Wedding Prep: The Final Week

We've entered the home stretch.  5 days to go.  Last night Lindsay told me she looked down our row at church and realized that this is the last time she will sit there as an unmarried daughter.  She is saying her 'farewells' to her life as it has been, and welcoming it as it will be.

I wrote Tim a note in church and said, "I'd like to go out to lunch." We don't do this very often, and it was what I needed.  Sarah played with my phone and took this photo and the next one.

 My sweet girl is growing up.  She'll be 12 this year.  She's a mixture still of little girl in braids and young lady.  I love her so.

Our van has been making strange noises and it doesn't surprise me too much considering it has 245,000 + miles on it!  Tim found it needed a motor mount and a wheel bearing.  These two, along with Joseph's brother Daniel, made the changes and Tim says, "Your going to love driving the van now!"  He was amazed at how much of a difference those two things made.

 Meanwhile, I stayed nice and clean and texted with my friend who is doing the flowers for the wedding.  We are making a change to the table decor and we got that all worked out - she is a genius, and got my creative juices flowing!  So I tried out a few things with some flowers that I had that were left over from Lindsay's shower.

Then I made about 4 dozen pancakes that were devoured in about 15 minutes, and took myself off to my room for the evening.  I mostly had the time to myself but I was also Kyle's consultant for Balderdash.  He thinks I'm a genius and I'm happy to have him continue to think so!

This post sounds like it should be titled 'Scenes from Sunday" but really this is all prep for the week ahead.  It is the final week of having Lindsay in our home on a daily basis.  There are things to accomplish this week, but I think we have achieved our goal of a no stress final week.  Just busyness, which is a part of our daily life.  

Today, Lindsay has an appointment for a trainer/animal handler job at Sight and Sound.  She'd dearly love to get this job, as this is what she was doing when she injured her knee last June.  She's excited but trusting God to open and close the doors.

Our family from Florida and California arrive on Wednesday and Thursday, friends from out of state on Friday.  We are all so excited!  We pick up the wedding dress on Wednesday, get manicures and practice hairstyles on Thursday, and do the table settings at the church for the reception, Friday morning is making the flower arrangements for the tables, the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner.  

Then Saturday is the wedding.

It'll be over in a blink of an eye.

Twenty-two years we have worked to raise a daughter to love Jesus, to serve others, to be ready to be a wife and mother, to love her family and her home, not just ours but her own home.  She's ready.  It's a joy to see.  

 I won't lie and say that there have been no irritations or frustrations along the way.  We are human after all, and prone to self focus and for me the expectation that my priorities should be everyone else's.  But our relationships are all good, and we are still smiling and laughing here.  We are holding onto the JOY of our family life.  It's a beacon and a blessing to us all.  

This last week before the wedding?  Bring it on!  We're ready to enjoy it in all its potential craziness!  You'll forgive me if I am scarce here, I know, but I promise lots of photos and stories to tell this next week.