Wedding Wednesday: And A Honeymoon, Too!

(Note:  I have no idea why the spacing is so weird in this post; must be a lovely computer glitch.  Oh joy.)

I’m starting off today with a few pictures from the “Don’t Ask” category.  

That simply means that I have no idea what those crazy people are doing in these photos and I really don’t know if I want to find out.

This first one was actually taken during the engagement picture session but I thought it would be legal to throw it into a  

Wedding Wednesday post since since an engagement is sort of an important part of getting to a wedding.

Nathan was presented with some favorite candy by his fabulous fiancée and decided 

that it would be a good time to put the candy in his mouth.  All the candy.

And then.  Show it off.

Here’s a closer look at my “always well behaved in public” son. Do you think Meagan will be able to do anything with him?  

I told her that it was all up to her now; I’ve done the best I could.

Edited To Add This Excited Breaking News:  

I just received a comment from the newest Mrs. Smith who gave us the whole picture behind the aforementioned candy scene. 

Here's what Meagan wrote:

The Twix is the candy he gave me along with six roses the day he first told me he loved me.

The gum balls were actually to be used for a ring picture. However, we decided it would be funny to see how many we could fit in his very big mouth LOL. Nathan, being the good man he is, decided to let us do it even though he didn't like the idea to begin with :) 

We try to make it a party wherever we are.   This coming from the newest

~Mrs. Smith 

Thanks Meagan!  And now back to our regularly scheduled program. . .

Although I have no idea what caused Nathan to suddenly flip his entire person upside down, I’m rather impressed that any human being related to me is able to stand on his hands.  

Same fellas.  Same general wackiness.

And I really, really, really do not want to know what’s happening here. 

(Or.  Maybe I do. Or . . . not.)

Okay.  Let’s move along to some more dignified wedding moments, shall we?

Before getting dressed on Wedding Morning, Meagan sat down to write out a card for Nathan to be delivered to him right before the wedding started. 

  

She had composed the sentiments on the computer several months prior and asked me to write their wedding song around those thoughts.  

In this picture, she’s copying her computer words into real handwriting.

When she was done sharing written hugs with one man in her life, 

she shared a real hug with another man in her life.

And then it was time to get ready.

A loving mother and sister helped to get the bride arrayed.

And a loving future sister-in-law helped to shod the bride. 

This was one glass slipper that fit the princess perfectly.

A few last details . . .

One last moment to pray together as a family . . .

… and the wedding began!

And then the honeymoon commenced.

Here’s Nathan opening the door to their room.

And their lovely room!

I had to ask Meagan what that shiny thing on the bed was because I had no idea.  Anyone wanna guess?

The married man of leisure.  Don’t let the innocent face fool you.  He’s probably planning on some practical joke for his new bride.

So glad these two found each other.

Lastly, I have quite a few comments compiled that I need to answer but I wanted to get to this one today since it has to do with the wedding.

Fran asked, “Would you post photos of Sheri in her dress? Full length? I love the cobalt blue color... thanks a lot for posting all the photos...I know it is a labor of love.”

Fran, right now, this is the only full length picture I can find.  Sheri’s dress had a gorgeous swingy skirt which you can tell by this happy picture, a picture that perfectly sums up the loving and fun relationship that Meagan and her mom share.

Bike Trail Kiss

Although Steve and I have many things in common, we have some major differences when it comes to bike riding.

He likes to ride veryveryfast. 

And I like to ride mediumish slowish.  And I also like to hop off the bike in a slowish mediumish fashion to take pictures. 

Despite these differences, we do make a point of riding together once or twice a week, usually in the evenings when my less than speedy mode isn’t an issue and we’re able to talk as we ride.

But in the mornings?  He heads out the door in a veritable flurry of fastness for two reasons:  1) He needs to get his bike ride and shower done speedily so that he can get into work.  2) If he doesn’t ride at top speed, he doesn’t get his heart rate up enough for a good workout.  

This morning, he left for his ride about twenty minutes before I did, made it up to the north bridge and turned around.  I had just been riding along a  few minutes in my most merry moseying mode, when I saw him in the distance heading back toward me.  When we got near each other we stopped for a bike trail hello. 

And a bike trail kiss.

Well.  At least we tried to kiss.

After thirty years of marriage we have had plenty of practice in that particular department; however, we have not had much practice in the area of kissing while wearing bike helmets with little visors that poke straight out and tend to collide with other little poking out visors. 

As a result, we had to to through a quasi-awkward visor arranging and lip organizing routine which required an interesting array of various head tilts and proper face angling. I couldn’t help but think in the midst of our marital maneuverings,  “Here we are on a bike trail which runs adjacent to the main road in Manteo.  I’m sure we are providing great entertainment for the passing motorists.”

I even pictured what a news headline might look like should there be any reporters lurking in the trees.

“Local Pastor and Wife Steal A Kiss On Bike Trail. Almost Foiled By Sun Visors.”

As Steve and I wrapped up our brief romantic rendezvous and rode away in opposite directions, it occurred to me that when Sarah goes out on her first date, we may just require that she and her fella wear bicycle helmets the whole night; they are truly an effective Kiss Deterrent!

I also mused as I rode that there are at least two ways to light up one’s day.

One of them is riding bike on a sunny fall morning. 

And the other is getting a bike trail kiss.

New Commenting System Update

My commenting system installer has informed me that there seems to be something amiss with my blog template which is making it tough for her to get the system installed in the right place.  (It’s currently at the very bottom of this page which will not be its permanent place of residence.)   I’ve contacted my original blog designer to see if she has any input. 

Bottom line is that it may take awhile to get all this figured out.  In the meantime, you can just keep on using the regular commenting system under each post although the new commenting system is actually usable—it’s just not under individual posts where it will be eventually.  (Thanks to Ann and Anne and my brother Tim for being brave enough to be the first ones to break in the new system.)

New Commenting System Update

(See entry below for background to this post.)


I contacted the blog designer this morning about the comment system and she said that she can definitely get it moved to under the posts instead of in the right column where she placed it originally.  However, she doesn't work on weekends so it will be a couple days before she gets to it.  In the meantime, just carry on as usual with the old commenting system.


And thanks to Jodi for suggesting in the comments suggestion that everyone introduce themselves; when the new system is up and running, that will be a cool thing to do.


I have had a way too busy day and am happily headed to bed.  

Comments. A New Era.

One of the things I’ve loved best about blogging over these past nine years has been the comments that have come in—literally thousands of comments over those years.  I’ve had the privilege and joy of getting to know you and I’ve gotten to discover fascinating pieces of your lives, learn how you think, find out what you believe and learn what you find to be inspiring and funny.  


The only frustrating part about it has been that it’s difficult to have much of a dialogue between you and me and between you and the other commenters.
I think the Smithellaneous readers have turned into a wonderful community of long distance friends but I think a different comment format could take it an even better place.  


 And so?  I am very excited to let you know that in the next few hours, a new commenting system will be installed here on Smithellaneous.   It will allow me to easily respond to each individual comment (each comment thread will be hooked together) and it will also allow you all to interact with each other and respond to what they have to say.

I’ve been wanting to do this for about a year now because I’ve seen the system on other blogs and absolutely loved it.  However, I have tried to install it several times on my own and run up against a lack of sufficient technical knowledge wall every single time.  I finally got smart and contacted a blog designed to install it for me, which she will be doing within the next day.

The only (small, teeny, tiny) thing you will have to do to switch over is to take about 45 seconds and create a user account. And then?  You’ll be good to go.


I can’t tell you pumped I am about this chance to turn a largely one-way conversation into a multi-person, multi-city, multi-state, multi-country conversation


Welcome to the New Smithellaneous Commenting Era!  I’m glad you’re here!



I’ll close out with a few pictures I took this morning of an area next door to downtown Manteo.

Breathing. Blue.

Breathing.

Although I’ve had COPD for about six years now, for most of that time I haven’t been on any daily medication.   I tried several in the past and not only did I not see appreciable improvement, the medications also affected my vocal cords and made it next to impossible for me to sing without hoarseness. 
So. The pulmonologist took me off everything except my rescue inhaler and that was that.
As I’ve written before,  after my cancer surgeries last year I went from being able to blow 350 on a peak flow meter down to 300 with 600 being normal for my age.  And to be quite honest, that was rather discouraging for me.  I couldn’t help but think, “Where will I be a year from now?  Or five years from now?” 
Downward trends in breathing are never terribly heartening.
Well.  When I went to the new pulmonologist last week, he did some tests and then sent me home with a sample of Spiriva to try. I took it along with me without any great feeling of enthusiasm because nothing’s ever helped me before. 
But I am all about being a cooperative patient and so for the past five days, I’ve used the Spiriva every morning.  And yesterday?  I blew a 375 on the meter!  Three. Seventy. Five. 
Can you believe it?  And so far, my voice feels fine—no hoarseness, no strain, no nothing.

So today I am one happy, grateful, breathing-a-little easier woman.

Blue. 

If you love the color blue, you will love the pictures below.

Before you peruse them however, please know that I donated several pints of blood to the Marauding Manteo Mosquitos in the taking of said photos. I have never seen so many mosquitos in my entire life.  Not. Ever. 

But I squirted on some skeeter spray and ferried forth into the fray with fervent, fevered, (f)photographic fervor. 

(These were all taken in a gorgeous harbor front neighborhood about a mile from where we live.)

Wedding Wednesday: (Plus a Honeymoon Sneak Peak!)

I don’t know who the wise guy is that’s making that goofy face but it’s 
quite obvious that he needed better parenting in his formative years.

Let me just say that if someone was holding me off the floor sideways like this? 
I would not be smiling. 
I would be yelling in a highly hysterical manner.

Trust me on that.

Nathan has been blessed with some truly great friends. 
Michael (on Nathan’s right) was his best man and also went with him to
Jerusalem during their sophomore year of college.
And the other two guys are just all around wonderful fellas. 

I remember all the times Steve helped get Nathan ready for church
when he was a baby and a toddler.

Here he is helping him one last time.

Sniff.

The Belle of the Ball and Her Belle-ettes.

Love this perspective.

Awaiting the first glimpse of the First Lady of his heart.

That is one happy mama-of-the-bride!

After twenty-two years of being Nathan’s mom, I thought
I had all the expressions of his face memorized. 
His wedding day changed all that. 

I saw new expressions of joy; new expressions of love.

Oh yeah.  And I also saw this.
Did I give him permission to get all grown up and
 go around kissing beautiful women in public?
Did I?

Sigh. Yeah, I guess I did.

Although it seems to me that Nathan wasn’t the only handsome man Meagan was sharin’ the love with that day.
Here she is with her most darling nephew, Spencer. 
(Spencer’s dad was one of the two ministers who performed the ceremony.)

I’m just not sure if the six of us could have smiled any bigger. 
What a joyful day!

After the ceremony, it was on to the hard work of picture taking. 
And water drinking. 
Can you tell that the bride and her party were dealing with
 some pretty intense Florida heat?
Of course, being Southern belles, they did not sweat.

They glistened.

What a bunch of purdy (glistening) ladies.

It may just be me, but the two of them look awfully
grown up standing there together.
I still can’t quite believe I am looking at a picture of
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Smith.

My son!  My daughter-in-law!  They’re married! I’m a mother-in-law! 
Someday they will me a grandma!

(insertdeepcalmingbreath here.)

Okay.  May  I just say one more time that this guy seems to be just a little wacky in the face making department? 
I hope his wife has plenty of patience stored up;
she will certainly need it for the next sixty years
of living with her goofy groom.

Guess what?  
Before I close, I have preview for you! 
Next Wednesday there will be more wedding pictures—
plus some honeymoon pictures!
Like these!

Thanks for stopping by Wedding Wednesday.