobs of fun.

The Bride pinning the hat on her cowboy. :)

The second weekend was the music rehearsal, plus a movie-night for the girls! :) I was introduced to The Importance of Being Earnest and fell hopelessly in love with the dry wit of the story. :D (a review is forth-coming) I am now forever quoting it:

"Chins are worn very high at present!"

The third weekend was the wedding! The day began with all of us being unconscionably squished in the back seat. Honestly, the picture doesn't do it justice, beyond showing you how unbecoming the position of being squished is to me. I ended up on the front row of the back row, if that is possible. :P

BJ, Matthew, Me, and Abigail

It was a beautiful day with lots of pictures, cake, flowers, and photo-booths. The proper sort of wedding day.

When it was all over we were rather solomon-cross. Having to settle down to regular life after weeks on the lam. We were home last weekend and will be home this weekend, but the Wilson's Annual Memorial Day Picnic is this Monday! Don't tell anyone, but I think I'll make a pie to enter in the contest.  ;) *rushes off singing "Billy-Boy"*

"Can she bake a cherry pie Billy-boy, Billy-boy, can she bake a cherry pie charming Billy?"

It's been a marvelous spring (and the summer bodes to be this busy!) full of "ups and down, Mr. Clennam, ups and downs." ;) There have been high moments and low moments, beautiful days and stormy days, pure, bubbling happiness and cross-patch-draw-the-latch moods. But over all I think it's been a Spring worth remembering. :)

Photo-booth fun!

We were at these people's wedding.....

And took advantage of the great photo-booth that was set up! :)

Thanks to Nick Schlax for all the pictures!

:D :D :D :D At Last! :D

~Meredith and Stephen~
December 11, 2010

Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

May the Lord bless you both as you begin a new life together! :)

Wedding Bells Ahead :)

"Come, let's be a comfortable couple and take care of each other!
How glad we shall be, that we have somebody we are fond of always, to talk to and sit with." ;)
~Charles Dickens

This Saturday, December 11, 2010, will be the first wedding of in "Our Group"! Meredith Alexander has long been an inspiration to the young ladies in our circle who personally know her, and to many other young women around the world with her blog: Striving To Serve at Home.
The very first week our family began attending our home-church, it was the Alexander's last week there, and so I have not been able to get to know Meredith as well as I wish I could, however, I still look up to her as a shining example of what godly womanhood can be, and count her among the young women who inspire me and who I want to be like someday! :) Meredith chose to stay at home after graduating high school, but, contrary to what many would like to believe, she has had one of them most vibrant lives of any young woman I know! I cannot count how many times I have got on her blog and come away inspired and renewed by what I read. Most people, when they think of a "Stay at home daughter" conjure up some picture of knitting needles and freshly baked cookies, and someone playing the harp. (Not that I have a problem with any of those things! :) But Meredith has started numerous businesses, run a tractor service, baked cheesecakes for a tea house, and absolutely poured forth creativity, all the while choosing to live under her father's household during her single years! Meredith's devotion to the Lord, and her family, has been so encouraging to witness!
The amazing courtship story of Meredith and Stephen has been such a blessing to me, especially as I often wonder, "Is there *anyone* around for me?". Her story really shows God's amazing plan for our lives! Click here to read the story. I don't know about the other girls, but Meredith has been a bit of a celebrity in our midst! ;) I do feel like I have been watching a wonderful movie and finally, finally, the lovely Princess has found her Prince "once upon a time".

So tomorrow we are going up to their area to help with the wedding. Tomorrow the weekend of the Princess's bridal festivities will begin. Sleeping Beauty has been awakened, Cinderella has tried on the glass slipper, and since the Lord Jesus has been in every detail of their relationship so far, I have full confidence that Meredith and Stephen will live Happily Ever After. :) ~Rachel