Cassie and Trevor Get Hitched!!

What a wonderful time we had celebrating Cassie and Trevor's Wedding!!  It was an absolutely beautiful outdoor ceremony, a delicious meal and dessert, hilarious and heartfelt speeches, fun dancing, and just a wonderful gathering of so many people that we love.

But before I get to that, let's start at the beginning of the week!

Andee and I left from Iowa to Canada with our, *ahem*, sweet little Vera girl.  And by 'sweet', I mean terrified and unhappy as we loaded her into the car and started the journey home.  Of the 13 hours we spent in the car, at least 9 of them were serenaded by the loud and frantic meows and screams of one unhappy little kitty.  We let her roam free, as the kitty carrier only seemed to cause more panic, which resulted in hours and hours of trying to wrangle a kitten from crawling all over the driver.  At one point I threw in the towel and stated to Andee that "we can never take her back to Canada again."  Classic Di-Di.  But we got through it, and eventually our little girl was safe and sound at my parent's house, where she met "Grandma and Grandpa" and "Auntie Cassie" for the first time.  Can you tell we have yet to have children?  At least we all arrived home in one piece!  Don't let this photo fool you - it is one of very few moments where she was calm enough to snap a picture!

After the mildly chaotic ride home, we had a pretty low-key week considering all the last-minute wedding festivities we were anticipating.  Cassie is one organized bride, and she had everything running smoothly!  A final dress fitting, some scrapbooking, seating charts, and some last minute details were all a part of preparing for Cassie and Trevor's big day!  We also made sure to get in some Canadian staples such as Canadian McDonalds, Tim Hortons, and of course, poutine!  We also got our nails done and enjoyed some quality girl time together!

We were also able to enjoy one special pre-wedding family date before the big day - a behind-the-scenes experience at Jungle Cat World!!  Not only did we experience the already wonderful and beautiful Big Cats and other animals at the Wildlife Park, but Cassie and I were able to spend some 'up-close-and-personal' time with three different animals - lemurs, a serval cat, and a baby lion!  It was absolutely amazing to be able to pet and feed these adorable and powerful creatures!  God is so creative and these animals are such a wonderful representation of His beauty and strength!  Cassie and I were completely in love and acting like giddy school girls in the presence of these amazing animals!  The program allows for the animals to become comfortable around humans by allowing humans to interact with them in a safe environment, all the while the humans get to experience some wildlife snuggles!  A win-win!  Enjoy the photos!

Next came the rehearsal dinner!  A delicious Italian feast with so many people that we love!  We had a great time meeting some of Trevor's family and groomsmen, as well as spending time with our own family too!  It was a wonderful evening!

And now for the Wedding Day!!  Everyone looked absolutely beautiful/handsome, and the weather actually cooperated with a warm(ish) sunny day in April!  The photos turned out absolutely stunning, and Cassie looked like a Disney Princess in her fairy-tale like ball gown!  The ceremony was complete with personal vows, as well as a love-filled song that I had the privilege to sing as they were signing the marriage certificate.  The cocktail hour allowed for some wonderful conversations with so many of our family members and friends, and it was so great to see everyone all in one place!  It also included some beautiful and crafty touches from Cassie, including scrapbooks and handmade wooden signs.  The Reception Hall had much of the same touches, with beautiful wood slab and flower centerpieces, and handmade wooden coasters for all the guests to take home!  The meal was absolutely delicious, as were the cupcakes and cookie bar!  The speeches were laud-out-loud funny in some spots, and reach for a tissue heartfelt in others.  The DJ and music were fantastic, and everyone looked like they were having an amazing time!  Cassie and Trevor looked so happy throughout the whole day, and everything ran very smoothly.  All in all, it was the perfect day for Cassie and Trevor, and for everyone there to celebrate the start of their new life together.  It was amazing, and Andee and I are so thrilled that we were able to be there for their special day!  Enjoy the amazing photography!

On the drive back home, Vera improved with screams that lasted only a few hours, followed by an exhausted kitty falling asleep on my lap for a good duration of the day.  We'll take it!  Until next time, Canada!

Beauty From Ashes

The past month has been a whirlwind of crazy for Andee and I, with everything that happened with our Aloe Kitty, as well as Easter shenanigans at the Church, coupled with some interesting hours and shifts with Andee.  There have been a lot of tears, and a lot of pain, but we have felt so lifted up by our friends that we have made here at PLC.  The entire Staff, our Small Group, and lots of others have been praying for us and offering to help, and we can feel that their support and the comfort and peace of God has been all that has kept us going the past few weeks.  Maybe I'm being over dramatic, but my life has been pretty amazing, and I haven't had much oppourtunity to experience suffering.  This has been really hard.  But God has been faithful and He is still good, and still on the throne.  And we are so thankful for that truth.

And there has been some good amidst the storm.  Less than a week after the passing of our sweet boy, I was participating in the Easter services at PLC.  Normally this would be wonderful and fun, but I was so emotionally devastated, as well as physically ill, that I really wasn't sure how everything would go.  My only prayer during this time was that God would completely take over and shine through me, since I felt that I had nothing left to give at that point.  And God once again proved himself to be faithful, as Jesus' name was declared on that Easter weekend.  He is so good!

We also had the oppourtunity to welcome to our home a new furry addition to our little family - Miss Vera Luke!   She is tiny, spunky, incredibly cuddly, and I just know she will be the puuuurfect fit for our little family!

As we mourn the loss of our love, Aloe, we are able to find some ‘beauty from ashes’ by remembering our sweet boy through his new (adoptive) sister, Vera. By loving and caring for her, we can remember all the adorable qualities that they share, as well as all of the qualities that make them unique. Aloe Vera – what a beautiful representation of cat love that will allow for our Aloe Kitty to live on in our memories.

As you can see, Vera has wasted no time in making herself at home with us! She is our little snuggle bug, and we are so happy to be loving on her! Welcome home, Vera!

This weekend we are so thankful to be taking a week of vacation to make the trip back to Canada!  And this time it is under exciting circumstances - the marriage of Cassie and Trevor!  We are so thankful to be a part of their wedding celebrations, and to have our family meet Miss Vera!  This week is going to be jam-packed full of fun, and maybe even a little crazy along the way!  To my fellow Canadians - we will see you soon!