The Wedding

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It's dry out there today, but the wind is blowing a gale, so am thinking it won't be dry for long. The sun is shining at the moment, but dark clouds are gathering . . . this is becoming the summer that never arrived!

We had two glorious weeks of sunshine in Canada though, so mustn't complain! I left off with the Rehearsal Barbeque the other day. This was Todd's first time experiencing something like that on so grand a scale. He was very impressed to say the least! I was too. It was becoming very clear to me that Eileen and Timmy are both very much loved and revered in their community and church.

That night after the barbeque I stayed the night with Eileen at her apartment. I had been really looking forward to it . . . a last little bit of mother/daughter fun before she became an old married woman! She had big plans for us!



First we made a special breakfast for us to share the next morning, from the pages of my Big Blue Binder (which I had gifted her with at the shower). She really wanted to do a recipe from my cookbook and so we did the Croissant Breakfast Casserole. We did it into two lots . . . a smaller one for just us and a larger portion for her and Timmy to share on their first morning as a wedded couple.

Eileen has always liked me pretending to be Julia Child when we are cooking and so . . . I did. Oh we did have some good laughs! She thinks I am quite, quite funny. I'm not really . . . but I'm glad that she thinks so, and that I made her smile.



*Croissant Breakfast Casserole*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a recipe that I discovered in a newspaper when I was a young bride living out in Calgary, Alberta back in the 1970's. Over the years I have changed and adapted it so much that it is no longer anything like the original recipe, but truly my own. It is a NO FAIL recipe! Effortless enough for the beginner cook to easily master, and elegant enough to serve to special guests and on special occasions. This can be doubled or tripled, no problem. Just throw it together the night before, pop it into your fridge, and then bake in the morning when you get up, for a delicious breakfast treat that will have your guests clamouring for the recipe!

4 plain butter croissants
1 TBS butter
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onions
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (emmenthaler)
1 cup shredded Mozarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Mexican blend grated cheese

Butter a rectangular casserole large enough to hold the croissants side by side. Split the croissants in half and place the bottom halves, cut side up, in one layer in the casserole dish. Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the mushrooms and green onions in it until they are tender and any liquid had disappeared. Remove from the ehat and set aside to cool.

Beat together the eggs and milk. Pour half of it over the croissant bottoms in the dish. Divide the mushroom mixture between each croissant. Layer on the different cheeses, and then pour the remaining half of the egg mixture over all. Position the croissant tops over the bottoms, cut side down.

Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning take it out of the fridge and allow to stand at room temperature for about half an hour before baking. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Place the casserole into the heated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until it is set and lightly browned. If you find it is browning too quickly you can cover it with foil. Remove from the oven and serve.

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After we had done the cooking and everything was sorted and in the refrigerator, we settled into getting ready for the night ahead. We both got our jimjams on and settled down in front of the telly to watch a special movie which she had picked for us to watch called Amish Grace.



She is her mother's daughter . . . we both love films about the Amish. This one was based on a true story. I'm sure you all remember the episode a few years back where a man went into an Amish School and shot four girls. As tragic as this event was, these Amish people managed to be able to forgive the gunman. It was a really good film and we both enjoyed . . . we ate snacks (bits and bites and revels!) We laughed. We giggled and we talked. It was a pretty special evening and I was so grateful to have been given it.



Next morning we both had showers and we cooked our breakfast casserole and then we enjoyed a few hours just talking and sharing our feelings. Her dad dropped off our flowers as well that morning. Her bouquet was just gorgeous . . . with different shades of pink and white carnations and little jewels. At noon Todd came and picked us up and we dropped Eileen off at the hair dressers. I went home after that and prepared to get ready myself. I was going back to her apartment at 2:00 to help her get dressed. Our Amanda and her step sister, Krysta, would be there as well.

When I returned the apartment Krysta was well involved with getting Eileen's face made up. Her hair looked just beautiful . . . all coiffed and curled . . . with a jeweled tiara . . . she looked just radiantly gorgeous! (And we didn't even have her dress on yet!) Happiness just glowed from every pore! The girls looked really pretty too. I helped Eileen with her dress. It was simple, yet beautiful . . . with a lovely bejeweled adornment at the waist. It suited her perfectly . . . and I gave her a special gift which I had brought over to her . . . a lucky six-pence for her shoe . . .



She said she didn't believe in luck . . . but I thought it a lovely tradition and so we placed it into her pretty pink princess slippers . . . also bejeweled to match her dress, tiara and jewelry.




When we were done I could scarce catch my breath . . . she was so beautiful! It was such a tender moment. This beautiful baby girl of mine . . . getting married at last.



My mind went back to when she had first been diagnosed with her disability . . . and the fears I had had at the time . . . that sense of not knowing what would be . . . the sadness at what might never happen, things she might never be able to experience . . . and I praised and thanked God for all that He had given us, and for the blessing this very special young woman was in the lives of everyone who knows her . . .




I was quite overcome with joy and thanksgiving.



It was fun watching the other two girls get ready as well. They had these really special dresses . . . all in jersey, coloured black and the tops were these two long strips that they twisted and tied in just the right way, very unsual and most becoming. They both wore pink sparkley flip flops and their toe nails were also painted pink and decalled! I thought they were very sweet!



All too soon the photographer had arrived and it was time for photos! I don't think I've ever seen so many happy people in one place!



There was the ex and his wife . . . my mom, brother, his two girls and Todd . . . Amanda's husband Tom and of course little Maryn who was just the cutest flower girl ever!



It was so nice to see everyone getting along and so very happy.



Then at the church I got to see all my boys and daughter's in law, lots of old friends, inlaws, etc. That church was packed to the rafters! It seemed the whole town had turned out to watch this fabulously wonderful event!



It was truly a beautiful wedding . . . I shed a few tears of joy off and on throughout this wonderful event. I think everyone's heart was touched in a special way . . .



Too soon it was over and we were enjoying a lovely reception in the hall attached to the church, where we were served a delicious turkey dinner.



There were lots of speeches and lots of glass clinking . . . the hall was filled with joy and love for these two very special young people.



Altogether it was a beautiful, beautiful day, and I am so very happy that I changed my mind and went. I am so very happy that bridges were built and that it was a time of great healing in our family and of growth.



I was ever so grateful to my ex's wife, Karen . . . for all that she did in putting this altogether. She did a truly lovely job. I know it was a lot of work, and that because I live so far away, the bulk of it fell on her shoulders. I truly appreciate all of the time and effort she put into this wonderful day.



We may not always see eye to eye . . . and we may never see eye to eye on a lot of things . . . but we both have a great love for these wonderful children that we share together. No, it is not ideal . . . families should never have to experience divorce and hurt . . . but it happens, and we need to make the best of what is left and embrace the good that we know is in each of us. I am truly grateful for the power and grace of forgiveness, and the extra blessings that it can bring to each of our lives.



Next time I will share about my mom's 80th Birthday Celebration! That was another special party for sure!

Note: I had a really hard time getting my photos on here today. Photobucket has been shut down for maintenance, and I could not access my photos. I had to upload them all over again onto Facebook and copy and paste from there. There are a lot that I haven't been able to show you because I couldn't get them into a slide show format. That will have to wait for another day! Sorry this post is so late in the day, but I was waiting for Photobucket to start working again! Clearly it hasn't! Oh Well!! Such is life!

"Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
~Psalm 106:1

A few holiday snaps . . .

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Marie on Pinterest

Sorry I was missing yesterday, after having posted the day before . . . the jet lag just really hammered me and I found myself, quite . . . quite . . . exhausted! I don't think I've ever experienced it that badly in the past. I am feeling much more like myself today though . . . so here I am!!

I spent several hours yesterday going through about 400 photos from the trip, sorting . . . editing . . . and well . . . feeling somewhat disappointed in a lot of them. The best ones are the ones I took myself. Any that I had other people take, so that I could be in them, turned out quite blurry . . . so there are not a lot with me in them.

We had wall to wall sunshine the whole time we were there. The first week was horribly humid . . . but that is July in the Maritimes. The second week wasn't too bad. It was all good. The best part was that it was a wonderful time to connect with family and friends, and I truly feel that there was healing, which was a real answer to my prayers.

Source: google.com via Marie on Pinterest

My ex was so very kind as to have given us his car to use whilst we were there. It was a manual and I did manage to back it up one day . . . it's been ever so long since I have driven a manual car. Todd became the designated driver and he did ever so well driving on the "Right" side of the road for the first time in his life! It was really nice to be a bit more mobile instead of having to walk everywhere, and while we did not travel very far from my mother's house on our own, we did make very good use of it going back and forth into town. I really appreciated his and his wife's kindnesses to us. I feel like great in-roads towards family healing were accomplished and that was really pretty special, indeed.

It was so nice to get to spend this special time with my mother and with my daughter. I do love my mother so very much. I hated to have to say goodbye at the end of the two weeks. I wish that I could see her every week . . .

Our first few days were spent in finding our landlegs and sorting out plans for the two weeks we would be there. We took my mom out for dinner on the Sunday, down to the Lawrencetown Fire Dept. Restaurant. We always like to take her there at least once when we are home. She loves their fish and chips and it is a real treat for her. Lawrencetown is the town she grew up in and we all have very happy memories of it's streets and family times spent there.

My lovely daughter in law Anne arrived on Monday with the two boys and my son Douglas, who had very kindly driven her over to us, and then my brother David and his two youngest girls arrived on Tuesday. It was all go from then on!



Anne was staying at a cottage down in Middleton and so we drove back and forth to spend some time with her each day that we could. Gabriel and Luke are such delightful little boys and it was so nice to have this extra special time with them. They especially love their Grand-Todd and he . . . them.



There was plenty of playing on swings . . .



Exploring the lay of the land . . . boy can that little one move!! And rather quickly too!!!



Bubble blowing . . . or was it Bubble eating????



More bubble blowing . . . I just love that t-shirt . . .



And much carrying on of rather tall tales. I so enjoyed this special time with these two very special little boys. I know now why our Anne is so thin!!! Whew!! One cannot beat the Gabriel and Luke weight loss diet however . . . it is a most delightful way to burn off some calories!!!



I got to spend some extra special moments with our Bruce as well . . . he is so grown up now. Gone is my baby boy. He's a man and I was ever so impressed with his maturity and handsome good looks. He will always be my baby boy, of course . . . but it is also nice to know that he is capable and mature and a lovely man. Now, if I could only find him a nice girl to settle down with! We did enjoy several nice visits together and one night I got to cook him his favourite stew and dumplings. He showed me some new tricks on the i-pad too! Another thing which really impressed me was the way he has finally learned to keep his bedroom tidy! Everything was as neat as a pin and even his dresser drawers were organized, with a place for everything and everything in it's place. Good times!



(Waiting for the party to begin and the guests to arrive.)

One of the first "Events" was the shower I had planned for Eileen. This was an extra special evening as it was just for her. NO men allowed. They were all banished down to the cabin to take care of the Grand-kiddies so that us gals could enjoy ourselves with abandon, and so we did . . . enjoy with abandon that is!



What a fun evening we had together. Because it was a party just for "her", a lot of the gifts were personal ones . . . lingerie and such. We shared a lot of laughs, especially when she opened one gift, which was a black thong. "I'm not wearing that!" she declared and everyone laughed! She got some really nice things though, and I was ever so pleased with the turnout. It was a time to laugh and visit with family we had not seen in a while . . . a time to re-acquaint ourselves with friends we had not seen in forever . . . and a time to make new friends. Timmy's mom came and it was a nice opportunity for me to spend time with her as well. My brother's two girls did a great job of organizing the games, and keeping the gifts sorted. My sister-in-law, who could not make it to the wedding as her father was in hospital, did a great job of arranging them and then tutoring the girls on how to do them. Thanks Chris!



One game which was especially fun was one with clothespins. Each guest was given two clothespins when they arrived. After everyone was there, a list of "Forbidden Words" was announced and from then on, every time someone said one of the forbidden words, another guest was allowed to take one of the clothespins! As you can see, my cousin Ginny was very good at this game and clearly the winner! She likes her coffee and the aerolatte milk frother she won will be very much enjoyed!

On the Friday night there was a dress rehearsal for the wedding at the town park where the wedding was to be held.



It was nice to see Doug again. He had driven Anne over, earlier in the week, then had to go back to work. He and Kayla, his wife, drove over again on the Friday, just in time for the rehearsal. They were also staying at the same cabins in town as Anne and the boys.



Unfortunately, they weren't able to bring their three boys over with them. They don't all fit safely in the car. I was sad that I would not get to see them this time . . . but, I understood why they couldn't come. I would rather they be safe . . .



I did finally get to meet the lovely little Maryn though (with her mom Amanda) and I was ever so pleased. She is such a sweet little girl and just the most beautiful granddaughter ever! Yes, I know I am biased, but as the grandma it's my right to be so!! She sure loves her kitty cats and now I know what kind of doll I am going to make her!



There were lots of people and kiddos at the rehearsal and it kind of twanged my heart to know that I miss a lot of these family times, filled with kids and grandkids . . . laughter and love . . .



There was a huge barbeque out at Timmy's parents afterwards, for everyone involved, and for friends as well. The firepit was very popular with the kiddos . . . who doesn't love a hotdog roasted over an open fire???



Eileen and Timmy were clearly enjoying themselves! There was so much good food too . . . every salad you can imagine under the sun . . . deviled eggs . . . steak, burgers, hotdogs, etc. It was all so yummy and everyone had a fabulous time!



Family times are the best of times. That's my cousin Geralyn and her husband Dave in the background there. They picked us up at the airport and took us back when we had to leave as well. Dave so very generously took Todd out a couple of times for some sight seeing. They are good people. You will probably remember them from when they came to see us down in Brenchley on their honeymoon about 7 years ago now. They is "good" people!

That's enough for today now . . . I'll be doing my daybook tomorrow, but on Wednesday I'll continue on with the wedding etc. so stay tuned and be prepared for lots and lots of picture fun!

Each day there are showers of blessings
Sent from the Father above,
For God is a great, lavish giver
And there is no end to His love.
~Helen Steiner Rice

"Thou art the God who workest wonders, who has manifested thy might among the peoples."
~Psalm 77:14



Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . Strawberry Shortcakes with Black Pepper and Elderflower Cream.

Until tomorrow . . .