Grandson's Wedding

Do you want to hear about our latest wedding. This one was my eighth granchild to get married.

After a couple of years of health issues, I was hesitant to make the long journey north. But I had a great time traveling to New Hampshire and Vermont for the 7/7/7 wedding in the historic chapel at Dartmouth College.

Thanks to the insistence and assistance of Janice and Gilbert and Debi and Gregg , the trip and the wedding was “just fabulous.”

I rode with Debi and Gregg up to Maryland July 3 and stayed with Jan and Gil while the Lewis' went on to New Hampshire to get ready for the Rehearsal dinner.

Gil and jan and I had dinner on the Fourth of July with Charmaine and Jack and family and saw the City of Arlington fireworks. I was pleased to see them and five of my great grands in their new home and again when they came over on Sunday to eat and swim at Jan and Gil’s.

Gilbert, Janice and I left on Friday morning, July 6 to get to Dartmouth in time for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

This country girl had never visited New York City, so Gil, my gallant son-in-law decided to leave early enough to show me the highlights of the Big Apple. We drove through Central Park, the huge United Nations Buildings, Theater district…well everything I had read about but never seen, including the Statue of Liberty in the harbor.

Debi and Gregg hosted a rehearsal dinner at a restaurant near Dartmouth. In keeping with Emily and Matthew’s request, it was a casual but delicious sit down dinner of Pizza, pasta, salads for nearly 50.

Deborah had requested and received 70 plus pictures of Emily from Mrs. Brown so she and Jonathan created a masterpiece 12 minute video featuring Emily and Matthew from birth to now. It was quite a feat of creativity with music.

Jan and Gil and I stayed with new church friends of Matthew and Emily. They live in what they described to us as a "Yankee Barn" type of house lots of windows, surrounded by trees. It was a joy to visit with them. It was “Southern hospitality” at its best.

As I wrote in an email to family, “ After sleeping on beds of the "Rich and Famous" for a full week, I am like the little girl from Milstead who went to Atlanta to visit her married brother and sister in law for a week. When she got home and sat again at the family table, she commented, "I have dined out so much it is hard to eat Mama's cooking."

Gilbert and Janice have a Pillow top mattress on the queen size bed in their guest room where I resided in luxury. I sleep like a baby every night! Well not exactly? You know how a baby sleeps? Sleeps an hour and cries an hour!

I slept two more nights in the luxurious home and on the same kind of pillow top mattress in the home of these new friends in New Hampshire! So slept well every night away from home.

You all know how I hesitate to be a participate in our "decadent consumer society" (s seminary term) but I am thinking (like the little Milstead girl) after seven nights on pillow top mattresses, my 25 year old mattress may have to be replaced.

Do you think I should go out tomorrow and spend my children’s inheritance on a new mattress!

The Wedding on Saturday night was beautiful. Did I mention they had the best
soloist in America? Ask anyone in Rome! Terry sang, "Great is thy Faithfulness" and the "Lord's Prayer."

We arrived early (thinking the wedding was 4 instead of 4:30) so Gil (remarkable man that he is) opened both side doors and turned on the fans so that the chapel had cooled off before people started arriving. It was a warm day.

Emily was very lovely! Stunning! Her dress was gorgeous with short cap sleeves, rounded neck, long train, delicate embroidery design. The bridesmaid's dresses were a simple design in light green – the same shade as Jessica had her bridesmaids to wear. Beautiful.

Matthew looked handsome in a gray tux, the groomsmen looked great in gray suits. Short neat haircuts...all. Benjamin and Jonathan were ushers and also looked nice in gray suits with green shirts.

Lisette and Emily’s grandfather each read a short passage of scripture.

The ceremony was similar to our beautiful Methodist ceremony. Their pastor also gave a meaningful short sermon and celebrated communion with them while Terrell sang the Lord’s Prayer.

It rained off and on all day -- but never when we had to be outside. Nice! We enjoyed a tour of the beautiful Dartmouth campus between the rehearsal and the dinner.

The reception was at a museum nearby and was very nice with a large group of over 100 present? My estimate? A buffet of barbeque and chicken dinners and a vegetable shish-ka-bob with salads were served...wonderful felowship and food. People could enjoy the museum or go into the community room for the reception and dinner.

We caravanned back to Jan and Gil’s on Sunday morning with the Lewis' -- through Pennsylvania and more wonderful scenery. Enjoyed talking, listening to music and recounting all the great aspects of the wedding.

Matthew and Emily stayed in an Inn nearby on Saturday night and then they were going to Maine -- perfect place for a honeymoon!