Gifty, Jenna and I had hair appointments early that morning at 9. Gifty was ready for it. She was all smiles and happiness. Jenna was sleepy but ready and off we went to leave the boys to get ready and we would meet them at the church later. The girl who did our hair was sweet, there was another wedding that day, so we spent the morning watching them do up hair. We only had the one girl, and Gifty went first. Then decided she wanted pearls in her hair, so when the lady was done with Gifty and starting on Jenna, we went to a hair accessories store down the road and could not find pearl hair clips. Gifty being the genious she is bought a pearl necklace and bobby pins, and I sat at the hair salon sliding little pearls onto the bobby pins and they put them in Gifty's hair. It look wonderful.
Gifty chatted all morning and kept saying "Guess what I'm getting married today!" The little beauty girl had did a magnificent job on both girls hair, but when she came to mine I said, "I don't need curls just get it up off my neck." It was already a stifling day. It proved difficult to get all my hair up, but she finally got it and we were ready to go.
One of our wedding traditions is the groom doesn't see the bride untl she is walking down the aisle, Gifty didn't quite understand that, she says can I at least talk to him on the phone, "No." I told her, but on the way back to the church she said she forgot to pack her bag, could we stop at the house. Ok, but I made Jamie go out the front door while she took her time packing. He was burning up outside in his suit, and I kept trying to rush her. Gifty is not one to be rushed, her and Jamie are so alike in that aspect- you can't rush them because it makes them slower. :0)
Finally on our way to get the girls ready at church. Gifty's other bridesmaid arrived, a beautiful lady from Jamaica - Earl's sister Diana and her husband Tim arrived and started taking pictures, and Earl's brother Jim, wife Susie and Crystal, their daughter had arrived the night before after a long long delay and were at the church too. Still I was surprised when I walked in and saw the church full. There were family and friends of Gifty - but mostly Jamie's church family was filling up the church quickly. They loved him here, of course my son is very loveable, but he'd only been here five months so I was impressed and touched. Gifty skyped her parents so they could see her in her wedding dress and was very emotional when she finally walked down the aisle to her waiting husband to be- who had his hankerchief dotting his eyes as soon as he saw her. Which made us all cry. In India they have worship before the vows and that is what we did, which was beautiful to do- worshipping God -bringing him into the marriage before it is even a done deal and doing that brought all emotions to forefront and honestly I don't know that I've ever cried so much during a wedding.
Yes it was our eldest child's wedding, and the first to marry, and as they said their individual vows to one another their voices broke and my throat closed up, and I tried not to sob loudly. The sun was so bright outside, the church was decorated beautifully, Earl's brother and sister and families had made the long trip to be with their nephew on this special day, and Jamie's brother and sister stood up there with him.
I was lucky to get any words out afterwards, words of gratitude and thanks for his Church Family, who provided a down home country meal afterward, and precious Terri who made two beautiful and delicious cakes for them.
As we walked from the church to the building next door for the reception Earl and I noticed that the tire was flat on our van. Of couse! :) After eating the delicious meal, toasting the new couple, and hearing the speeches we were planning on going to the beach for more pictures and unwind a bit. Jamie and Gifty had a room reserved on the beach for the night, and Earl's family had rooms on the beach also. So we sent everyone ahead of us, since it was so very hot, while Earl put the donut on the van (in his suit!)and we drove to walmart to get our tire fixed.
It was the first time all day I was alone with Earl. A moment to breathe, to smile and reflect on this day that I would cherish as one of the best days of my life. We were talking when my cell phone rang, it was the newlyweds and my new daughter was on the phone. "Mom?" I said yes, what's up. "Mom, I forgot to pack any clothes." Jamie had given us the keys to his house and they couldn't get back in their home. I burst out laughing. "Just what were you packing this morning." I asked thinking it had taken her forever while Jamie sweltered outside. "Ummm...stuff for tonight." I told her I would get her some clothes at Wal-mart (lucky we were going there anyway!) and would meet them at the beach.
It didn't take long and we were there at the beach, pictures were taken, the newlyweds took off and we enjoyed the evening, watching the sun set and being in each others company. It had been a wonderful day, one I can't describe with adequate words. Later we went to dinner with our extended family at a seaside restaurant- with abundant crab legs, shrimp, and I ate a crab cake and some fries. The newlyweds joined us for a late night food fest, and then we took off to Jamie's house to leave bright and early the next morning.
As we were traveling home the next day, my mind went over the day again and again, and I thanked God for it, my worries about Mom were still there, we had another wedding in just three weeks but I was content and knew that God had a handle on all that too. I needn't have worried, Oh How he loves us so!
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