A tid bit on the wonderful happenings at Calathora one lovely September day...

{A post from Adeline on her perspective of the day...}

The wedding day is finally here. It is a wonderful day. A good one. One filled with laughter, happy tears, singing, dancing, uncontainable excitment... filled with the joy of our Lord.

My, and the weather could not be better, either...a bright blue sky is overhead, and a cool breeze just started up this morning, and it has that unmistakable "autumn" smell in it! the lawn is mowed and trimmed, the flower beds freshly pinestrawed, and Mrs. Christine H. has made some lovely wreaths for all the doors. Little impatiens poke up their tiny heads from the ground in a happy sort of way, as if they wish to laugh with me...

My dearest family is all here, and all around me are {almost all} the people I love, here for the whole weekend to get ready for today!! Right now, everybody is running to and from the house and barn a zillion times, their arms filled with anything and everything you can imagine!

Everybody is laughing and you say "hey, sweetie!" or "hello, Mrs. Joyce" or "how-de-do, Abb!" as you pass by them as you or them go to the house or barn, running helter skelter, this way and that, and all the while having that delightful sensation of having too much to do in too little time!!! :D

Ah, here I am in the barn~Oh, look, the tables are stunning~Mrs. Christine and Angela did a breathtaking ,amazing job...long white tables, in a long line the length of the barn , covered in white cloths, with arrangments of hydrangeas and eucalyptus gracing each one, with little votive candles holding down the silk ribbon that knots around each flower vase....loverly, loverly...It is about 3:30, and I'm getting ribbon for the wedding party's flower arangments...
Japanese lanterns decorate the lovely dance pavilion built by Ray R.

Ah, the sun is shining, and I want to shout out and do a cart wheel and run pell mell and hug everybody and dance a jig I'm so excited and happy!!!!! But, LOL, I walk very calmly back to the house, saying, "hey, Uncle Marc!" as I pass by, and then start on the hydrangea bouquets!

"The Secret Life of Day Dreams" is playing here inside the house as I'm fiddling with the ribbon, thinking about how my precious brother Wesley is getting married in 3 short hours....

What an amazing Lord we serve~It is going to be so exciting to see how God will use this dynamic couple, for His glory, in the months and years to come!!!!

I'm in the living room, and the house is a flurry of activity~It's crammed with the most precious folks in the world, and is so wonderfully full of good noises~babies crying, mommies laughing, dogs of all kinds barking in the yard and playing with scuffy haired, dirty little boys who are squalling with joy at the prospects...

hah, their joy has just quickly vanished, as their mamas have just subjected them all to "bafths"....LOL... People are all exclaiming, and everybody is looking for everybody besides everybody they can find!!...Someone is saying we should have radios for everyone!! People coming in with garment bags and shoes, on the way upstairs to reappear in a half hour as radiant maids of a radiant bride.
Ah. There. I'm done. Hummm. hope these ribbon tails aren't too long. Well, if they are, too late now!

Mrs. Katie H. and Mrs. Leslie R. are just now setting up the most tasty looking spread here in the dining room!! Umm...Cheese, little crackers, ice water, and all kinds of little fruits and such for guests to nibble on during the waiting time~before Wesley comes up on his horse to get his bride!!

Above, Christopher J., Donnie H., Dan S., and Mrs. Kathy S.

Outside the window, you can see the smoke from the grills, where Mr. Donnie H. and Mr. Dan S. are leading the other brave and selflessly dedicated men who are grilling away all that splendid prime rib....you can see some dear folks out there, aprons on, flipping things and stirring pots, and preparing a feast like one I've never had before, mayhaps ever again! Mr. Donnie's grilling is hard to beat. What a blessing he and Mr. Marc D. and Mr. Dan S. are to head up the feast.

Wow. I can't believe it. We're done. done. done. Hurray!!! Praise the Lord! 30 minutes ahead of time...
I can't even begin to say what a blessing our friends are~they were still cooking and working and hostessing the refreshments table and a million other things, so that we could have a peaceful day. What a blessing. Thank You, Lord...

Mum is off to go dress~I reackon I should too. Hark!!! Look! Oh. my goodness. A guest! It's one of our precious guests!! They're here!! So I'm off upstairs in a tizzy to get ready.

Our dear guest start to arrive!!

I'm skipping upstairs and~!

Ah.

Oh. There she is. The bride. I stand here, like I'm looking upon a painting from a great master. All is still around me, and life is paused. She is standing straight, her dainty hand is resting on the table, with a little braclet tied about it. She is covered in white silk, that is encrusted in little pearls, her skirt cascading down to the floor in one long swoop, coming up to her little waist in princess seams, with small cap sleeves to complete her gown. On her neck is an airy neaklace of pearls...One arm is gracefully arched over her billowing skirt, and she is now looking out the window~the afternoon sun is streaming in on the honey-colored wood floor, and shining on and about her as if she and the floor are both bathed in a golden splendor...her dark eyes are so~peaceful, as she looks out the window intently, with a little smile on her lips. Her lovely dark hair is swathed up in a thick curled mass, and upon her head is a little crown. The sun is reflecting off it and making a tiny little glimmer. She is perfectly still, and it feels as if I've stepped into a magnificent old painting, and in a second I must step out and be content to look upon it, framed on the wall...the whiteness of her dress is so~splendid. It reminds me how I am part of Christ's bride, and how I am washed, white as fresh fallen snow by my precious heavenly Groom's blood....her little crown tells of another thing, too~how a wife is a crown to her husband's head, and that she takes delight in being his wife and crown.

Mrs. Lisa C. putting up her little Sweetie's hair...

Suddenly, to my surprise, she moves, and I hear noise again, and look around, and all is bustling with life and movement again~she steps away from the window and glides over to her mama, and they sit upon the couch~I then remember that I have now 25 minutes to be down there, plus picture time! I take a world record shower, slip into my dress, throw my hair up and skip downstairs to find the yard and house full of our darling guests!!!! What joy!!! So many people, so many old friends, some wonderful new ones, and dear family to see and greet!
I'm scurrying around trying to find that stupid glue gun to glue these pearls onto this bobby pin....where in the world is that thing...Oops~no time. forget the pearls. "Hey, Addie! Quick! Mrs. Mary's ready for us to take pictures!!"

On the couch, all the flower girls are plooped on the couch, looking like little cupcakes with brown icing! Aren't they cute...we are posing, smiling, and Mrs. Mary, the dear, is snapping away and being so wonderful...

"ADELINE!" It's Andrew, his face red from running, and he is out of breath. "Quick! Wesley needs his tux pants hemmed~Daddy may call him and tell him it's time any minute, and he needs 'em hemmed!!!" Oh, dear. we have to get these pictures taken~I glance around the room in a panic, trying to figure out how I could draft somebody to go hem that boy's pants~Ahh! Amanda! Our darling 'adopted" sis can do it!

Haha, what an angel~she has slipped off her pretty heels and is racing down to the woods to where Wes and his men are, with thread and needle~ah, bless her dear heart! Try as we may, I believe we Mortons are forever "last minute" people, LOL! But that make things fun and exciting, eh? ;)

Awaiting darkness, jolly music and light heels!

Rachel and Kressant

The little cake

Outside, Miss Suzanna H. with her cute little brothers, waits and visits...

Mr. Willie R., the sound and tech guy, makes sure all is in order for the ceremony...

Urn and flowers...

Here is Rachel and Martha on the stairs...

Group shot

The Invitation

Now, these invitations were really a labor of love. Mrs. Kim P. did the calligraphy on the invitation itself and on the envelopes - she does her calligraphy as unto the Lord and it shows. Mama asked me to sketch a toile featuring some motifs that are special to the bride and groom and then she had it printed up on cardstock and it was used as the background for Mrs. Kim's calligraphy, printed on vellum. Each invitation was hand-tied with ribbon and sent off with joy.

Dorothy and Rachel

Our precious Grandmama's silver punch bowl awaits the abundance of our sweet Aunt Wanda's world famous punch... :)

Katie and Rachel

Silver pitcher detail...In the barn, all is ready...
Bethany and Rachel

The communion table

Rachel and 'wittle' Gracia

Rachel and me

The bride, with her sisters, getting all ready...

Special time with Mom

Pretty feet

The bride with all her little attendants

Ready to be scattered...

Sweet girls

Beth helping her sister with her ensemble...

Rachel with her Daddy

Groomsmen Noah S., Edgar R., and Barry P. wait outside

Dear friends James F. and Greg Y. joke together on the lawn

The marriage supper is ready and still we wait..........

Candles wait on the twilight...

The beautiful Brent W. family~what a precious group.

Little Ben E. and two of my own darling Indians, Andrew and Samuel...

Professional chef Mr. Dan S. hard at work at the grills.

Table arrangments

Lovely Mrs. Wendi S.~she and her husband Mr. Tim did a fantastic job of directing the whole ceremony.

A view of the goings ons from the outside...

This lovely pair look pretty excited about it all...

Some of our cute little specimens, having a good time making quick work of those awful "bafths" they recieved earlier... :)

Mr. Barry P. with some of his lovely , sweet children~the beautiful fans we are all enjoying are the result of Mrs. Kim P.'s amazing handiwork~she headed up the designing and making of hundreds of these fans~they have some scriptures and the program on them in her lovly calligraphy, with a cream sheer ribbon tied at the base. They were as refreshing as they were beautiful, and so handy to keep the sun and bugs out of ones eyes!

Michael Jr showing off his cute little son, Michael III

The bride downstairs, greeeting guests and visiting during this time before her groom comes.

Two adorable P. children dressed to the nines~Love that watch, buddy!

The lovely B. ladies, and Miss Daisy R., so pretty in their green!

Steady, Visionary, and Commando~It's all here, y'all!!!

Two of our darling Aunties from Tennessee chatting - Wanda and Dixie. Yes, that's Aunt Wanda of the famous punch. This dear sister of Daddy's made much punch and then toted it down from North Carolina, still frozen. It was delicious and quenched many a dry dancer. We understand that Aunt Dixie and cousin Lori know the recipe too.

Sweet flower girls...

It~it looks like it may be time!!!

Ignorance is sometimes the tail end of the deal...

I'm chatting with the hilairous Mrs. and Misses Y.'s!! (They are way too much fun.) " Yes, hasn't Katrina gotten tall!? And would y'all care for some ice water?"

Jordin H. is inside keeping the guestbook with such elegant style, and is graciously directing folks to the table number board.

Everybody is walking around, talking, laughing, smiling- and occasionally folks look around like they are expecting something unusual, perhaps...The late afternoon is at it's peek, bathing the green lawn and making every thing look like a picture in a storybook, and the wind is perfect~the sky above is a brilliant blue, with a few wispy jet streams. God has blessed this day with some of the most lovely weather of the year!!

Oh, look! There is Mrs. Louise B. ! And the Russells!!! and Mrs. Ophilia from up at the store! Ah, isn't she elegent? Oh, this is so delightful~I just love to see our yard filled up with people, relaxing and chattering and eating and joking!! What a joy!

Wait. What is it? What is that!!?? The talk is fading out, and people are turning around, looking intently at something or someone down the lane.

All is silent.

Suddenly, music fills the air, and it is beautiful!!!! Bagpipes and drums, mixed with the sound of horse's hooves, thundering from somewhere!!!

Look!!! Do you see it?! Around that bend in the drive....... a horseman~the best man is coming!!He is coming fast, the horse's swift legs bringing them closer, now, every second~the music is swelling to a dramatic crescrendo~

Stop. Wait. Here, pause that picture in your mind, that is bursing with movement and sound~the horse is paused in mid gallop, her tail is still in the air~the croud is not breathing, and all life is stopped for the smallest of seaconds, and let me tell you a picture of what someone is doing~

Rachel is up on the porch, grasping her flowers, leaning forward, her other hand is clutching hard the arm of her father who is standing beside her~her eyes are eager, not blinking, and she looks as if she wants to unpause everything and see what happens next! So I shall!

Alright, now, everything is moving again~I'm getting chill bumps as I watch the horse and rider come racing down the lane~ hoof beats are throwing up dirt and dust, making a billowing cloud behind the rider~everyone is holding their breath..........

The rider is closer now, the horse is thundering down the lane, and the music is at it's peek~the rider's hair is blown by the wind, and his coat tails are flying behind him.

Look!! He just rode right up to the fence - he suddenly reigns in his horse with a pull, and the horse stops and breathes heavily, pawing the ground in excitement~Cleveland dismounts, hands off the horse to her keeper, and then strides to the fence post.

Then, putting the shofar to his lips, he blows it, and than steps aside, and looks back to where he came from.
"The bridegroom cometh!!!"
5 seconds pass. Then 10. All eyes strain to see what is to come.

I'm holding my breath. some music is barly audible, soft, bowing....then, the sound of hoof beats again!!!!! The music is increasing~I can't see him~where is he!!?

Now, look!!! Oh, listen, the music is now announcing somethng in it's own way~trumpets, sounding out in glorious melody~then, around the bend, you can see him!! There, he is, on his way!!!!!

I look back at Rachel - her eyes are full of uncontainable joy!! As he comes racing down the road, he and the horse are moving as if they are one, together a slow-motion, muscular movement. The horse's eyes are aflame in the afternoon sun, her mane rippling behind her like a wave. Wesley's eyes are focused, looking ahead, his mouth tight in vigor and concentration~her hooves are carrying them toward us!! Dirt and dust fly behind them~ now, the music is at the climax of the highest measure, and he is here!!!!

He is pulling his excited animal under control.... alights off.... and now, the music goes into a deep cello bowing, suspenseful, as he, with his groomsmen behind him in two rows, strides very purposefully to the porch where Rachel is, eyes moist and with the biggest smile, on the arm of her father!

Mr. Smith is now shaking hands with Wesley, and he is now handing Rachel's hand to him. They haven't even held hands during their courtship, so this is quite a big deal!! The music starts again, a joyful, happy song, and the procession begins...

The bride and groom
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Morton, Sr.

Two of our dear boys , Paul and Edwin, go down together
Mr. and Mrs. Bret Smith, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. B. Alan Smith II

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Campana

Saying thier vows...


The little ones watching...

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Morton Jr. look on , with Michael , III taking it all in. A view from the top

The signing of the marriage document, with Mr. Fritz R. presiding

"And take it as often as you will, in remembrance of Me"

Communion is led by Frank and Lisa C., for the newly wed couple

They share their first kiss...

And now, Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Morton!!!!!

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

A photograph of the photographers

A photograph of the photographer photographing the photographers. Nice photograph.

I just love this picture! W&R with their 65' Chevy.


There we is, y'all, all of us except Mr. Marc D., and Sam and Edwin Morton~we don't know how that happened, but it did! Ah, well...
Saying good bye to new sister Madi, recently adopted from Latvia...


And I shall leave you with a picture of the new Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Morton!

Bye, Y'all!

Love,

Adeline

P.S. Many thanks to Mary P., Abbi S., Willie R., and Anna St. for all the lovely pictures!! Also, thanks to Mum dear for editing/adding to/and fixing up my rough draft...