My sister was married Saturday!

My sister got married on Saturday. My only sister. My baby sister. She's been spoiled her whole life. By everyone in the family. Including me. Maybe, especially me. My mother tells me that I prayed every day for a sister until I got one.

For years she's been dreaming, "When I get married I want to get married in your orchard." She was probably still in high school the first time she said it. But of course there must be a groom for the wedding. And in God's timing, the groom came into the picture last year. The proposal was made on Valentine's weekend. The date was set. And the preparations began. Between rainstorms for the last three months we pruned, we painted, we laid landscape fabric, we planted, we arranged,  we weeded and weeded and weeded and mowed the grass between storms, and the weed wacker became a permanent appendage on key persons. Did I say that it rained a lot this year? In fact, it is storming again as a I write. Everything is lush and green. And the grass grows very fast. We shopped for the wedding dress, we shopped for the bridesmaid dresses (not fun), we shopped for shoes, for shirts and ties for the ushers and carparkers, for the flowergirls, and shoes for the flowergirls, and lights, and the constant conversations for the last months have centered around such topics as long tableclothes or not, canning jars for drinking glasses or not, candles or not, tiki torches in the parking area?, ring bearers or not (that conversation ended when one thought that he was going to get to be a ring bear, complete with the roar of a bear). And now it is over. I have a wonderful new brother. The bride and groom are on to their honeymoon. More fun to come this week and next weekend with visiting family. And one houseful of tired children.

The day of the wedding I was up at 4:30 to load cheese for farmer's markets. It was a foggy morning and most everything was set up for the wedding except for the tablecloths and flower bouquets. I had to capture the moment.

My dad made the lectern out of a hedge post and an old barn board.

The bride is known to faint in weddings so she and the groom sat in the old church pew for most of the ceremony.

Tables set up and waiting for the decision concerning the rain forecast. Do we put on the tablecloths yet?

Chelsy and Allison Bontrager were here doing all of the girl cousins' hair. There were three flower girls, three girls that helped serve at the reception and were gift takers, and two girls that were Heather's personal assistants. These eight young ladies were absolutely thrilled to have such a girly-girl day. 

This is Brielle, 5, taking her turn. The other girls sat in the hall and watched and anticipated their turn to be beautified.

Farm girls beautifying farm girls.

Three flower girls (Brielle, Annika, Bronwyn) being very good and not messing up their hair while they patiently wait for the time to get dressed before the wedding. I did have to yell out an upper window to "Get out of the sandbox!"

The bride and Brandt, one of her nephew carparkers. It was also his twentieth birthday.

These four boys (Nick, Brian, Jon, Nathan) were the wild card. Where would they appear next and what would they be doing?

Here's another ornery cousin (Simon) who was better at escaping notice because of his camouflage.

Looking pretty...

(back: Bridgette, Brock, Matt, Kim, Brandt, BriAnne

front: Brooke, Brielle, Matthew, Bronwyn, Brian)

and here we are after a group hug with an uncooperative four-year-old.

I'm not the only that has spoiled Heather. Our brothers have been heavily involved in it also. My brother Chris owns a winery and had special labels made with the engagement photos for the wedding reception wine bottles.

Here's Dad and Mom before the wedding. 

The groom's uncle was the minister for the wedding and the minister's father married our parents 42 years ago.

Now where's my new brother, the groom?

Found him, with his wonderful family. Lovely people to be connected with.

And my sisters-in-law. I love them so much. We have a lot of fun together.

Here's my brother Chris and sister-in-law Amy with their children and Amy's parents.

This is my brother David and his wife Rhonda in a successful group hug with their children.

Here come my lovely sisters-in-law and nieces through the orchard after hanging mason jars of peonies. When it got dark we changed out these jars with jars of candles in sand.

It was a heavenly day.