Well!!! She’s Married!

Man!! What a weekend! I don’t even know where to begin. I told my mom this morning that I could live the past 3 days over and over again. Everything went absolutely PERFECT!! Friday we had our rehearsal and set everything up. For weeks the weatherman was forcasting rain. We began praying about 3 weeks ago for perfect weather. No heat, no rain, NO MOSQUITOS, no clouds. God is SO good! We could see the stars in the evening during the reception, the light breeze was perfect, no bugs, it was awesome. The kids left this morning for their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. It’s both of their first times to travel out side of the US. My daughter was born in Germany but doesn’t remember much of it. So, we’re excited to hear about their week at the all-inclusive resort.

There are a few people and places I’d like to give an honorable mention to. We’ll start with the venue.

Venue – Creeds Town Weddings & More

Mrs. Melissa Jean owns Creeds Town and I tell you what, you couldn’t ask for a better person to coordinate and host an event like this. Probably the best thing about it in my opinion is how roomy it is. The wedding took place in the woods. More like an enchanted forest, I guess. The area the wedding takes place has small pea gravel to provide a hard ground for ladies in their heels. The lights in the trees and the ambiance couldn’t be more fitting. The trail to the ceremony site is asphalt so no worry of mud or dirt. The reception hall and dance area about about 75 yards away. This provides you the space you want to be able to roam around for the hours you are there. The reception hall is spacious! We had 285 RSVP and probably 300 attended. There was plenty of room. The area for the food was just right for what we needed. The groomsmen and bridesmaids had their own separate rooms as well. We had a bonfire in the fire pit to roast smores and the DJ set up outside near the dance floor. No steps or steep inclines for those with physical limitations. No nearby roads or traffic so we were at ease letting the little kids run and play. The only issue I had was the gunfire. Yep! As soon as the ceremony started we heard a nearby cow “Moooooooo”. We all laughed and shrugged it off. No biggie. Then, about halfway through, some nearby Redneck started shooting off his gun. My wife whispered in my ear to just breathe and let it go. I was about to make a sprint to the shooter and wrap his rifle around his neck. After the ceremony the kids said it was no big deal and totally fitting since my “son-in-law” is a master hunter. Again, it was fitting for the occasion. All-in-all, the whole venue was just perfect. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Check out Creeds Town on Facebook!! They book out soon so lock in your spot!

Food – Meat Street Mafia BBQ

The cool thing about this whole wedding is that my father-in-law, retired “Bird Colonel” from the Air Force, married his granddaughter and my cousin did the food. Yeah, we’re tight around these here parts! I remember when ole Jason Keith began this crazy BBQ venture of his. It has grown tremendously and he has done very well! He cooked up plenty of food for us all and we even have some leftovers. My daughter was adamant about NOT having BBQ so Jason cooked up some pork loin and chicken along with, my daughter’s favorite, creamy corn and cheesy potato casserole. The salad is what really jumped out at me, though. I don’t know what he puts in it but MAN!! That is some good eatin’! He pulled in with his trailer and trusty cohort in crime, Shane, and they started prepping. He was on time and didn’t disappoint one bit. I highly recommend them for any event you may have. Delicious food!

Family

I honestly couldn’t ask for a better family to blend with. My son-in-law’s parent are outstanding people and I really look forward to spending more time with them over the years. The father of the groom and I stood outside and chatted a bit while our kids prayed together, still out of site of each other cause there was a wall separating them. I highly respect who they are and their values. They are much like my wife and I and the families we grew up in. We are truly blessed to have them in our life.

My daughter’s mother. She is an exceptional woman. Regardless of what happened to us, she has helped to raise our children always putting her heart first. I’m thankful we have the relationship we do and that we pulled it off. She also looked very pretty, as you can tell, my daughter takes after her mother. I am grateful for her and her husband. Especially for helping us clean up!! What a wonderful memory for us all.

The pastor who married my daughter is my father-in-law. I was shocked and thankful when my daughter and her husband asked him to conduct the ceremony. It meant SO much to me having him be the one to “tie the knot”. He did an excellent job as I knew he would. He is a man I highly look up to and love very much. My mother-in-law is a beautiful woman who helped my wife with so much. They are very awesome people. I truly love my in-laws!

My parents were also instrumental in helping with all the wedding logistics. I am thankful for them and so blessed to be their son! I was thrilled to have both my sisters at the wedding as well as my brother-in-law, who flew in the night prior to attend.

I’m not sure anyone has sons as awesome as mine. The older two were very helpful and supportive of all the festivities. Not to say it went without some moaning and growing to help their sister but they were true champs and ushered people like no other! As the night drew down and it was time to clean up, we watched all the groomsmen drive off leaving us in the dust. My two sons and their friends who attended stayed until the clean up was completed. Thank you, boys. And thank you PJ, Adam and Drew for being good sports. Glad you fellas had fun.

I can’t publish this without thanking Boulder Crest Retreat. Without having gone through the peeling of the onion on me, I wouldn’t be the heart felt, touchy feely guy I am today. I still struggle at times and I work through those struggles. Going through the program my heart fired back up again allowing me to cry tears of joy and truly feel in my chest and belly that overwhelming sense of love looking at my daughter and son-in-law. It’s almost euphoric and a feeling I haven’t felt since I was a child. The staff and founders, Ken and Julia Falke, will never truly know how much they’ve done for us combat vets who’ve volunteered to go through the program and emerge as the wonderful people we were born to be. I love you guys. Thank you for showing me how to enjoy life and do life with a smile. That allowed me to be the dad my daughter needed me to be on her special day. If you are a combat vet and are struggling please reach out to them.

Lastly, to my ever so perfect wife. She is an epic woman. She’s smart, patient, kind, organized, supportive and smokin’ hot! Like most men like me, there was a time when we realized we married WAY out of our league. I am honestly surprised sometimes that she hasn’t bonked me over the head with a frying pan. The most tolerant woman on this planet. She and my daughter planned pretty much the entire wedding. All the meetings, appointments, fittings, etc, my wife was there. The FedEx and UPS guy joked about delivering more wedding stuff. Boxes and boxes throughout the week showed up at our house. We loaded it all into a large enclosed trailer and hauled it out to the venue. Her creativity was displayed on card stock and signs. She was the head person-in-charge along with my daughter. Thank you SO much for taking the load from our daughter so she could enjoy this time. Your selflessness truly shined on Saturday night. You are a true dream come true and 1 in a billion. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me! I love you.

Thank you SO much for reading this personal story of mine. I am thankful for those who can read this stuff and reach on an emotional level. Striving to do my duty to make the world a happier place. If you like what you’ve read please Like, Share and Subscribe!!