Wedding

The wedding was a wonderful day. Friends and family were there. Folks from the neighborhood came. We got rained out and so we had to have the band indoors, but bluegrass sounds good acoustic, so who can complain? Some guys stayed out with the two hogs for 24 hours. Amazing! And it was some kind of good! We had so many people taking care of all the details that we just got to enjoy ourselves. Even still, the day is a busy one for the couple. For three days we really did not see each other.

Joe Dongell performed the ceremony for us, and it was right on the money about God, the neighborhood, and us. He talked about… gardens. Adam and Eve, Christ in Gethsemane, and then that garden behind the school. It was there one day that a number of us were picking beans. I happened to be picking opposite Jessica and we talked, for the first time in-depth. I guess it makes sense—a lot happens in a garden, over common, productive work.

Jessica was a beautiful bride! And a happy one! She stamped her foot just before we were announced as a couple. She said she was getting impatient!

We had it in our hearts to have communion, and I think that was a wonderful thing—to serve friends and family this gift Jesus gave us. I don’t know how to describe the joy of being together with all of you all. Everyone is so good to us, shows Christ to us.

Honeymoon

Our honeymoon was a little different. We stayed here, at the house, the first night. We had told the boys that we would have a “sleep over” with them. They have been waiting for Jessie to stay. And we did not want them to think that we got married and were leaving them behind. We made a big pallet on the floor with blankets and sleeping bags. We made popcorn and watched “Bee Movie.”

We left after church for Pine Mountain, KY. We stayed 4 days and relaxed and hiked. It’s a beautiful place, the only place I have seen to compare to Big Sur—lots of rocks, lots of fast-flowing streams. Really a beautiful place. I am not sure most people are aware of how beautiful the mountains of Kentucky are.

Nerds that we are, we went to the Red Bird Mission. We saw a sign pointing the way and went. A beautiful drive over the hills and along streams, and a good look at mission in the mountains. The apples were in bloom. No orchards, just apples at every house. We tried to go back a country road. It got narrower and narrower and then we were at the back of a holler. We stopped to ask what was the quickest way back to Pineville. The lady kind of laughed and said, “If you had an ATV you could go up over the mountain into Knox County…”

Clear Creek is a stream at the bottom of the mountain, fed by springs (a few of which we found). It’s a trout stream, and I wonder what luck the two guys we saw fishing had. We found waterfalls and wildlife all over the place on the trails. It was just a simple time, simply being in God’s creation.

We had fires in the fireplace, a bonfire outside under the hemlocks, grilled steaks, ate wedding cake, and just had a fine time.

The middle

Well, there are a lot of things to say about the past month, really the past week. But for now, let me just say this: you don't always know how to expect small blessings. This morning, John crawled into the bed with me and Jessica about 6. He was curled up in the middle, about back asleep, and he had the cutest smile on his face. It hit me. For the first time in more than two years, John has a middle to climb into.

Na-Cho-o-o-o-o-o-o-!

So last night we're aGold Star with the boys, Ica, Steffi, and MT. (Michael Tussey is MT, as in "MT Trash Can."

We were playing that game where you place your hands one on top of the other faster and faster and MT complained that it got caught on Ica's ring. Joe tried to explain what the ring was. He kept trying to say "engagement," but couldn't get it out and said, "It's a nacho ring."

Nacho Libre, the movie of our lives.

Correction

Ok, ok. So "maggot" was not nice. SO I gave her the boys' name for her. Are you happy now, Maggie?