December 31st, 2017 my little sister married Daniel Miller. It was a beautiful, clear, freezing cold day. Everything went smoothly and my sister remembers the day as being perfect. She was a beautiful bride and they were both glowing.
We started out with having all the bridesmaids come to my parents’ house to get ready for pictures. I was running around between nursing Clara, getting things ready for Josh to watch and dress the kids while I was out for pictures, and trying to get myself ready. I hadn’t even tried on my bridesmaid dress yet – so glad it fit, thanks to my mom! It was a bustle of activity. One of Emily’s friends, Amy Krape, did my hair and Becca’s hair. I’m so thankful she did that for us.
Of course I made time to help pack Emily’s honeymoon bag. I think the happy couple had glitter with them the whole time they were away and even when they got back to their apartment. We had a scare when Emily wanted to get some socks out of her bag. I kindly volunteered my own socks so she didn’t have to go to the car and get out her bag.
The wedding party photos were taken at funeral home in downtown York. We were supposed to be allowed inside, but there was a miscommunication and the building was locked. It was freezing! The photos turned out beautiful (most of these are my mom’s), but let me tell you, this Cambodian girl was dying!
One funny thing was that is hadn’t been discussed was where we would go during the “first look” pictures. So we all just stood there. For the girls of course it was sweet, but I heard one of the guys mention that it was awkward. It looked like Daniel was delighted with his bride.
Let me take a commercial break from the wedding to give you a peek into my brain. I can’t remember the last time I had such a fast-paced, packed, stressful day. Between nursing Clara, being a bridesmaid, running the wedding, trying to take care of stressed out children (the little girls were bawling by the reception), talking to people, and giving a speech…inside I was frazzled (and of course I hadn’t gone to bed the night before until after 11PM). Somewhere during the day it hit me…I was at least 10 years older than everyone else in the wedding party and the only one with kids. BUT – it was worth it. I am so honored that Emily asked me to be her matron of honor and that I was able to be such a part of my little sister’s wedding.
Emily’s wedding went off smoothly. It was short and sweet – around 30 minutes. The kids did great walking down the aisle. We were shocked that without instruction Isaiah and Anna walked down side-by-side (it was their own idea) and took their job seriously. Anna still talks about throwing petals out for Aunt Emily’s wedding. I enjoyed singing with my brother.
The reception afterwards went well. Our little girls were a mess. Josh stayed in the car while the little girls slept for around an hour. I’m so thankful Josh was there to help with all our kids. There was more than enough food and everyone seemed to have a good time. I gave a matron of honor speech. Becca ran up and got the bouquet Emily threw that dropped on the ground. I figured that was pretty “fair” since Emily threw my bouquet. The bride and groom were some of the last people to leave. We stayed and helped with the clean up. Then on to the after “Sutter-family” party. My only sadness of the day is that I didn’t get a picture with Josh. Between running around with everything else, talking with people, and taking care of the kids, we hardly saw each other and didn’t take time to take a picture of us dressed up.
Emily was a beautiful bride. So amazing to see my sister so grown up and getting married. I got teary-eyed at several points during the day and choked up during my speech. Now I’m excited to be able to share conversations about married-life with my sister. I’m so thankful God blessed me with a sister.
We’re
so delighted in the husband God has provided Emily. It was a beautiful day. Everyone was happy. Everything went smoothly. Thankful for this new family unit the Lord has begun and we’re looking forward to seeing Him work in their family.
Last week we were invited to join some friends from Phnom Penh at the Nature Lodge in Mondulkiri (the province directly south of us). We made the 4-hour drive Tuesday morning and returned home Thursday around supper time. It was a great time for our family to get away and be with three other ministry families.
On our way to the lodge, we stopped at Bu Sra Falls (about 20mins from the Lodge) and had a picnic lunch and played in the waterfalls. Unfortunately, the place was packed with tourist still on vacation for Khmer New Years and we/our kids had our photo taken over 20 times. Minus the photo sessions, we had a great time!
The Nature Lodge was a wonderful place for our family. Our cabin had a loft for the older kids to sleep in which was a treat. Our kids had lots of place to play and didn’t need to be supervised all the time. There were cows and horses wandering around the campus. The day we arrived a horse walked right up to Becca and nuzzled her head. The horses made it a perfect place for Becca.
On Wednesday, we went into the town to go swimming. The other families had rented a mini bus for the week to provide their transportation from Phnom Penh, so we rode with them. This bus was equipped with purple seats, disco balls, and a karaoke mike. We all enjoyed singing on the bus with the curtains shut and the lights going – a great experience for our kids. The swimming was great.
Wednesday evening Josh and the older kids went on a sunset hike to the red dirt mounds. They had a blast sliding down the dunes.
Thursday we went back to the falls with the group, played a little bit, had lunch and then headed home. We had a great time and look forward to going back again
