6 Months

We're officially halfway through 2017 (what?!) and in honor of their 6-month anniversary yesterday I thought I would share some of my favorite Matt and Katie photos.  Maybe I'll pick 5 favorites from each event?  This will be hard!  Theirs was such a beautiful, God-honoring wedding, and I will never forget the overwhelming feeling of thankfulness I had at the reception, surrounded by so many people who love our family.  It was such a gift to be there and to capture such sweet and beautiful moments.

The Wedding Party

Matt's groomsmen praying for he and Katie before the ceremony was so special I switched the camera to video even though I'm not a videographer because I knew he'd want to remember it.

Mothers and Daughters - What's not to love?

It's definitely a relief for everyone when you get all those formal shots out of the way.

I'm obviously a fan of the more casual moments.

When the flower girl is your daughter, and the matron of honor is your sister-in-law, it has to be a favorite shot.  Ella loves Aunt Sandy.

River Walk

The rainy start to the new year only gave us an excuse for a fun prop.

Beautiful Katie

He's can't wait to see his bride at this point.

I love how she looks at him.

Happy Smiles

I love this picture because she looks like Cinderella hurrying to the ball.

Ceremony

I'm glad I didn't miss Matt's face as Katie walked down the aisle.

They're about to pronounced husband and wife.

Hooray!

Matthew and Katie did something non-traditional and came back after the recessional to greet all their guests before dismissing them to the reception.  It was such a special way to speak to all the people who came to celebrate with them before all of the hubbub of the reception.  

New Family

Reception

First Dance

Sweet Moments

This performance of Sisters from White Christmas may be the best one I've ever seen.

What a beautiful night...

I was so nervous about getting these send-off pictures right.  Another time I'll tell the photographer's tell of woe of having to manually focus most of the reception pictures because it was too dark for the auto-focus to work.  I prayed, and I'm thankful I got the shot in the end.  It was one of those perfect nights.  

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother

and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become

one flesh.  This mystery is profound, and I am saying

that it refers to Christ and the church.

- Ephesians 5:31-32 - 

May, Beautiful May

May 1 - Moments with my People

May 2 - Packaging in England is very descriptive.

May 3 - These two really love each other.

May 4 - Too many Treats

May 5 - This pineapple from Poundland made me happy.

May 6 - Lovely big dandelions in the garden

May 7 - May Day Fun

May 8 - Curious Cows After School

May 9 - I found a new favorite place for coffee and books.

May 10 - I love homeschool days.

May 11 - We found some beautiful trees when we dropped K.J. off on the west coast for his bike ride.

May 12 - Ella's Artwork 

May 13 - Wild Yorkshire Coast

May 15 - Curry with Blake and Hannah

May 16 - Beauty on the Street

May 18 - A Rainbow at Sunset (such a fun and beautiful surprise!)

May 20 - Saturday Morning Breakfast Club

May 21 - An English Summer

May 22 - 13 Years

May 23 - Science Experiments

May 24 - New Walkways

May 25 - Perfect Summer Day, Perfect Summer Boy

May 26 - Reading in the Tent

May 27 - Blowin' in the Wind

May 28 - Made in the US of A

May 29 - We always see a new sign when we visit York.

May 30 - Breathtaking Beauty

May 31 - We'll have strawberries soon!

A Spring Tradition

It's been that time of year again where we've enjoyed seeing the bright yellow fields intermingled with the green whilst driving through North Yorkshire.  After having an injured foot for the past month, though, I've mostly been driving past and not walking, so I hadn't taken any pictures!  It feels wrong not to stop in the midst of such beauty, and I was thankful to get a chance when the kids and I were on our way to pick up K.J. after his coast-to-coast ride.

James got out of the car with me.  I think he remembered last year's outing.  Considering how much he can struggle with spring allergies, it might not have been the best idea.

But it had some cute results.

Stories from the Road, vol. i

Last month when we spent at afternoon in Robin Hood's Bay we stopped in for a late lunch of fish and chips at the Fish Box.

As we were sitting at a table waiting for our order to be ready, a lady came rushing in with stress and anxiety oozing off her.  She sat her elderly mother down at a table across from ours, and I couldn't help but overhear her frantic voice on the phone explaining her situation to a car recovery company.  Her car had broken down and she was now stranded here with her 90-year-old mother who had dementia.  It was definitely a stressful situation for her as she made phone calls and then did what every good British person does in a stressful situation:  procured a cup of tea.  

When her order was called and she left her table to pick it up, K.J. and I glanced over at her mother, who looked back at her daughter and then over at us and said cheerfully, "I don't know where she's going, or why I'm here!  I tell you, the older you get, the more worries you have."  We laughed and smiled at her reassuringly.  K.J. told her to just sit tight.  In the midst of the chaos and with a mind that no longer comprehended it all, there was nothing for this lady to do but sit tight and smile.  

I loved that moment.  I thought of that sweet lady again today when I was reading those familiar verses from Matthew 6 where Jesus tells us not to worry about what we'll eat or what we'll wear or money or anything that's going to happen in the future at all because we have no control over any of it!  And in life's chaotic moments we don't have a stressed-out Father in heaven making frantic phone calls to try and sort it all out.  We can sit tight because He "knows what you need before you ask him."  And if you're British, you might as well enjoy that cup of tea.