back to asia: the wedding

Since I'm chronologically challenged, I've got to get some of these pictures posted from before we left Asia. (Actually, I haven't even snapped a single photo since we got on the plane in Beijing - can you believe that? We're headed to Washington DC in a few days, so I'll try to fix that!)

About a year ago, we started meeting weekly with a young couple who was engaged. I hesitate to call it premarital counseling since I hardly consider myself old enough to do that yet. But anyway, a week before we left the big day of their wedding arrived. We were so excited to go and be a part of their special day and celebrate God's plan in bringing them together.

Emma was asked (again) to be an "angel", but was quickly demoted to "pretty foreign girl" since we didn't own a pair of wings and the couple wasn't interested in purchasing another set. Since most of our belongings were packed, we had to borrow a dress from Clara Anne's dress up closet, and even though it was a big snug, it produced the desired effect.

We waited and waited for a taxi, afraid we'd actually be late for the wedding:

Then my girls wondered why there was a big tractor in the middle of the road. I had no good answer for them.
We also saw some other good friends at the wedding that we don't get to see much anymore. Note to self: do not EVER take another picture with Natalie, pregnant or not. My self-confidence can't take it. =)
Again - all our belongings were packed up, and my girls were living off of seven days of clothes and one pair of shoes. Unfortunately, the one pair of shoes I'd left out for Emma weren't exactly wedding-appropriate.
The bride and groom were both believers, so it was very meaningful to watch them as they incorporated precious biblical truths into their wedding. (The aspect of the white-robed choir...well, that was interesting too.)
Finally, it was time for the angel and her foreign-friend to walk down the aisle ahead of the bride. Emma and her friend were really cute together.
Then we got to watch from the back as p&p promised to love and serve each other for the rest of their lives.
Then I watched as Emma snuggled up close to her daddy. And I wanted to freeze that moment forever, but since that doesn't work very well, I took a picture instead. (Plus, I loved her curly hair in that picture!)

Abby was pretty well occupied with her yogurt and some stale Goldfish crackers that needed to be used before we left. Please try to ignore the huge gash in her forehead. It's all healed nicely now.
We felt so fortunate and blessed to share in the lives of this young couple and it caused us to reflect even more on God's provision of marraige - how greatly I've been blessed by my thoughtful and dear husband and how much more I've learned about God through being married!