If you'll notice, there is a new album up.  I put it up there because it's from one of the coolest things my husband and I have done.  He was deployed twice, once here in the States for homeland security and then to Iraq.  Between the deployments we saw a very popular movie at the time, My Big Fat Greek Wedding.  We decided right before the second deployment that when he got home we were going to renew our wedding vows in celebration of our reunion.  More than that, though, it was a celebration of all of the people who supported us through this time.  For us, it was a wonderful event in our lives, a lot of fun and I would suggest doing it to any military couple!

 

My husband says to "keep it small".  Hey, I had a year to plan this thing and didn't want to exclude anyone.  There really wasn't much else to do...So it kind  of kept growing.  I made my dress and those for my daughter and daughter-in-law, did all of the bouquets and decorations and the invitations.  We did a "potluck" luncheon afterward that was outrageous!  We eloped in Denmark the first time, so this was the "wedding" we never had.  BIG FUN!!!

 

If you look at the pictures, the beautiful woman attacking my face with more makeup than I've ever worn in my entire lifetime is my sister that I've talked about before.  Her first words when we got into the bathroom were "I've been wanitng to do this for years!" so I let her go for it.  I usually don't wear makeup at all because it gives me hives.

 

In the photo of my husband and I kissing there is a very old woman.  At the time she was 101 years old and just over getting her hip replaced.  Her name is Helen and she's my best girlfriend.  She turned 103 this year.  Great woman!!!

 

Perhaps the greatest part of this ceremony, aside from actually renewing our vows, was that our children were our attendants.  Thinking about it, of all the people in the world I'd always wanted to be in my wedding, it was our kids.  It's really a shame that in our culture it isn't done this way because having your own children participating in your "wedding" really does celebrate the marriage in a way that nothing else can!

 

The rest of the pictures are pretty self-explanatory and I hope convey what a great time this was for us!  I'll be adding more as I come across them.  It really is a wonderful thing to do!  All of the photo's, by the way, were taken by friends who brought cameras.  We didn't have a professional photographer.  The incredible cake was made by my neighbor.

 

God bless!

 

-A Mom in America

 

PS.  The last two photos are from when we originally went to Denmark to get married.  We were young once too.  God bless!  -Mom