A Family Affair

I want to say a BIG thank you for all of the kind comments about Lydia and Marcus's wedding day. It really did turn out beautiful and we couldn't be more pleased.

We give God all the glory for His provision.

 Y'all know the saying it takes a village to raise a child?

Well let me say it took my entire family to pull off Lydia's wedding.

This was no way,  in any shape or form,  a one man's game.

Me and Lydia may have dreamed it all up and got everything in place leading up to the day but our family and friends stepped up and went waaay above and beyond to make Lydia's dream a reality.

There are sooo many to thank and I am in the process of doing that...the old fashioned way.

As in personal thank you cards.  I'm slow but they are coming.

But I just want to take a moment to brag on my family for a bit.

When it comes to families mine is one of the best. 
And I mean this in a "God look what You did in our family" kind of best.
Cuz I can assure you, we haven't always been anything that could be bragged on.   for reals.

It's hard to single any ONE person out cuz everyone worked their butts off.

Our family did the entire thing...from the wedding cake, to most of the cooking, to all the decorating, to the videoing, to the reception music, to the bride's hair  and yes..even the marrying. 

It was truly a family affair.

And we wouldn't have it any other way.

These are the Holden Brothers.

Jeremy, Jode and Nick (or as folks know him from back home...Nickie)

These guys here were responsible for all the big projects... Mostly Jeremy. 

Anything that was built or put together they were the ones behind it.  I had the visions  but they executed them waaaay better than what was in my mind.

Now they worked hard no doubt... but truth be known, 

I think they had a ball hanging out together like old times.  

They looked straight out of an episode of Duck Dynasty.

And from what I've been told, I owe them big time for the little wallpapering project.

My brother even got in on the action when it came to cutting up all the wood that was used.

I truly don't know what I would have done without them.

Heck... they even got the chandelier hooked up so the lights would come on.

But our reception coordinator, (aka..my momma) quickly let us know, without hesitating that she didn't like the look!  lol. Thought it looked better without being lit up...poor Jode and Jeremy didn't even have a chance to blink before she was shooting it down....but hey.  That's what we pay her the big bucks for right? ....To keep it real and to keep us laughing.  lol  (love you momma)

Ms Dianne, my mom-n-law is a wonder woman.

She pretty much headed up the cooking and the food part.  She made the wedding cake, jambalaya and chicken salad all while having a house full of family everywhere.   She can get it done though.  She gathered up a team to help serve at the reception and I am indebted to EVERYONE who had a part in the food and serving.  I had ladies making everything from cheese balls, sweet tea, cameo cupcake toppers, sugared nuts, and meatballs to having to run around the day before the wedding to find cupcake wrappers last minute.   From way out in Porterville to over in Whynot to all the way in to Louisiana where Nick's cousin hooked us up with shrimp pasta and her famous creole cheesecakes.  Our family and friends overwhelmed us with their generosity of their resources and their time.  

I'm choked up with gratitude as I write this.  So humbling.

Chris and Blake were willing and available to do anything that was asked of them.

Like bam!  And they were on it.
This fabric wall just about got me and Christopher but we prevailed.

My amazing momma was there at every turn ready and willing to do anything that was asked of her. We love to tease her about "keeping it real".  But really that's what  family should do.  And she is the most efficient woman I know.  The stuff she gets accomplished in such a short amount of time...I forget she is 69...her energy amazes me.

She's got on her game face in this pic. Focused.  

It was such a group effort y'all.

We did the flowers ourselves too and when we were finishing up at the church and about to head to the reception venue, my brother was about to throw away some sad wilted roses leftover from a wedding at the church from the week before.
 My sis in law had the foresight to grab them and I'm soo glad she did....

I was able to use them in this design...

It totally wouldn't have been the same without them.

And it was that kind of stuff that happened the entire three days of all us being together leading up to the wedding.  The little things that meant so much. 

 We shared so much fun.  So many giggles.

I hear about families having knock down drag outs at the rehearsal and stuff cuz everyone was "on edge".  It was the opposite for me.  My family brought out the best in me.  

Everyone respected each others opinions and welcomed suggestions.... like how a family should be. And y'all we are no different than any other family... our feelings get hurt.  We've hurt each others feelings.... we've even been angry with each other before and we haven't always got along. 

But  the one thing we do have going for us is that over the past 15 years we've all come to know Jesus. And I've noticed that with each family event that we gather together for, 

 I can see more and more of Him and less and less of us.

These are my sister-in-laws...

Joice and Heather.

Two of the greatest blessings of being a Holden.

I worked Heather's booty off for sure the week of the wedding. 

She was my "right hand man" when it came to helping me make decisions about some of the final touches.  The morning of the wedding, there were still some major things to be finished and I was so torn because I knew I needed to be with Lydia at that point. But I left the reception venue with her in charge of whatever may come up and I didn't worry about it for one second. 

And she never wavered for one second...just jumped in and did whatever was needed.

Now the fact that her hair still looks this amazing at the the end of the reception while mine was a limp stringy mess...well that's another story.

Joicey-Poo is the quiet servant who never gets any recognition cuz she does all of her serving behind the scenes.... which is exactly  how she likes it.   I've never met a harder worker than her and she never complains. I have very little pics of Joice during all this cuz she was never in the same place as me.  And why is that?   Because she was the one who took care of all the kids the entire time.  Between she and Heather they have 7.  When you throw in my three grandchildren that makes 10 kids.   And y'all... she is in. charge. and she rarely ever raises her voice in the process.  On Friday night, she had them all bathed and in their pajamas like it was nothing.  I've always told her she was my hero.  

And  I ain't even kidding.

Speaking of family and blessings and servants, I can't  go without sharing something that humbled me to no end.  I cry each time I ponder it.  We had family arrive on Wednesday to start preparing for the wedding.  From South Louisiana, North Louisiana, South Carolina and North Carolina.  About 30 of us total. 

The ladies of the church where Marcus is on staff and where my brother is pastor went above and beyond.  These precious ladies took it upon themselves to provide food for our entire family from Wednesday through Saturday.  I can't even begin to tell y'all what a blessing that was!
 Financially and the convenience of it.  

This was the body of Christ at work in such a tangible way.

And when it was all said and done and Lydia and Marcus were well on their honeymoon..

When it's a DIY wedding... that also means it's a DIY clean up too.

Well before I could blink an eye, the reception hall was clean...dishes washed, tables stripped and the kitchen clean.  Then I head over to the church to take down the flowers in the sanctuary and clean up there and guess what?   It was already done.  I mean DONE!...carpet vacuumed and all the wedding paraphernalia  delivered to  Marcus and Lydia's carport.  Humbling y'all.

THEN.. the next day Jode and Heather and Jeremy and Joicey-Poo along with our newest family....

Marcus's parents...  finished up every last detail at the the reception venue.  Every. last. detail.

Only thing me and Nick had to do was pick up two ginormous ferns off the porch.

Family.

This is what it is all about y'all. 

It's about the day in day out stuff,  you know?  

Praying for each other.   

And protecting each other.  Cutting up with each other. Teasing each other. Forgiving each other.

Laughing with each other. And crying with each other.

Being there for each other.

I love them like crazy.

It's a shame everyone couldn't have a family like mine.

I mean....

just look at us.

Stephanie :)


ps. I have a "family tree" post coming in the next few days for all of you who have asked how to keep all of us Holdens and Lintons and Sirvens straight.  But be warned....it's a doozy!
Our family tree is complicated...but awesome in a "God only you can make this work" kind of way. 
Stay tuned :)




linking up with my friend Carina today.