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Alabama Amore
October 7, 2016
Wow, of all the weddings I've been to, this was definitely the most relaxed, unique, and just plain beautifu!. Another Thomas was finally hitched last month, and we're so glad to welcome Taralyn to the family! We all drove down to Gulf Shores, Alabama, to celebrate the beach wedding together, and boy was it memorable.
So thanks for stopping by and on with the Blog!
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Video Blog - September, 2016
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And here we go ...
"Where am I!? Who am I!? Where's my suck thing!?"
"Oh well. This place seems pretty chill. I'm out."
Taralyn! This is gonna be the best marriage vacation ever!"
Let's go beaching!
Yes, here we are in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with the Thomases and Carslens, ready to spend the week in relaxation and to celebrate the marriage of Micaiah and Taralyn!
Missouri boy? Nah! This kid's got my Cally genes!
The happy couple. Told Micaiah he'll regret it if he breaks his leg on that thing.
Javier and Lizzy. These kids are adorable.
You can't man-baby wear like I can.
Together for one our many group meals. When you have 20+ people in the same house you really gotta plan things. Personally thankful there were more than a couple toilets.
Typical beach house. Right on the water, with a gorgeous view outside.
Good food and good conversation on the deck.
Thus ends another beautiful day.
This is what happens when people get too quickly sun burned.
Something's wrong with this picture. It's just too perfect.
So Ma got all the kids matching PJs. When you're little you're like, "This is so cool," but if I came with matching PJs for the adults they'd think I was mentally twisted.
Amore.
Playing evening games. Taralyn and I don't look overly excited.
Pink and blue friends.
Yes, that is me blowing up an inflatable swan. No, it was not my idea.
Yeah, it was Audrey Hepburn's idea.
lol, it started to blow away. You know you're desperate when you need Ma to swim and save you.
I really didn't need help from Michael to set up my tent. I really didn't.
Clear waters.
A little skim boarding for the cute couple.
"I'm Cedric! I like
eating and swimming and running and smiling and I like you!!"
"Like, whatever."
Ok, maybe it wasn't a total waste of an hour of my breath afterall.
Yeah, two of them.
Thanks for your help, Melanie. :-)
You look at Marian and you look at Melissa and you're like, "That's her mother?"
"Why can't I see? Why is everything green?"
Reminiscing on memories of Micaiah and Taralyn. This was funny.
Wait, you did what!?
Tasha, Taralyn's sister, holds Jonas. Thank you!
Dawn breaks and Melissa faithfully journals.
Art.
Couldn't you just picture this on the wall of an Old Navy store?
And this on the wall of a Goober Thrift store?
"Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep." Psalm 36:6
Here we are, for but a brief moment. Soon these little ones will be grown men and women.
Pa, with his two grown men.
Tomorrow, they embark on their lifelong journey together.
And another special event! William's baptism! We jokingly call ourselves "Craedos." As of now, we don't baptize our children as infants like paedos, nor do we wait till they're 12-15 to "prove themselves" like most baptists. William has expressed belief in Jesus Christ, that he is a sinner, and that he wanted to be baptized. That is the beautiful, simple gospel!
Mr. Carlsen, a pastor in Illinois, was so kind to perform the ceremony.
"And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." Love you, my son. Remember that I am a father who will fail you, but He never will.
These two are inseparable.
Um ... so are these two.
Yay! We're almost married!
"Come, my darling, and walk the sands of life with me."
Sorry. Just another picture of these two.
Sorry, another one.
Man I'm really sorry about this.
Our longtime nanny. She deserves a picture now and then.
Cute!
Awkward!
My financial freedom photo.
Fun with Lizzy.
I like kissing my Shirley Temple.
I don't cry when I work on my blog. I'm not crying, ok?
Evening dawns, and the wedding is about to begin.
He was raised for this momentous day.
Can't take things too seriously.
Marian and Henry became those sorts of cousins that wish they could marry each other one day.
The father and the son await the bride.
She arrives, and the vows are exchanged.
We look on. This was definitely the most relaxed wedding I've ever been to!
Aunt Melanie and Jonas.
The beautiful table awaits.
The rings ...
Michael plays the violin.
We all partake of the Lord's Supper.
And they're hitched! Sorry, to see the kiss you'll have to watch the video above!
A hug for friend Kaetlyn.
Multi-tasking.
Hey, Lydia! Good seeing you again! Thanks for not beating me up!
Adorbs meter shattered.
Family photos. Sometimes I wish we were back in the 1700s before cameras were invented. Think about it. You could just get married and not have to stand around for an hour afterwards.
Rebekah and Martin.
All the rug rats again.
If only Phillp would exude more joy.
Christmas picture? Mmmmm ... maybe.
Twu wove.
Yes, another Thomas finally hitched!
Taralyn Carlsen, now Taralyn Thomas. Has a ring to it, doesn't it?
Always gotta get a few pictures of the siblings together.
And the traditional Marscel hold! Only gets more and more awkward as the years go by.
Lizzy jumps the sand ledge!
If you stare at my face long enough you'll actually kill brain cells.
Mr. Carlsen holds a very happy Jonas Archer.
No greater love from Micaiah then to let you watch him use his phone.
Evening falls, and the marriage supper is prepared.
When you stood and looked at everything from a distance, you just were like, "Wow."
Rain had been forecasted, but instead we had a beautiful sunset with a slight breeze that kept the mosquitoes away. What a blessing.
Fine food and friends.
How many weddings do you go to where you are serenaded on the beach by the bride?
Jonas Moses peacefully sleeps.
This is a memory I will not forget.
The bride and groom chill next to us. Now this is what I call a reception.
A bunch of the youngsters grabbed the tiki torches and went out in the shallow water. It was the weirdest sight ... flames in the darkness and the sound of constant laughing.
A long day for Philip.
Marian looked like she was in heaven.
It's the next day and we're out to find a shipwreck!
I walk with a local sheik. Actually that's Carlos.
This mid-size vessel was washed up by a hurricane years back, and it dates from the mid 1800s.
Marscel pretends to know what he's talking about.
The bow.
One more dip before we all depart!
Gettin' a tan that'll last us all winter long!
Oh please just give me one more week.
Ok, I'll stop rubbing it in.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful month!
