With Bells On

On Saturday, we drove from Jim Thorpe to Lancaster, PA to attend the marriage of college friends. I love weddings, but those I love most are the ones at which I can rejoice with true confidence that the two who are joining will be much more together than either was alone. Steve and Nicole are beautiful together, and more importantly, they're fitly joined. It was a good day.

Since none of the girls got any sleep from sunrise until we left Lancaster around 11 o'clock at night and Susannah needed pretty constant attention, John was good enough to care for her for most of the reception, which allowed me the rare and strange pleasure of mostly undistracted visiting with people of whom I've seen little since graduation. I can't describe how content I was when we left, with my heart stored full of their good company.

I fairly jumped through the roof with excitement when I saw people I hadn't expected to see. One of these joyful surprises was Anna Maria and her family. I only took a handful of pictures the entire day because I was too heady enjoying people (and food-- and music) to bother, but I did get a few of Millie and Eliza playing together. They stuck fast nearly the entire time, and Millie still announces with great satisfaction, "Mom, my favorite part of that wedding was Eliza." It was the first time I experienced the pleasure that springs from watching my child romp about with the child of a dear college chum, and I wouldn't pass that feeling up for anything. If you'd like to see the event caught in photographic perfection, including a picture of six-day old Selah, visit this gallery on Steve Johnson's photojournal. I tell you, that man couldn't take a bad picture if he tried.

So here's my half-dozen in all of their shoddy glory.







Heidi helping Annie with her slacklining skills.



And I like this picture, even though it doesn't do justice to this gaggle of supermodel girls, because of the expressions on everyone's faces as they listen to Mags talk about bovine surgical procedures. You slice open what?!?!