Today I Married the One I Love

11:46 am, Tuesday, 20 December 2011 . . . 8 years ago I had been married 1 hour. What a great day it was.

The whole family made it.

My brother's family.

In the front, Allison Gaumer
Back Row From the Left: Cindy Kroeger Gaumer, Chris Gaumer, Matt Gaumer,
 myself, Gene, Lauren Gaumer and my brother Lee Gaumer.



My husband's family.


From the left: Bill Latta, Gloria Tooke Latta, Dorothy Tooke, myself, Gene,
Rick Tooke, Sally Barr and Jerry Tooke. I sure loved my mother-in-law.
She accepted me so quickly. Just loved her.



My Aunt Ruth and Cousins.


Front Row: Ruth Gaumer Wolford and Allison Gaumer
Back Row From the Left: Debbie Wolford Weaver, Keith Weaver, Cindy Kroeger Gaumer,
Brian Weaver,Chris Gaumer, Matt Gaumer, myself, Gene,
Lauren Gaumer, Marilyn Wolford Muniz and my brother Lee Gaumer.



Makes me smile just thinking about Aunt Ruth being there. She died this past summer . . . and she looks so wonderful in this picture. We so enjoyed her, and my nephew Chris was so good helping her up all the steps to our reception . . . never thought about that when we chose that venue.

And ALL of my adopted families showed up.

Those from Brownsburg, that I have known and loved since 1974.

Back Row From Left: Don Runyon, Helen Runyon. Kim Runyon, Mike Runyon,
Ann Henderson, Mike Henderson,
Karen Henderson hidden behind Kathi Kelley and Jane Runyon.
Front Row: Red Sweater, Mika and Kim's son,
girl in turtle neck sweater and boy in khacki pants
are Don and Helen's two youngest and I am holing MIke and Kim's daughter.


And Jackie Smith's family . . . it still amazes me how much this family has exploded since I first met Jo, Steve, Bev, Joyce and Kenny in elementary school. And now, Jo has 3 grandchildren, Steve has 3, Joyce has 3 and Kenny has 6 . . . if they had all been born when we got married we would have had to have a panoramic picture taken.

BAak Row From Left: Steve Easley, Clay Sandberg, Megan Parker Whisler,
Dick Babb, Mandy Parker, Bill "Parker" Parker, Blayne Bechtold,
Kenny Smith, Kristi Sandberg Musgrove's then boyfriend, Scott Easley.
Middle Row From Left: Bev Smith Babb, Barbara "Jo" Easley Parker,
Erin Smith Bechtold and Rhonda Smith.
Front Row From Left: Nathan Easley, Pam Easley, myself, Gene,
Jennifer Smith Thompson and Kristi Sandberg Musgrove.

The day was BEAUTIFUL. Some snow was left on the ground but look at that sky . . . I don't think I have ever seen such a blue sky . . how about you?










Chris did such a WONDERFUL job with the entryway. Kelly Smith, our school secretary, thought we should have "rented" it out to people to have their kids pictures taken with it. As a matter of fact, she wished her niece and nephew had  been in town so she could have brought them by for a picture there.

Then, there is Dianne Ruhls' Doorway into the actual reception "auditorium." (I know, I know . . . she took back her maiden name, but she will always be Ruhly to me.) Looked like the entryway to a fairy snow village.

Lauren and I had decorated the reception hall on Thursday . . . we knew we would be too busy on Friday. After our rehearsal, we had our "dinner" in the same room as our reception. We had ordered chicken, mashed potatoes and rolls from Hap's (Mr Happy Burger, a "fast food"  restaurant that has re-designed itself into an ice cream parlor, multiple food items and pizzeria. They have THE BEST pork tenderloin sandwiches in Indiana.)

Front right table: Karen Henderson (white sweater) and Jane Runyon in red sweater.
On left, 2nd table back, Debbie Wolford Weaver, Keith Weaver,
 Brian Weaver and Ruth Gaumer Wolford.

I had made table booklets so people would understand how "personal" we had actually made the reception. On the back page I told everyone to take any decorations they wanted . . . since we had had them on our enclosed front porch for a year and I never wanted to see them again. This shows how many decorations we had left . . . from 20 tables, entryway, men's and women's bathroom and the food area.

What  is a winter, snowman/snowflake wedding without SNOWBALLS! Yes, we had ice cream balls with hot fudge, nuts, cherries and whipped cream . . it was a hit! I think every wedding should have ice cream . . doesn't it go well with cake anymore?

 

From Left: Joyce Smith Sandberg, Diana Strong Myers Pyle,
myself, Gene, Rick Tooke and Jerry Tooke.

Thanks for standing up with us . . . Joyce, Diane, Rick and Jerry . . . the love I felt from all of you at that alter can not be expressed in words.







Now, to finish packing and wrapping the Christmas food we take to our 4 closest neighbors. I told the husband, I think this would be the ideal way to celebrate our anniversary . . giving food to others like we did on our wedding day.

An, to sign off,  I have been singing the song that we played special for all of our wedding guests who were married, "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday." And I shall always have the picture of Jennifer and Jason Thompson burned into my memory as they danced to this song, by their table, while everyone else joined Gene and I singing it.