 Kitchen Help We did our best to keep Tom in that chair and off his feet so he wouldn't wear himself out. He's a hard man to keep down! He did enjoy quite a bit of City Barbecue that night...no pork, just chicken! Saturday morning started with our normal Saturday big breakfast of fresh scrambled eggs and whole wheat blueberry pancakes. It was a restful morning with a calm before the wedding. Sarah and Granny went to the church early to get ready there while Tom, Dad and I relaxed and took it easy. The guys, Zac, Dan, Nathan, Tim, Braden and Brady were out early on the golf course to get a round of competitive golf in before they had to be at the church! What a fun morning they had together with "golf tales" to tell. Matt and Katelyn arrived in time for lunch and then off to the ceremony we went.  Matt, Katelyn, Lisa & Tom What a beautiful bride Emily made. She lit the church up with her smile and a service that honored Christ as the head of their marriage. Sarah made a beautiful bridesmaid along with her cousins and friend, Natalie.  Friend of the Bride, Natalie & Bride's Cousin, Sarah  Bride's Cousin, Lauren & Bride's Sister, Brittany (who is expecting in December!)  Bride's Sister, Aubrey & Maid of Honor, Sister of the Bride, Cassidy   Parents of the Bride My sister, Kelly & her husband, Terry  Grandparents of the Bride My parents, Lowell & Barbara Kline  My brother Mike & his wife, Cheryl  My Uncle Jim & Aunt Joanne  My Aunt Margaret, Cousin Randy & his wife, Brenda  Our niece, Brittany & her husband, Dan  Our niece, Aubrey & her husband, Nathan  Our daughter, Sarah & her husband, Zac  Our niece, Lauren & her husband, Tim  Our niece, Cassidy & her friend, Brady  Our niece, Erin & her friend, Andrew  Our nephews, Zac & Braden & our niece, Morgan  A beautiful cake made by my dear friend, Ulrike Brennan! Many of you may be familiar with the song "It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to"....well, that was my day yesterday! What an honor to be in church with the majority of my family surrounding me on my birthday. Our new pastor, Mike Yoder, started a series on the book of John last Sunday. Last week we studied Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana. This week he took us to the healing of the nobleman's son in Chapter 4. Tom and I have both been so impressed with Pastor Yoder's ability to put the personal touch on each of his sermons. He had interviewed Pastor Dan and Nancy Green who are the parents of Rachel Green who Jesus now cares for in heaven. Rachel was 8 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer. Dan, Nancy and their 4 children were missionaries in Brazil at that time. Upon Rachel's diagnosis they immediately relocated their precious family to Columbus. We had been long time friends and prayer partners with the Greens while they were serving in Brazil. During the two years that Rachel battled cancer she and our daughter Sarah became quite close. Not only did they enjoy Sunday School and SMM on Wednesday nights but they were in the same 5th grade class at Worthington Christian the year (1999) that Rachel went to her eternal home. We had the privilege of having Rachel in our home many times and also enjoyed a memorable trip to Marmon Valley Farm together.  Teri & Emily Hotz, Rachel & Nancy Green, Sarah & Lisa Anglea Marmon Valley Farm ~ September 1999 Pastor Yoder beautifully interjected scenes from their interview into his sermon titled "Desperate Cries For Life". You can "click" on the link at right to hear/see the sermon and interview. I was so thankful that Sarah could be there to see Rachel's parent's complete trust in God. It was overwhelmingly hard for me with us being in our situation, however what an honor to watch Dan and Nancy live out their trust, faith and belief in a God Who is totally trustworthy even when He doesn't choose to heal. I continue to be in awe of God who provides what I need exactly when I need it and surrounds me with loved ones at the same time! Phil and Nancy Gegner were sitting behind us (we honored them last Sunday as they were one of the many couples married 50+ years) and during the sermon Phil sketched Tom and I! |
Let's just say that the tears were flowing!
Rachel Green with our children, Sarah & Matt
Summer of 1999
One last detail...I was wearing purple on Sunday morning...I remember Rachel always saying she wished her name was Rachel Purple instead of Green because her favorite color was purple!
After church it is our family's tradition after a family "event" to go to "Windchimes" a local Chinese restaurant. There were 23 of us gathered around a huge square table in the banquet room there. What a fun time laughing and celebrating. We ended up with two cakes to celebrate birthdays! Kelly had brought the leftover cake from the reception and Mike & Cheryl had stopped to pick up a cake too! One chocolate and one white...of course Tom wanted some of both after eating SWEET & sour chicken!! Yes, he has a sweet tooth and on these special occasions he's taking advantage of getting all he can because he knows when he gets home there won't be any sweets. After reading our fortune cookies and saying our good byes Tom and I had the privilege of taking mom and dad to meet up with their friends, Wyatt & Mary Brown, who they travelled with. I can't help myself with crying and I know it rips them up but we will miss them greatly. It was so special to have them here with us for two weeks.
Celebrating Cheryl, Aubrey, Lisa & Morgan's Birthdays
It's Monday now...the rain is falling in buckets and my heart is heavy. The house is quiet, Sarah & Zac are back in Indiana, Matt & Katelyn are back at MVNU, Mom & Dad are travelling back to Florida and Tom is at work. Is this what "normal" feels like? I guess I like the "out-of-the-ordinary" life!
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