Wedding Bells!

A favorite topic of speculation the last few years is who the next person in the family will be to get married. Never in our wildest dreams did we dream it would be Keith's sister, Karen.

Karen was divorced in 1976 and has been single for 37 years. Last summer she started dating someone she has known all her life. They tied the knot on April 20th and Keith had the honor, along with his brother who is also a pastor, of performing her wedding ceremony.

They are 65 and 66.

Bob is an only child and his parents are both gone. 

He went from being by himself to Instant Family. 

It was the funnest, sweetest wedding I've ever seen. We smiled from start to finish.

Karen's grandson, Eric, walked her down the aisle.

When asked, "Who gives this woman to be married?" Eric repliced, "Her family does!"

My daughter Kiah sang a solo.

Lighting the unity candle.

Keith and his brother, Neil, co-officiated the service.

Bob kisses his much shorter bride.

Karen and Bob with Grandma Vik

Grandma Vik with her three children and their spouses.

My family, minus three daughters who couldn't make it because of a late April snowstorm.

We're missing five cousins in this picture. 

They always like to do one crazy shot. 

Youngest and oldest cousins - my Lani (14) and Jill (43)

Grandma Vik and Kiah

Andrew and Eric

Very cool present

Time to get married

Keith said this was his favorite wedding he's ever performed. It was a fun day, especially with being able to spend time with family and friends. We're happy to have a new brother. Welcome to the family, Bob. Hold on to your hats, we're a crazy bunch.

A Love Worth Waiting For

Andrew wrote this sweet story for Rachel and gave me permission to post it on our family blog.

Once upon a time there was a young man who had a problem of monumental proportions that had weighed him down. No matter where he looked there just wasn't a girl to be found for him. Sure there were beautiful girls, but none that had a certain beauty this young man was looking for. You see he had found something more amazing than anything else. This particular young man knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, which meant not just any girl would do. He needed one that loved Jesus.

It seemed that girls were just fine with giving their heart to anyone and everyone, and this wasn't something this young man was looking for. He wanted a girl that had given her heart over to Christ, a girl who knew what true love was because she had experienced it from Jesus.

But time went on and the young man started to grow discouraged, thinking maybe girls like that didn't exist anymore - girls that are completely and utterly beautiful, not just because of how they look but because of the light that shines from having a relationship with Christ.

Right about the time he was ready to give up and become the most un-eligible bachelor in America, figuring it better to spend the rest of his days alone with his Bible and Bloom County than to spend it with a superficial token girl, something amazing happened. To be sure it was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

One day at camp, the young man was assigned to watch some kids and a certain beautiful young woman ended up helping. While she was pretty the young man didn't think much about it yet, assuming she was just like every other girl he’d met. This young man was soon to be pleasantly surprised.

A month later the young man gave the girl a ride back to college and his car broke down. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the young woman saved the young man from having a major meltdown. They spent the day talking and walking and having a great time.

The young man was thoroughly astonished at how amazing she was. He thought she must be lying because nobody as perfect as she was could possibly exist, right? But he decided that she was worth trying to find out, and so he did.



As it turns out the girl was as beautiful and pure and amazing as she seemed to be, and as the young man continued to get to know her he realized that she had that rare beauty that comes from knowing Jesus Christ and because the light of Christ was in her, it made her beyond just beautiful. It made her radiant and by far more lovely than anyone he had ever met.

So the young man knew that this was the girl he had been waiting for, the one who was completely worth pushing all the other girls away and giving his heart to her and only her. By God's grace, he had found a love worth waiting for.

Learning About Love

I know his class schedule, what bus he rides, and where his locker is.


At age fourteen I live for his smile and waver between hope and fear.

He rescues me. The other kids circle, choose, and pair up. No one likes to be left standing alone. Certain that I am unworthy, wonder of wonders, he chose me. 

He is a few rungs higher on the social ladder yet reaches down for me. Why? I have no idea.

Though fun and exhilarating, I can’t relax. I hope this will last but I’m afraid it won’t. I hope he likes me as much as I like him, but I’m afraid he doesn’t.

There are prettier girls out there. Surely he has eyes. There are smarter, more popular, talented and athletic girls. Why is he with me? Is it just a matter of time before he figures out what I already know?

The longer we stay together, the more it will hurt when he leaves. The unknown is too scary to consider. So with the flawed logic of a child who is much too young to be dating, I decide that it’s safer to hurt myself than to let someone else do it. I walk away, not one, not two, but three times.

I look back now and know that I was fragile and needy and no amount of love and affirmation could fill the hole inside.

We were too young to know what love is.

Letting a child mess around with love is like letting a blind person drive a car. Sure they can drive, but they can’t see where they’re going, there’s sure to be a crash, and someone is likely to get hurt.

There’s no way I could know at fourteen that love is more about giving than taking, more about the inside than the outside, more about doing good than looking good. Love does not need another person to make me feel good about myself or make me complete. It doesn’t run and hide when things get hard.

Thirty-five years later I know that love is day after day, year after year doing dishes when you’re tired, doing laundry when you don’t feel like it, going through childbirth, cleaning up puke, forgiving stupid words or random acts of insensitivity, living in a white house when you wanted tan, letting go of hurts and resentments, biting your tongue, taking vacations to places you don’t want to go, having different opinions, and laying aside personal preferences for the greater good.

Love clips toenails, empties bedpans, helps after surgery, and cares for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.

Love takes out garbage, mows the lawn, bakes bread, makes special desserts, sends cards, comforts, laughs, plays, encourages, tends wounds, juggles schedules, dreams, celebrates, and makes and keeps promises.

Love promises to stay together no matter what, rain or shine, good or bad.

I learned about love from the one who loves me best.

You see, God rescued me. Though I’m unworthy, He reached down and wonder of wonders, He chose me.
He invaded my life, filled the hole, completed me, and took away the fear. He gave me a solid foundation and the emotional wherewithal to build relationships in healthy ways. I quit looking in the wrong places for that which only God can give.

I don’t have to wonder how He loves me. (unconditionally)

I don’t have to wonder how much He loves me. (Completely)

I don’t have to wonder how long He’ll love me. (Forever)

He loves me, and surrounded, filled, and blessed with that amazing love, I am free to love.

Let the smile of your face shine on us, LORD. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine. I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe. (Ps. 4:6b-8)