Well, I never SAID I could dance! -- jcarolek

My son and his bride had a lovely wedding. The rain held off, for the most part, until after the celebration, waiting until we were all inside in the reception to actually start falling in earnest. Guests managed to get to the church before the bride, despite many getting lost. It was helpful that the bride's own arrival at the church was delayed by about 15 minutes...

I sang in the choir for this celebration. I was honored to have been asked to do so and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. About six members from our choir joined another fifteen or so from their choir to deliver a really full and varied soundtrack to the video being shot of the occasion. I have just finished playing everything back and I am astonished at how well that little itty bitty camcorder picked up the sound even though it was about as far away as it could be, high up in the balcony of the church.

And yes, just because I was singing in the choir did not render me immune to the tears that rolled freely down my face as I sang with the choir, bringing the bride down the aisle to meet my son, who stood 3/4 of the way down, waiting to take her hand from her father and walk those last feet feet to the alter with his bride. Having brought the rest of the wedding participants in with a powerful hymn, "Join in this Celebration" the contrast of the bride's entry to "Dona Nobis Pacem" (give us peace) was very effective.

When the vows were complete, the young couple married, and the photos taken, it was time to caravan the 25 miles to the wedding reception. We arrived just before the rain started to fall, and we dashed inside. The table in the foyer held the "gifts" my son and his bride were giving to each of their guests. On the gift was a card with the recipient's name and the table to which they had been assigned for the meal.

I did not realize until I was leaving that the gift was a CD. This CD was one that Stephen and Kristen made themselves.... they sing a variety of songs, and Stephen accompanies most of them with his guitar. Others are also accompanied by a piano playing choir member. I listened to the CD today, as I was looking at wedding photos and wedding and reception video, and I was impressed with how good it really is. They are both very talented, with delightful voices. And their choices of songs for their own "Our Songs" wedding album were really nice. From "Groovy Kind of Love" to "The Way I am" to "Shameless" to "Can't Help Falling in Love" and twelve more, they have made an album anyone who has ever been in love can certainly enjoy!

The reception was fabulous. I saw family I had not seen in 11 years or more since I separated from my children's father, and it was all good. We danced and we chatted and we enjoyed the younger generation and their enthusiasm....it was contagious. And for the second time in a month I found myself dancing to the YMCA .. LOL...and this time it was captured on video. I laughed my head off watching that video this afternoon. My sister, sisters-in-law, nieces, friends, and almost everyone who was in any way ambulatory eventually made their way out to the dance floor and when their feet started moving, the smiles on their faces beamed. It seemed impossible to wear an expression of anything but happiness out on the dance floor. And it's a very GOOD thing the I can smile because I SURE can't DANCE! While I was on the dance floor, my brother was just sitting there laughing. My ex-husband told him he wasn't SUPPOSED to laugh at the the people dancing... and he said, "LOOK at her!" LOL I never SAID I could dance.... but they still ty to get me out on the dance floor....

I caught some really sweet video of my brothers dancing with their daughters. My youngest brother doing a version of the jitter-bug with his eleven year old daughter is priceless. And capturing my brother and his wife, married 25 years now, dancing together and showing off for the camera as my sister-in-law grabbed my brother butt was hilarious. She's a ham anyway, and loves to make people laugh. Their 23 year old had been egging them on, "Mom, Dad KISS" she yelled from the sidelines, camera ready. And kiss they did, and then, as Heather and I were saying, "aw, that's sweet" to each other, Michelle grabbed Dan's butt and Heather and I fell out laughing...as Michelle flashed us her evil, up-to-no-good grin.

Yes, I left the house at 6:30 yesterday morning, and I arrived home at about 11PM. It was a LONG day and I was truly exhausted when I finally got home, but what a wonderful day. What a delightful time.

Bride and Groom's First Dance



Mother and Son (Dance?) I warned him to watch out for his feet!


My daughter did the flowers for the wedding and reception.