Quite some time ago, I participated in a weekly Saturday blog hop called Photo Hunters. I've fallen off that Saturday habit, but thought it would be something fun to start again.

I'm going to try to find old scrapbook pages that illustrate the theme of the week. This week is Entertainment. With two kids, ages 4.5 and 3, I have no shortage of entertainment. I have a little miss Drama Queen and a ham-bone Comedian! I think they try to one-up each other on who can make us laugh the hardest.

Definitely not complaining -- laughter is a gift!

*Edited 8/1 after I double checked my program*

I love these opportunities to go back and remember my day....

Choosing my bridesmaid's dresses was a challenge for me. I was so conscious of not asking them to spend too much. And I had some pretty tall girls who required extra length, so that negated some of my choices. All I really cared about was that they're blue! I wanted bold, bright, vibrant colors for my wedding. The church had red carpet, so I wanted the dresses / wedding to not clash terribly with it!





My bridesmaids are the sisters I never had. I was blessed to grow up in a small town and I've known most of my friends since my earliest memories. I'll introduce you to the girls from left to right:

Karin is my "sister" from Sweden. She was an exchange student who lived with our family for a year while I was a junior and she was a senior in high school. She fit so well into our family, and I look forward to an opportunity to go visit her in Sweden in the (hopefully) near future.

Bridget was my Maid of Honor. She and I went to pre-school together, and really just grew up together. She and I also stayed in close contact through college, despite going to different schools. She's one of those people who would do anything for another person, and she means the world to me.

Ann is my "sister" through marriage. She's Jon's youngest sibling and only sister. She was only 17 (I think?) when we got married -- she was between her junior and senior year of high school. I believe she took her finals and then their family loaded up the vehicle to drive from Oregon to South Dakota for the wedding. Can you say WIPED OUT? She's now married and has two beautiful girls of her own. I've enjoyed getting to know her over the past 11 years -- she's an inspiring person.

Tara is my first friend. She lived a few houses down from me, and my earliest memories (and even before I have memories) -- she's in them. She had been by my side through literally every event in my life, and I couldn't imagine getting married without her standing up for me. She's also got children of her own now -- the cutest pair of twins you'll ever meet!

Our flowers were kind of funny... well, not funny, they were beautiful. But how they came about is funny. I love to look at flowers, but really, I've got no clue about flowers. We went into the flower shop (the only one in my home town), and I said, "I want red, yellow, blue, and green.... you know how to make them pretty." And that's what I got! HA HA! We were married in 1998, which was right when the clutch style of bouquets was starting and the cascade style was ending (at least that was the case in SD). I saw the clutch style and immediately wrinkled my nose -- I didn't like it at all. I wanted the "wedding" look of cascading flowers. Of course, now I prefer the clutch style -- but it usually takes me a few years to accept the new "in" thing.

The Bible that our hands are resting on was carried by my Grandma and Mom in their weddings. My Mom gave it to me, but told me it's really hard to carry and she recommended that I not carry it. So instead, we put it on the table with our unit candle. So practical! :)




This photo kind of shows our unity candle. While we lit it, my brother and the other two soloists (fellow choir members from college) sang, "Shine On Us" by Phillips Craig and Dean. I still just absolutely LOVE that song.

Our unity candle was actually glass oil candles. We had the center one engraved with our name and the date. The side candles were taper candles. I love our unity candle!




This last photo shows a table that was really important for me to include. It was stationed at the back of the church, and we called it our "Legacy of Love" table. We're so fortunate to both come from homes with rock solid marriages founded in Christ. Not only our parents, but our Grandparents. So the table showed photos of our Grandparents and Parents weddings, as well as our engagement picture. We're thankful for that legacy that they've given us, and blessed to be continuing it...for better or worse!

The funny thing about reflecting on my wedding.... More than anything else, I knew what I wanted to have sung at my wedding. I went to college on a choir scholarship, and music was just the be-all and end-all. Yet now, I don't remember the music I chose. So here's what I think we had...

- Pre-Wedding Solo: "In this Very Room" by Ron Harris Oops! It was actually "Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this Place" by Lanny Wolfe

- Walking into the Church: "Canon in D" by Pachelbel

- Bridal Entrance: "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"

- First Song: "There is Love" by Paul Stookey (my dad used to be in a quartet and would sing this for weddings - I've loved it ever since."

- Unity Candle Song: the aforementioned "Shine On Us" by Phillips Craig and Dean

- Song After Vows/Rings: "I Will be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman and sung by my brother. It was the ONE song Jon requested, so of course we had to have it.

- Blessing Song: This is the one I can't remember, but need to find (I'll look when I get home). My Dad, Jon's Mom, My Aunt, and Jon's Aunt sang a blessing song for us. It was the neatest thing. I loved it! Found it! "Go Now in Peace" by Price and Besig. It's an SATB arrangement for choirs. I urge you to go listen to it on You Tube. I hadn't heard it since our wedding, and it still moves me.

- Exit Music: "Hornpipe"

- Return to the Church for Dismissal: "Ode to Joy"

I wanted to include the lyrics for "Go Now in Peace" -- remember it was my Dad, Jon's Mom, my Aunt (who's my Godmother), and Jon's Aunt who sung it -- so special!

I think I put most of the details on our bird feeder on the kids' blog. Amara has mastered the cardinal call, and we wanted to be able to watch the birds up close instead of hunting for them in the trees.

We did get birds... cardinals, chickadees, and the tufted titmouse mostly.

But we also fought off some squirrels.

Tonight, Jon just said, "We've got a raccoon on the deck. I got up and watched it. Then I dashed to the kitchen to take a picture of it as it was perched on the deck railing.

I thought for sure it was going to go after the grease droppings from the grill, or maybe food that fell off the table.

Then I realized there were two!!!!

Look what this little wily guy figured out how to do... (this pole extends about 5 feet off of our deck)

And look at his little friend surveying the scene and keeping a watch out for me standing in the kitchen door. That was a little creepy to be watched by the masked bandits. It'd be cute... if it wasn't a coon!



They weren't able to figure out how to get at the food, which is good. But I think once our bag of bird seed is done, we're not buying anymore. Squirrels on the deck I can handle.

Coons.... not so much!

I found another little Blog Hop -- actually, it's an every Tuesday Blog Hop called "Ten On Tuesday". Today's theme is your Ten Favorite Sounds. I thought it sounded like another fun one to participate in.

1. My children's laughter -- the sound of a laughing child is simply music to my ears. It speaks of hope, joy, love -- all things positive and innocent. There's a purity to children's laughter that can't be found anywhere else.
"The laughter of adults was always very different from the laughter of children. The former indicated a recognition of the familiar, but in children it came from the shock of the new." Author: Elizabeth Hardwick

2. My children's singing -- again, a sound so pure it moves me nearly to tears. And their memories of the words and the tunes is shocking to me. My daughter "wrote" a song the other day -- she probably sang for 5 minutes straight. Interwoven into her song was every single Bible lesson she'd ever learned. It was so beautifully sweet.
"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." Author: Maya Angelou

3. My husband or my children saying telling me, "I love you."
"Who, being loved, is poor?" Author: Oscar Wilde

4. The sound of praise music -- particularly if it's sung a cappella in beautiful harmony. My family is one that sings "Happy Birthday" and "The Doxology" in harmony. There's nothing quite like it! I also love it when it's sung accompanied by a guitar in the form of campfire songs.
"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation." Psalms 95:1-2, KJV

5. The crackle of a fire -- home fire, camp fire -- fires make me think of warmth, security, and belonging. If you partner them with the sound of guitar accompanied praise music, fires send me back to the days of my youth at Bible Camp and the days of college when I was a counselor there. Powerful days. Formative days. Magical days.
"It only takes a spark to get a fire going, but soon all those are warmed up with its glowing. That's how it is with God's love. Once you've experienced it, you spread His love to everyone. You want to pass it on." Campfire Song "Pass it On"

6. The waves slowly lapping the shore -- one of my favorite places to sit is on our back deck in the evening listening to the waves gently lap the shore. It's so calming and peaceful. It washes away all the day's stresses.
"Sit in reverie, and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind." Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

7. Crickets chirping at night -- I know the photo is of lightning bugs, but lightning bugs don't make noise. And crickets chirping say "summertime" to me, which also make me think of lightning bugs. Does that just feel like a perfect summer night!?
"In summer, the song sings itself." Author: William Carlos Williams

8. The wind rustling through the leaves as the birds sing -- another night time on the deck sound that just speaks peace to me.
"What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?" Author: E. M. Forster

9. The sound of the cheering crowd -- this is a photo of my alma mater's football crowd. I'm a sports nut. I used to play them, now I just enjoy watching them. I especially love the electricity of sitting in the hometown crowd of my favorite team -- whatever the sport. Just a bit of the Glory Days shining through!
Sports do not build character. They reveal it. Author: Heywood Broun

10. The sound of revving motorcycles or diesel engines -- an odd sound, to be sure. But to me, it's the sound of my husband coming home.
"Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window." Author: Unknown

I ran across a Blog Hop hosted by Brent Riggs that looked like it would be kind of fun to join. I just hope that I get it figured out and posted correctly! :)

For this particular week, the theme is "Favorite Photo," and I confess, I can't narrow it down to just one. I was thinking about it this morning... and I think my favorite photos have only a little bit to do with the quality of the photo itself. They have more to do with my memory of the event behind the photo. The mood of that particular day. The big hug and adorable giggle given by my kids immediately following the shot.

Can you remember your earliest childhood memories? Are they true memories, or are they driven by the photos of the event? I know my parents took us on many vacations -- some larger, such as Disney World and the Oregon Coast - but many of them just local camping or fishing trips, trips to see the local flavor. I have so many incredible memories of those trips. But in truth -- I think many of my memories are only due to the photos.

And for this reason, I'm a photo junkie! I want my kids to have the same incredible memories of their childhood -- both real and in photos!

So my first favorite photo (in no particular order) was taken about 3 years go when we lived in Cincinnati. We had recently moved into our new house, and we were playing on the jungle gym the old owners had left in the backyard (before it was picked up). My daughter, Amara, couldn't yet walk, but we were playing under the canopy just getting ready to go down the slide. My sister-in-law snapped this photo, and it's probably my favorite photo of all time. It shows the joy of being a new mom, the love between the two of us, the trust my daughter has. It shows the newness of life and the incredible hope and trust and joy that lies in everything that is to be for that little girl.

My second favorite photo was taken last November. For the first time, we live under a canopy of beautiful trees. They're awesome MOST of the year -- except for allergy and raking season! The kids loved to rake the pile together and jump and play in them. It was their first experience in doing so, and they had a ball. I told them to give each other a kiss, but didn't really expect cooperation (they were 2 and 4 -- why would they cooperate!?). But the result is this photo. I made it into a digital scrapbook page and added the words to "Up to the Moon" by Kim Hill (I think that's the title).



My third favorite photo was taken last Halloween night. We live on a tiny secluded street (i.e. we have 4 neighbors), and there are no other kids who live on it. Our street is very steep and poorly lit. We knew that there would be no trick-or-treaters, and we knew that our 4 neighbors had likely never had any before. But we wanted to share some of "the joy of youth" with them (they're all grandparents themselves). So we dressed the kids up in their costumes, bought some mums at a local greenhouse, put the mums in wagons, and trick-or-treated our neighbors -- bringing THEM the treats instead of the other way around. It was such a fun memory, and something we'll look forward to doing in years to come.



Now it's your turn! Join the "Favorite Photo" blog train!