I mean if they are getting older, does that really mean we have to also?

This weekend we had the privilege and honor of seeing Zach's best friend marry his girlfriend of seven years.  I distinctly remember all those years ago when they were sophomores in high school and Trevor's mom shared with me that Trevor and Kelsey were becoming great friends, or so they said.  MaryJo believed that they were becoming more than friends.  We saw that relationship blossom through proms and high school graduation (they missed each other's graduations because they occurred on the same night) and on into college.  While Trevor and Kelsey got closer, so did Zach and Trevor.  They became amazing friends, and Zach served as one of the best men at the wedding.

Trevor's parents have grown close to us for years through weekend group at church, sports, and finally all those high school football games where we sat together.

As Kelsey came down the aisle, we were unable to see her from our seats, but I had a clear view of Trevor.  His reaction was priceless as he tried to compose himself.  I learned later that he had actually already seen her as they did a first look for pictures. Kelsey's dad choked through the statement of giving her away, and thus started a beautiful, God-honoring ceremony.  

My reaction to Kelsey's dress was that it was very much a replica of the dress Julia drew years ago and stated that was her dream wedding dress (you can see my blog post about that here: Dreaming-- just a note on that post, Julia ended up being taller than Savannah and me)  You know the dress is perfect when you get in your vehicle to head to the reception and the guys comment on how great the dress is before the girls do.

picture credit to Adam (Trevor's brother)

picture credit to someone I don't know on FB - it tagged  Zach automatically

I loved watching Andy and the kids have fun together on the dance floor.

They clean up alright, don't you think?

I did not get many pictures of the bride and groom.  I am hoping Zach will be able to get some to share.  I did not want to interrupt their fun to ask for pictures.  It was a huge wedding with many guests to greet.

Trevor throws the garter.

I suggested one normal picture. Well you can see how that turned out.

I have looked forward to this wedding for months and it did not disappoint.  I could not find coverage for my shift at work, so my boss was gracious enough to come in and cover my last hour and fifteen minutes.  It was such a race to get home and changed that I ended up leaving my phone at home.  I took my camera or these pictures would not exist.

It was a beautiful ceremony.  Zach has spent just about every Saturday night of college at Trevor's house, so we have jokingly said this might be harder on Zach than Trevor's parents.  I do have to say it was a sentimental day.  We have a couple of kids old enough to marry.  Trevor's parents had two children move out of their home at the same time, and the week of the wedding, their youngest picked up his driving permit.  MaryJo shared that she wants a few months without milestones.  What a ride!

So I can't finish this post without sharing how much harder it gets to send Savannah back to school.  She came home overnight for the wedding and had to get back pretty soon after church so that she could get some studio work completed.  It was the first time we've seen her since we helped her move in six weeks or so ago.  Julia did her hair. Savannah helped Wyatt with chemistry, and as Zach was tied up with the wedding, and I worked right up until the wedding, we saw her the least.  Zach was disappointed to learn she had returned to school before he made it back from church.  Our family went to three different services today :)  I think after seeing so many of my kids' peers get married this summer, it really hits home that every time we send her back, it may be longer before we next see her. For all intents and purposes, Savannah has moved out of our home permanently.