More of the Wedding

The bridesmaid dresses were beautiful.  This is Kate's oldest brother.  He has really stepped up to the plate for Kate.  Her entire family has.

 This is Kate's Mom.  She threw her dress on in the restroom outside of the room.  She got dressed about 15 minutes before the ceremony.  The time a Mom would normally being primped up, she was making sure Kate was fine.  She is a strong woman.  She is in major Mom mode.  Anyone hurts her daughter, they will need to go through her.  First thing the morning of the wedding day, Dee had take a taxi to a clinic to get seen and medicated for bronchitis.  I was four when she married my brother.  I am glad to be able to support her through this time.  She is an amazing woman.  Could be where Kate gets some of her strength.  The three boys are her grandsons walking her down the aisle. 

 This picture shows Kate wearing down.  It was midway through the pictures.  She was getting cold.  (Her body does not regulate temperature correctly.)  Soon after this I went and found a nurse to bring Kate pain medication.  She got a second wind after that.

 This picture is very sad to me.  This is where Kate & Jeremy should have been dancing.  They love music.  They attend music festivals, all the time.  It is a shared passion.  I am sure the original song they planned to dance with was entirely different. 
The best man played the music.  There were quite a few tears during this.  I cried because I did not get to see my big brother have his moment.  I know he wanted to have his father/daughter dance.  He has been able to give his daughter a good life.  Now he gives his time.  A few nights a week he stays with Kate.  He covers her if her skin feels cold, he uncovers her if she is hot, he makes sure she is rolled, and he patiently talks her through some hard times.  My brother is a leader.  He built a successful company.  He likes to run things.  He likes to solve problems.  He wants to know his family is well taken care of.  All of a sudden he has lost his role.  He not only has to turn his daughter over to another man, he has to do it during the most horrific time of her life.  It is not an easy time.
Kate not only has the strength for facing this challenge, she has the strength to face her Dad and tell him when he needs to step back.  She is teaching him a new language.  Instead of you need, or you should, she is teaching him; I think or my opinion.  I say good luck with that.

 This is some of my family chatting after the ceremony.  Not as many smiles as would normally be seen at a celebration.  There were moments we struggled.

 Here are the men.  They were referred to as "the blue shirts."  Notice the one man with a shirt that does not match, that is Kate's other brother.  His shirt did not fit.  He complained to me.  I said, if it is the only problem that comes up today, it will be a good day.  This wedding really came together in a week.  I don't think the groom found the shirts and ties until a few days before the wedding.  In order to get permission to marry in the rehab institute, they had to meet with the hospital's counselor, they had to talk to administration, they had to counsel with the Pastor.  Once they had all the permission they needed paperwork had to be faxed to the Circuit Clerk's office in Chicago.  More paperwork had to be faxed.  The groom had to call the circuit clerk's office and get ugly with them about wheeling his fiancee into the office to get their license.  Finally the circuit clerk made an appointment to go have the paperwork signed by Kate & Jeremy and their license issued.  With something that was rigged up, Kate was able to sign her name.  My point is, nothing was easy about this wedding.

 That makes me have goosebumps when I see this picture.  The moment they were introduced as Mr. and Mrs.  Notice the pastor smiling.  He does not perform many ceremonies.  He is the pastor for the rehabilitation institute.  He was not the man that was suppose to marry him.  He was the man that was meant to marry him.  His words were so beautiful.

 This is one of Kate's best friends.  She is making sure Kate does not need anything.  She is the person that dove off the boat at the same time as Kate.  She is struggling with guilt.  This is another reality of Kate's life. 

I am relieved today that Kate had her day.  I am relieved that it was filled with so much love and joy.  After the wedding, the reception, the clean-up, we were able to steal my brother and sister in law away for a couple of drinks.  Talk to them quietly.  Remind them they are always in our thoughts.  Remind them how many people care about Kate.  I talked about all people praying for Kate.  My brother replied, if mere numbers of prayers could cure Kate, she would be cured.  That is true.  We also talked about not getting to know the big plan. 
Now our beautiful Kate is married to the man of her dreams.  They can concentrate completely on Kate's rehabilitation.  This how their life together will begin.  It is not the honeymoon to Jamaica they planned.  They are getting good at handling the bumps and curves in the road.  Keep those prayers coming.