Something Blue...

Couple of chaps headed to the Chapel!  Picture these cuties on a full subway (several of them in fact!) - they got a lot of looks & smiles too. Had to wait on a kind wedding guest to help with the ties - never have learned to do it myself! We took 3 subways & 2 above ground trains & then a taxi to make it to the church on time!  That's a whole lot of travel in suits & dresses!   

Such a beautiful & holy setting to celebrate such a beautiful love, and for me,
such a beautiful reunion...it's been many years since I've had the chance to be with Jessica and her endearing smile and laugh & my heart has been smiling since the day I knew I our logistics would bring us to her wedding!  

For those who don't know Jessica personally (which is most of you!), this picture (though so beautiful of her with handsome groom, Mark) fails to fully capture the heart and soul of this lovely young woman whom I had the delightful pleasure of meeting when she was but a giggling 14 year old!  She was a promising student at the Shalimar Teen Center many more years ago than I care to realize!  And she continued to be a promising student when she set off, the very first in her family, as an undergrad student at UCSB, & then on to complete her MSW (masters degree in social work), & then on to take a job in London, for which I was privileged to write a recommendation.  It was as true then as it is now, that regardless of circumstance, all I have to do is think of Jessica & I cannot keep from smiling!  She is dear to my heart & it is a lavish kindness of the Lord that I was able to be present for her wedding & to celebrate at her reception.  I was thrilled to be with her family; her "little sister" Aura can be seen to Jessica's left in the picture above - she was about 8 when I first met her, and not surprisingly, has grown up to be as lovely a person as her older sister & I'm humbled & happy to have known them both.  Jessica blazed a challenging trail with her life goals & education and Aura & her brother Eric have wisely followed.  Their family is an inspiration & Jessica, your wedding will forever be among my most treasured experiences!

Besides his Daddy, Andrew is my all time favorite dance partner!

Forever the reader!  She found this fading patch of sunshine while the wedding party was busy with pictures, & she soaked it for all it was worth!