The wedding, the beach, the burns

I had forgotten just hot it is when the humidity is as high as the air temperature, but it did not take long to remember as Nate and I started to erect the tents for Maggie’s outdoor wedding. Nate and Cori were able to borrow two fairly large tents from a neighbor and luckily Nate and I found the directions for putting them together – it was not immediately obvious from the parts in the boxes.


I went through three sets of clothes that day (between setting up, cooking the food for the reception and dressing for the wedding) but we got things up – tents, trellis and chairs - and set in a way that looked presentable and could accommodate the seating we were to need. The problem was that it rained every day and the tents were not big enough to cover everyone during the wedding so we were praying and preparing all at the same time.

The morning of the wedding it began to rain and continued off and on for several hours so we decided to empty the room in Cori and Nate’s house where we were to have the reception and set it up for the wedding. When it was decorated it looked very nice and I think the wedding went off without a problem. Immediately after the wedding ceremony we put the tables back and set up the reception. It worked out pretty efficiently. Had it not been for the fact that the air conditioning unit went out the day before the wedding, I would have to say that everything worked out well.

I am interested to see how the pictures came out because it was not the venue that Maggie had pictured but that is what life is like. We make our plans, do our best to work those plans and deal with the issues that keep us constantly adapting those plans to ever changing circumstances. The bride and groom got off to a late start that evening but their plans were pretty flexible. It was a good beginning.

I have not heard many details but from tidbits of conversations I have heard Mama’s side of the phone, I think they had a memorable honeymoon. They are home in their apartment in Pascagoula, Mississippi as of last night. They will make a run over to Cori and Nate’s some time in the next couple of days to get more of Maggie’s things and set up temporary furnishings waiting on Aaron’s things to be relocated by the Coast Guard – when ever that ends up happening.

The farm has officially been ours for one week. We got notice on Wednesday last week that all the necessary paperwork had been signed and the money had been released. It was good news for Mama and me but it got lost in the wedding preparations. We actually did not think much about it until Friday as we were voluntarily subjecting ourselves to excessive amounts of UV radiation. Mama did better this time. I am not sure if it was the sun screen or the limiting of our time at the beach that accounted for the success, but she came away much less burned than in times past. She did suggest that I leave her at the beach and come back in the late evening to get her, but I was not keen on that idea so she reluctantly came with us after about three hours of sun and sand.

The water could not have been more perfect. It was like being in a lake rather than in the ocean. The waves were gentle swells and the water was calm to the point that Mykenzie wanted to take her nap in the float she was riding in. Her brothers napped in the shade of the umbrella we set up. It was pleasant. I can understand why Mama did not want to leave.

Chase got pretty badly burned on his legs and feet. I suggested he cover up after about an hour in the sun. An hour later I told him to cover up and get in the shade. I was too late. He will be reminded for the next several days that he too has limits when it comes to sun exposure.

I saw a marquee that I thought was note worthy. It said, “Heavenly Forecast – Reign Eternally”