Wedding Without Words - well almost...

This backyard wedding was so special, 

I watched the romance blossom between these two "kids" of  dear friends during our Wednesday night prayer meetings and it was a privilege to be able to host their special day.

The day was slated to be very unstable weather-wise, but it turned out to be absolutely gorgeous in every way.

From my bedroom resting spot before the wedding began I was privy to some very precious moments between the Father, Dean, and his eldest daughter, Jenna, the beautiful bride...

I had the audacity to snap those shots because there are certain privileges that come along with hosting, and those moments needed to be captured.

The rest of the pictures tell the story better than words will, but just for the record, these two young adults are some of the finest, most noble and God fearing that I know.

It felt like an honour to have this holy ground graced with their vows and the heavens and the earth rejoiced along with a multitude of siblings and friends in the wedding party! 

It was also fun to have Jan, another very good friend and the worship leader from the prayer group we all were a part of, officiating with his good humour.

Felt like I witnessed a match made in heaven! 

And that's a wrap folks!

Onward to happily every after...

Mighty Cold May

BEHOLD THE GLORY!  

And cue the Hallelujah Chorus...

Such beauty - happening right in my yard - the essence of apples wrapped in tiny pink buds couldn't be more amazing or exquisite.

This alone could capture my heart and make me fall in love with my Creator if He hadn't already revealed Himself and stolen my heart in a multitude of other marvellous ways.  

Somehow, this beauty is making its way onto the scene despite uncommonly cold May temperatures. 

As you can see there is SNOW on the hills!

But the vivid green of Spring relentlessly covers the earth and surges forth with so much hope despite the frosty winds and crisp air.

Some of my favourite colours, blue and green, are splashed liberally on the canvas that surrounds me causing my heart to sing a very happy song.

And multitudes of blossoms...

I courageously planted two tomato plants in hopes of red deliciousness in the not too distant future.  Hoping that the frost won't snap the life out of them...

My back patio garden is slowly shaping up, mostly with flower gifts from friends, but I'm adding bits of colour as I find them. 

It has been cold enough for fires and roasting marshmallows! 

And look who showed up on the back patio to anoint everything with his raised leg!

Winnie's boyfriend, BEAR!  

He is so beautiful, I can see why she is smitten, but he is far too old and sophisticated for her. 

Cub was not far behind creating a great deal of excitement for all involved. 

The drives through the Spring beauty are mesmerizing and I am so grateful for this small but magnificent world of mine. 

Some of the drives lead to my sweet friend Zee and her darling little grandsons.

She has been so lovingly helping her daughter during a very busy and incredibly difficult season of birth, sickness, sleeplessness and stress, so I've been able to pop by occasionally to drop off a coffee and burger and have a little visit. 

Wishing I could do more, but we all have our limitations.

So we carry on, trusting that much prayer and small deeds done with great love will accomplish more than we can imagine. 

It is what has been promised by the Creator of all this beauty - we live in the shadowlands knowing that one day all will be light and glory.

In the meantime we are awestruck with these foretastes of what is to come one day in complete perfection.

 "I know that my Redeemer lives and that he shall stand upon the earth."

Job 19:25

He will make all things new.

Selah

Mid-May Menagerie

Visits with Matthew and Trish warm my heart and bring joy to my home.

I'm so very glad for these friendships.

There have also been many visits from Daniel this Spring as he comes every weekend to  prepare his Kelowna home and yard for sale.

The end of an era...

Sorrow and hope, all tangled together.

The delightful times that Mom can come over for our Sunday gatherings are always extra special.

Patrice is our faithful helper with these happenings, as none of us Kelowna folk are able to transfer Mom into the car on our own.

This time it was Mother's Day and Anita also joined us with little Rosie.

It was a spectacularly strange Mother's Day as there were tears for all sorts of reasons.  Patrice wasn't feeling great, Anita was feeling really sad and as I rushed around the kitchen trying to make Taco's for dinner, Daniel showed up briefly with Nicole who also was in tears so we all gave big hugs and felt all the feels. 

Thankfully I had the grace and stamina to carry on to completion and we managed to experience some joy in the midst of all the crazy.  

This was a far more peaceful and relaxing dinner, shared with my sweet friend Gayle who was treating me to a belated birthday blessing!

The food served was so beautiful and quite delicious.

I felt so spoiled.

Finally there was a Book Club Birthday Night with a rather spectacular gluten free cake made by Joyce.

Three of us had celebrated Spring birthdays so a party was in order.

As you can see by the books on the table we were also finishing up the Gideon Bible study that we have been working on throughout the winter. 

We know how to combine pleasure with work and there is usually quite a lot of laughter when we gather.

So thankful for these women in my life and the richness of our times together.