The Miracle Ring

Seth and I were married in 1998.  When we picked out his wedding ring, it was perfect.  It wasn't too over-the-top and it wasn't just a simple gold band.  We loved it.

Seth was one of those who liked to play with his ring.  He'd take it off, roll it around, put it on other fingers, then put it back on the correct finger.  He would do this over and over while watching TV or other things.  He also took it off for work.  He did lawn care and there are dangers involved so he didn't wear his ring when he was working.

He graduated from Emmaus Bible College in 1999 and I was in my senior year that fall.  He continued doing lawn care while I finished my degree in Biblical Studies and Youth Ministries.  At some point, we went to a basketball near Des Moines to watch our Emmaus Eagles play against Faith Baptist.

And that's the last place we remembered seeing Seth's wedding ring.

He was playing with it at the game, as he always did, and at some point it disappeared.  We searched all over.  Not even sure if we had lost it at the game or somewhere else, so we looked in our apartment and the car and, well, just everywhere!  It was gone.

So, we tried to look for a replacement.  Of course, we couldn't spend that kind of money again and eventually we did settle on a cheaper ring, but it just wasn't the same.  I don't even remember him wearing it that much.

After I graduated in 2000, we moved to Lansing, Iowa, where we would work at Village Creek Bible Camp for a year.  Most of our things were stored in a garage at the camp.  But we still had a few of our own things with us.  First, we were in one of the camper cabins.  Then, in a trailer.  That's where we spent the summer.  When the busy summer camp season ended, we moved to another cabin.  It was basically a small house with our own kichen, bedroom, bathroom, and living room.  We worked the retreat season while I was pregnant with our first child.  2 other women at camp were also pregnant.

Before the next summer camp season began, we moved into the town of Waukon, not far from camp.  The camp rented out a small house for us until we needed to move in July after the baby was born.  J was born in June, then we packed up our things and moved to Wichita.

First, we rented an apartment.  We got settled into our new life with me as the new stay-at-home-mom and Seth as a teacher at Sunrise Christian Academy.  In Feb. of 2002, we moved into our house that we live in now.

The following summer, we were put in charge of the youth group and high school Sunday School class at our church.  They came to our home for activities.

Now, here is the miracle.

One evening, while the youth group was hanging out at our house, I noticed a shiny object on the floor.  I walked over to it.  And there, next to the entertainment center was Seth's wedding ring!!  After multiple moves and shifting around our possessions, the ring survived and was just randomly sitting on the floor.

I was speechless.  I squealed, picked it up, and ran downstairs to tell Seth while the group of teens watched me in confusion wondering what was wrong with me.

Seth was just as shocked as I was.  How, after losing it while living in Dubuque and moving to camp and moving to town and moving to an apartment and then moving to this house, did the ring make it through all of that?

Well, nothing short of a miracle.

Dreams

Dreams can be such a funny thing.  They say that everyone dreams several dreams every night and they don't last nearly as long as we think they do.  I don't know how accurate that is.  I do know that if I dream, I usually don't remember dreaming.

Some dreams have me boggled.  I wake up wondering, "why on earth did I dream about THAT?"  Others, I can tie in together what may have been going through my head.  Then there's those dreams that you aren't sure really are a dream until you've been awake for a few hours or more.  I find myself questioning the dream all day, "Did that happen or was that a dream?"  The ones I hate the most are the ones I realize that I'm dreaming while still dreaming and I can't wake up.

Last night I had one of those dreams that just boggled me.  I have no idea where it came from.  Seth and I were driving somewhere with Little A.  I don't know where the other 2 kids were.  We were going somewhere to find a place to land a small plane....I think.  It had something to do with landing a plane anyway.  But, on the way there, we had to drive up this very steep mountainous road.  It was too steep for our minivan.  After making a few attempts, Seth realized that we couldn't go any further and we were about to lose our van.

"Get out!!!"  Get out of the van, now!!"

I sat there, thinking, "What about Little A?  She's buckeled in the back seat!  How are we going to get her out in time?"

Next thing I know, I'm standing on the road with Seth, watching our van tumble down the side of the mountain with Little A inside.  It was terrifying.  Seth and I followed the van down the mountain as it fell apart before our eyes.  Next we see Little A flying, bouncing, rolling in her seat as the van had completely broke apart into a thousand pieces around her.  Finally, her seat slowed down and came to rest right side up with Little A safely inside.

I just knew that she would be hurt, scared, crying.  Seth and I got to her and she looks up at us with her beautiful smile and says in her typical wonderment, "I didn't know my seat could do that!"  We were thrilled to see that she was unharmed.

(On a side note: in reality she sits in a booster seat so when the van crumbled around her, she would not have been still buckeled to her seat but loosed with it and falling freely.  In the dream, it seems she was still somehow buckeled in.)

We suddenling find ourselves in a small town with no transportation, money, or anything that was left in the van.  We have barely enough cash on us to buy ourselves a meal before we walk to the next town....which happened to be my hometown in Iowa.

I kept asking Seth why we couldn't call 9-1-1 or the insurance company or anything to help us out.  Since no one was hurt, we didn't call 9-1-1.  And since it was technically Seth's fault we lost the van, he didn't think insurance could do anything.

And that was it.  The end.  No more dream.

I woke up confused, wondering why I would dream such a thing.  But at the same time very thankful that it was just a dream!  And thankful that we have our van, although it is old and more things are breaking down on it.  And thankful that we have Little A.

The Body of Christ

The Body of Christ is an amazing thing.  Over the last several years, I have witnessed how the Body of Christ works.  Every Believer in Jesus Christ has their own gifts and talents to use for His glory.  We are described as the body in the Bible because we work together like a body does.  Each part has its own specific job.

Romans 12:4-5 "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

I love the church we go to.  It takes at least 20 minutes to get there from our house.  Are there closer churches?  Yes.  But we have found a home at Westside Bible Chapel.  It is well worth our drive.  There we see the Body of Christ living and functioning as a body should.  There are those who take every opportunity to share the gospel of Christ with others.  There are those who work hard behind the scenes decorating for various seasons or activities.  There are those who keep the building clean and presentable.  There are those who teach us from the Word of God and encourage us in our walk with the Lord.  There are those who work with the children, teaching them from the Bible as well.  There are those who are great at planning and organizing events.  There are those that reach out to other Believers for encouragement and fellowship.  There are those who listen.  Those who give wise advice.  Those who prepare food.  Altogether, we create a home of Believers, bonded as one in Christ Jesus regardless of our differences.  Our love for each other is obvious.

That is just one local body of Believers.  I have brothers and sisters in Christ worldwide.  Many of whom I met at Emmaus Bible College.  Others at camps.  And others through online sites.

Since I don't always see my distant friends at work, I don't always know what their function in the overall Body is.  But I don't need to know theirs, just my own.  However, we are still bonded.  We have a love for each other, even though some of us have never met face to face.

Just as when a part of our own body is injured or sick, affecting the entire body, the same is with the Body of Christ.  When one member is excited over something the Lord has done, we are all excited.  When one member is facing a huge trial, we face it with them, lifting them up in prayer.

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

Right now, I have friends from various parts of the country facing different trials.  I weep with them.  I may not be going through the same things, may not know what it feels like, have no idea what to even say...but I weep.  I cannot imagine having to endure what they are enduring right now.  My heart breaks for them.

Some may wonder why we continue to worship a God who allows such things to happen.  God has a purpose.  His plan is perfect and we can't possible know what the big picture is.  God knows.  God knows what good can come from it.  I think of Joseph who was the favorite son of all his brothers.  Out of jealousy, his brothers sold him to slave traders and told their father he was dead.  Without knowing the end of the story, you have to wonder what purpose God had in mind!  He was sold to Potiphar who was Pharaoh's officer.  Through his hard work and faith in God, Joseph became Potiphar's personal servant.  But it didn't last long.  Potiphar's wife, after trying to sleep with Joseph, accused him of doing what she had actually done to him.  Joseph was then thrown into prison for something he did not do, something he resisted.  Instead of being rewarded by God for resisting this temptation, he was punished (not by God, but by Potiphar).  Still, God had a plan.

We may not understand why things happen, how good can come from the horrible trials we sometimes face, but we must trust that God is sovereign.  God has orchestrated every event to work together for the good of those who love Him.  (Romans 8:28)

I hurt for my brothers and sisters.  I continually pray for them, for strength, for comfort, for peace, for wisdom.  God knows exactly what they're going through and exactly how they're feeling.  He loves them so much more than I do.  And so we trust Him.

Of course there's a happy ending to Joseph's story.  We know what it is and that is why his life is among the favorites in Christian circles.  We can see God's plan from the beginning to end.  We see the big picture in Joseph's life because it is written down for us to see.  But think how Joseph must have felt.  He didn't know the ending to his story.  He didn't know why these things happened.  But he continued to be faithful to God, trusting Him.

And so it is with us.  We don't know the outcome of our trials...and sometimes we won't know until heaven God's purpose.  But we trust that God knows what He's doing.  That's all we can do.

So, to my friends enduring fiery trials, I love you and I'm praying for you.  When you weep, I weep with you.  You are my brothers and sisters in Christ and one day there will be no more sorrows and no more tears.

Ozark Family Camp

The morning after our VBS, our family took off to Missouri for Ozark Family Camp at Turkey Hill Ranch Bible Camp.  This was our 4th time attending (we think) in 7 years.  We have always enjoyed going.

We stayed in Cedar Lodge.

Our room was on the back side of this buiding which was really nice.



And this was my view every morning when I sat and read my Bible.  Loved it.

We arrived late Saturday evening, missing supper and chapel.  We found our cabin, unpacked and set things up to be livable for a week.  Then we waited for people to come out of chapel so we could go and mingle with everyone...and of course enjoy the evening snack.

We ate all of our meals in this building.  The lobby and the canteen are downstairs and the dining hall is upstairs.  The pool sits just outside of it.

Sunday morning, we enjoyed a fairly relaxing day.  We got reaquainted with a few people and I went swimming with the kids.

On Monday, I was asked to help with the little kids (ages 3-5) between their classes.  Kim and I took the kids to the playground.

I took a much needed nap in the afternoon.  I had just come off of a high-adrenaline week of VBS and hadn't had a chance to let it crash.

I took a walk with Little A to the gym when the following conversation ensued:

A: I want to be a hologram.

Me: A hologram?  Why?

A: So people could just go right through me!

Me: Oh, like Al on Quantum Leap?

A: Yes!  I wish all humans could be holograms, but that's just not how it is.

Believe me, I got quite a laugh from that conversation.

At evening chapel, I finally got up my nerves to sing.  After having attended this camp off and on for 7 years, I only got up to sing once and that was with 3 other people.  This time, I was singing by myself, while playing the piano.  Singing and playing at the same time is a new talent I have finally obtained.  I sang my own version of the hymn "Trusting Jesus."

Since I had taken the kids to the playground that morning, I missed the end of the women's class taught by Carol Bramsen.  Little did I know that after I had left, she quoted the hymn, "Trusting Jesus."  I was told a couple days later.  There are no coincidences.

That evening I was super excited to lead the devotions in one of the single girls' cabins.  I had volunteered a few weeks prior to do this, but hadn't heard whether or not I would have this opportunity.  The director asked me that morning if I could do it.  I spent some of my afternoon preparing, although I had already been praying about what to talk about if I got to do this.  I knew one of the girls already...or should I say young women?  They were all probably in their late teens, early 20s.  I met most of the others and we chatted for a bit.

I encouraged them to come to the Lord with thanksgiving.  We so often throw out our requests for ourselves without thanking Him for what He's already given us.  It was something the Lord had been teaching me through my devotional book "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.  I'm so quick to ask for things, I sometimes forget to still be thankful.  I used to make it a point to thank God for something every time I prayed before I went on with the rest of my prayer, but somehow that habit got lost over the years.  Perhaps when I began to truly understand "pray without ceasing" did I forget to be thankful at the same time.

Tuesday, I did laundry.  I actually got started early enough that I still wasn't in there late at night.  I also had the chance to go swimming again.

J is sitting on the edge of the pool.

I was searching for a volleyball team who needed another player.  I didn't care if it was spike or non-spike, I just wanted to play.  But it seemed as though all the teams were full.  As I was headed up to the lobby, a friend walked by asking people to join his team.  I gladly volunteered to join.  So I quickly changed clothes and headed to the gym.

We played in the non-spike tournament and came in 3rd out of 4.  Not bad!  In fact, we were all pretty excited.

The kids made some good friends, too.

Here is Little A with just 2 of them.  She got along particularly well with the boy.  Should we be worried?

Wednesday, the women got to enjoy a tea party.  We wore fun hats, ate finger food, and of course, drank tea.

K became friends with Kim's daughter (the one who helped me with kids on Monday).

At the tea party, all the newbies got to share 2 truths and a lie about themselves.  We had to guess which one was the lie.  Since I'm not a newbie, I didn't get to share.  So here are my 2 truths and a lie:

I taught myself how to play the guitar.

I have been to 48 states.

I used to work for a dating service.

Can you tell me which one is the lie?

The girls also got to go on pony rides.

Little A made friends with another little girl.  They found a worm near our cabin and named her Lydia.  Unfortunetly, it did not survive long after the girls took it out of its natural environment.  Little A wanted to make a grave marker for Lydia but she just simply had to let her go.

Thursday morning, a young woman shared a beautiful song during the women's class.  That afternoon I attended a parenting panel where 4 long-time fathers answered questions from us younger parents.  It was amazing.  I wish it didn't have to end.  Who needs to eat?

Seth and I played a little ping pong and then it was time to head to bed in our cabins for the last time.

Friday morning we got everything packed up.  K and her friend made up a skit they wanted to perform for Kim and me.  (I wonder where she gets the idea to make up a skit? haha)  It was their own rendition of "The Princess Bride" and it included Little A and Kim's younger daughter.

They did very well, including several lines from the movie.  It is, of course, the most quotable movie ever made.  There was kidnapping and pirates and eels and unwanted rhyming....but it was taking entirely too long and we needed to get on the road.  So, I said with the straightest face and in all seriousnes, "Skip to the end."

Kim about died laughing.

So they skipped to the wedding.  But by then Kim was laughing so hard and I was giggling, I have no idea what happened after that.

We piled into our van for the long trip back to Wichita.  It was a fun week.

The Truth Files: Case 316

It was a mysterious week of Vacation Bible School at Westside Bible Chapel.  Agents were called to bring in recruits as gumshoes, but first, the agents themselves had to train.

They learned the songs, the crafts, the games, and most importantly, their roles as VBS agents for The Truth Files: Case 316.

Once their training was over, it was time to get to work.  The gumshoes first needed to register with Music Box Krista and Lipstick Laura.  Once they received their badges, they entered the courtroom, where Chief Inspector Query welcomed them and gave them guidance for their training that evening.  Here they would sing songs that supported the evidence they would discover during their week of training.  There were four different groups of gumshoes: Detectives, P.I.'s, Sleuths, and Agents.

They would also hear from head detective, Surlook Home.  He discussed various questions about who Jesus is.  Who is Creator?  Who did the crime?  How do we find Him?  Who killed Jesus?  Who will go to heaven?  Each day, Detective Surelook Home took a different question and presented evidence to the gumshoes.

Then, they split up into different groups to discover answers to these questions.

Who is creator?

Colossians 1:16 Because by Him were created all things, the things in heaven and the things upon the earth, the visible and the invisible.

They walked down the hallway...

Where they discovered more evidence on the walls.

Who did the crime?

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

The gumshoes then either went to the File Room or the Crime Scene.

In the file room they were trained by Agent Shelly and created various crafts that helped them remember the clues.  They began with an evidence box that held the rest of the evidence they would gather the rest of the week.

How do we find Him?

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you, in the first place, what also I had received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.

At the Crime Scene, gumshoes would train under Field Agent Linda at various activities.

Then, they switched places.  Those in the File Room would go to the Crime Scene and those at the Crime Scene would go to the File Room.

Once their training in these two areas were complete each day, they would discuss the evidence in the Evidence Room with Agent MRM.  Only those with proper badges and the password were allowed to enter.

As they went over all the evidence they collected that evening, they were able to have some snacks made by Agent Maria.  Afterall, even gumshoes need to take a break.

Who killed Jesus?

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

All gumshoes then return to the Courtroom for a final briefing of all they had discovered that evening.  Their evidence was brought to life onstage by the VBS cast as they presented "The Case of David Lamb."

Here is a rare shot of Lucy Evans, played by Abby Skiles.  As the town gossip she had just told Dawn Miscenelli, played by yours truly, that everyone decided to have David Lamb, played by Jon Mullinix, taken care of.  Mrs. Miscenelli was the secretary to Detective Brian Chapman, played by Chad Buchanan, and knew much about the case.  In a panic, she digs through her purse in order to pay Lucy, the hair stylist, for her half-done work.  She finds her camera and takes this cute picture of Lucy before finding her money and running off to tell Detective Chapman what she just heard.

Each evening, the cast performed a skit that wrapped up all they had heard throughout the evening.

Who will go to heaven?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

By the end of the week, the gumshoes had completed their training.  It was time to present all they learned to their family and friends.

The Creation Song

"On the seventh day of creation, God said 'Let there be a day for us to rest in,'

'People I delight in'

Many birds a flyin' Many fish a swimmin'

'Sun, moon, and stars'

'Flowers and Trees'

'Heaven up above, earth below'

'And light for all to see.' "

"Jesus is a friend of sinners..."

Who Killed Jesus?

"I no longer wonder any more.

I have found what I've been searching for.

My sins demanded hell.

On Him the judgement fell.

I am guilty, now it's plain to see

That it was really me."

"My Savior loves, my Savior lives, my Savior's always there for me.

My God, He was.  My God, He is.  My God is always gonna be."

Every gumshoe heard the Truth of Case 316.  They studied the evidence, learned the evidence, and put the evidence together.  But, it is up to every gumshoe to accept the Truth that was presented to them.  Some may brush the evidence away and return to their own life.  While others continue on, learning more about Who Jesus is and growing in a relationship with Him.  They continue to discover truths for The Truth Files.

What Truth will we discover next?





Now, the trip

Obviously, there was more going on in Iowa than just the wedding.

While most of my family was already in Greenfield, Iowa, preparing for the wedding, my own family was still in Wichita.  Seth didn't have enough days to take off in order for us to go up when I was wanting to go up so we waited until Wednesday.

I missed the Cannon family reunion which I was looking forward to attending.  And everyone in Iowa made it clear how much I was missed.  My heart ached to be there.

We finally arrived late Wednesday night.  We decided to stay with my grandma since my parents' house would be full.  My aunt and uncle from Maquoketa, Iowa, were there as well as my aunt and uncle from Boston.  And of course, my youngest sister and her family were already there from Wichita.

We got settled in, tried to get Rambo to calm down, and finally got to bed around 1:00 am.  Thursday was girls' day and I would have to get up and be ready to go by 10:00.

Us 4 sisters and 2 friends got together in Des Moines for some girly fun.  We went out for lunch at Mimi's Cafe.  Then we got our nails done.  I got a manicure and the others got a pedicure.  (I don't like people touching my toes and I can't stand anything between my toes so a pedicure was just not going to happen.)  I watched in jealousy as all the other girls were getting foot massages and sitting in huge massaging chairs.  They even got their feet waxed.  I didn't get that treatment on my hands.  But, once the manicurist was finished with me, I got to sit in the massaging chair and enjoy chatting with them there while they're toes were being done.

Afterwards, we did a little shopping before heading back to Greenfield for the rehearsal.

At the rehearsal, we figured out our jobs and where to stand and when to walk, etc.  The kids did ok....at first.  Then there was goofing off, crying, refusal to walk down the aisle.  The wedding coordinator, one of Amanda's good friends, did great.  You wouldn't even know that she was in a serious car accident a few weeks ago.  She helped with the kids, made sure everyone looked ok for the wedding, and fielded any questions until the end of the wedding.  Her husband, who was also in the accident, was the best man.

The rehearsal dinner was a fun grill-out at the lake.  The kids played on the playground and we adults enjoyed talking and getting to know the other family.  I finally got to see my aunts and uncles and talked with them.  My 70-year-old aunt is a lefty and was beyond excited to see that my Little A was also a lefty.  She actually jumped for joy!  They all got to meet Rambo while I was in Des Moines.  They love him.  :)

Friday morning, we were to help decorate the Opera House for the reception.  The guys went first to set up tables.  So, I decided to go for a quick jog before it was my turn to help.  I had my ipod and headed out the door.  I wasn't sure what my plan was but I decided to start by circling the church that sits across the street from my grandma's house.  I entered the parking lot and it began to sprinkle.  I thought, "I can do this.  I've run in the rain before.  I'll be fine."  Then when I got around the church to the other driveway, it was a downpour.  I saw that my shirt was soaked and my ipod was not going to last in this rain so I finished the circle and went back to Grandma's house.  No jog for me.

I got showered and went to help set up for the reception.  It didn't take long.  The place looked beautiful.  My aunt gave us a tour of the the newly remodeled rooms that they would rent out.  We saw the place where my sister planned to wait as her groom would see her in her dress for the first time.  Gorgeous!!

We had lunch at my parents' house and then it was time to get ready for the wedding.  I was a bridesmaid, my girls were miniature bridesmaids, and J was a miniature groomsman.

After the wedding, the kids had fun running up and down the stairs while we adults cleaned up.

And K modeled her dress and J's tie.

Saturday morning, some people slept in and some people did some more post-wedding cleanup.  We eventually all made it over to my parents' house just to talk and relax.  It had been a stressful week, a busy day, a great wedding, and a late night.  Saturday was our recovery day.

My kids had their fun, too.

Then we all headed to Des Moines to eat at HuHot.  Upon returning home, we ended up working on the crossword for the New York Times together.  Finally, we went to bed.

Sunday, we attended church, had Sunday dinner at Grandma's, and packed up to head back to Wichita.  We had a great time.  It was a great wedding.  It was a great weekend.

First, the wedding

We made a trip to Iowa for my sister's wedding.  My sister looked absolutely beautiful!!  Even though she wasn't feeling that great.  Let's just say she doesn't handle stress well....and weddings can be very stressful.

But, Friday, July 13, 2012, was a great day!!  It rained in the morning but all was clear for the big event that evening.

The kids did ok in the rehearsal the night before.  Did I mention that there were 14 kids ages 11 and under IN the wedding?  With Amanda's love for kids, it didn't surprise us one bit.

Here are the 14 nieces and nephews.  Only 13 were actually in the wedding since the baby on the bride's lap was too little to actually take part.  But she was an honorary member of the miniature bridal party.

The photographers did great, too.  I can't imagine how hard it would be to get 13 kids organized and all smiling at the camera.

Of course, you have to expect a little bit of chaos when you have so many kids.  So with the nieces and nephews, there was also the groom's almost 4-year-old son who was the very proud ring bearer.  You couldn't help but smile as you watched him walk down the aisle with that pillow in his hands.

During the ceremony, the adults sitting on the first pews had to keep the kids quiet.  Throughout the ceremony, I could hear "Sit down.  Come back and sit in the line.  Be quiet.  Come and sit here.  Stay here.  Don't get in the aisle....etc"  At one point I saw something fly into the aisle from where the girls were sitting.  I heard later that one of the girls smashed another girl's flowers and threw the flower pieces into the aisle.  I looked up at the girl's mother (who was the groom's attendant) and she mouthed back, "What is she doing?!?!"  At another point during the ceremony, I felt something on my ankle and looked down to see one of the girls lying down between me and my sister who was standing behind me.  She was playing with my sister's toes.  I bent down and gently tapped her to go back and sit down in her spot in front of the pew.

I have no idea how the boys behaved since they were on the other side of the aisle.

Once they were presented as Mr. and Mrs., it was time for some fun!  "I'm a Believer" began to play and we all did the Monkee walk back up the aisle.

What?  You don't know what the Monkee walk is?  This song was originally sung by the Monkees, a group my sisters and I fell in love with when we were kids.  We, along with our cousins, often did the Monkee walk....the fun walk The Monkees would do on their show.  Basically, you walk wide steps, putting your legs in front of the person next to you.  It gives this cross-legged effect while you walk.  And if you're still confused, I will personally show you the next time you see me.

Back to the wedding...

We all had little bells to ring instead of rice or bubbles or flower petals or whatever is done these days.  Which is kind of surprising since my sister has a constant headache.  But it was clearly stated that the bells should not be brought into the reception for that reason.

Mr. and Mrs. Hilpipre!

Their get-away car: a decorated golf cart with Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packer stuff representing the bride's and groom's teams, respectively.

The reception was held at the newly remodeled Warren Opera House that sits on the town square.  As we bridesmaids guided the guests to the proper place, we watched the bride and groom cruise the square in their golf cart.

A small note on cruising the square: that was the thing to do when we were in high school.  Every Friday and Saturday nights, the square was full of teens just going around and around and around the square.  It is no longer the weekend night hangout for teens, however, but I sure have a lot of square-cruising memories!

Back to the reception...

So many people came to celebrate the event.

With my sister's love for chocolate, she had a variety of chocolatey treats. Chocolate fountains, candies, cupcakes.  And my all-favorite: Chocolate ice cream with Pepsi, instead of your typical sherpet with 7-Up for a wedding punch.  If you haven't tried it, you must!

My sister's favorite candy is M&M's.  So what else would she have for her wedding cake?

The bride and groom with their 2 sons.

The Hilpipres, living happily ever after.