Lil' Brudder has arrived!

One week ago today, our third son, Calvin Harris, entered the world at 1:48 p.m. He weighed in at a whopping 10 lbs and 9 oz and 22 and 3/4 inches long. See? The photo doesn't lie.

Not bad for being only five days late -- his brothers, both born at 41 weeks, weren't even nine pounds! I'm so grateful for the answered prayers -- he came all on his own without the need for a repeat c-section and labor kicked in only a few hours shy of a scheduled induction. In fact, his was probably the easiest delivery out of all three and he was the biggest by far! (I plan to share more of THAT story soon.) We are so proud to be at home now with our "little" guy, and he's eating like a champ already and figuring out this sleeping thing. Jacob and Ethan are enamored with him (who wouldn't be?!) and are very sweet to the youngest Redd brother, though perhaps not so much to each other.

Here are a few more shots from the hospital. This is one proud Dad:

I love this next picture. Look at this kid! So young, so handsome -- so much hair! Sideburns like Elvis. Big blue eyes. Chubby cheeks. So much to love! (This also may be my best-ever photo in a hospital gown.) Current nickname: Chunk-a-munk

Perhaps you are wondering about his real name. The middle name, Harris, was Gaines' great-grandfather's name, and we just liked the way it sounds. We've had this tradition so far of using family names for our sons' middle names and were trying out different ones for months. Finally, someone mentioned this and it stuck. The coolest part we found out only after the birth -- that Gaines' great-grandfather was actually named for the minister that married his parents. What a neat idea!

As for the first name's inspiration, I'll let you guess. Was it...

A) the imaginative and irreverent six-year old boy whose best friend was a stuffed tiger, created by cartoonist Bill Watterson?

B) the amazingly agile former Georgia Tech wide receiver, who now plays for the Detroit Lions? (given his size, this might not be a bad guess!)

or C) the famous 16th-century theologian and Protestant Reformer, whose best known work is his Institutes of the Christian Religion?

Of course, he is Redd 5 after all, and if we were true nerds, we might have named him Luke:

Summer Fun, Summer Sun

This may be the hottest summer on record in Atlanta. I don't know, but for me, it has certainly felt like it! I've never had a summer baby before, but now I know that the complaints are justified. Last week, I spent time in two different air-conditioned buildings and was still incredibly hot.

However, we have found some ways to beat the heat and enjoy some time out-of-doors.

May wasn't so bad. We enjoyed racing in the driveway:

Finding bugs:

Eating ice cream with friends:

Discovering new ways to enjoy the baby pool:

Hanging out by the swimming pool at a friend's apartment:

June found us taking many trips to the local sprayground/splash park:

Practicing our mad bubble-blowing skillz:

The boys made a new game of racing toy cars down the slide into the pool:

And Ethan developed a fascination with his dump truck, bringing it from the sandbox to the pool:

Jacob also took swimming lessons the first week in June, and since then we've been spending at least one day a week at a friend's pool, but I always forget to take pictures there.

July came and went much more quickly than I expected, with little energy for photos. But I found one of those sprinkler spray beach balls on clearance a few weeks ago and it, too, has brought much joy:

I'm so behind on pictures, I barely have covered half of our summer. Some events and excursions that deserve their own post (hopefully soon):

May's inaugural field trip to the Botanical Gardens

Memorial Day weekend visit to Alabama to see DeeDee and Gaga

June day trip to the annual Moore family reunion, also in Alabama

The story of our new swagger wagon

Preparations for little brother's arrival

40 Weeks and Counting

In the words of the illustrious Homer Simpson, "The waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!"

We haven't been playing that particular childhood favorite (though Candyland and Chutes and Ladders have been popular), but we have been keeping busy this last week to stave off this pregnant Mama's restlessness.

Jacob showing off one of his drawings while we were attempting to document my basketball-like belly last Tuesday. If one more person asks me if I'm having twins...

I'm very grateful to my mom, who has been able to be here now for an entire week, and we have filled it with many fun things, including naps for moi. Here's just a taste of what we've been up to:

Last Monday morning, while Jacob played at a friend's house and I had a mother's helper, we rearranged the boys' bedroom, in anticipation that it will eventually become the nursery once we clean out the office and move them into bunk beds.

On Tuesday, we attended a good friend's birthday party at a fire station. Ethan knows something is up, so he's been uncharacteristically mommy-centric lately. He didn't even want to wear a hat or climb in the fire truck! (Though almost ALL he's done ever since is wear his hat and play "fireman" in their room!)

The festivities continued at a jumpy place, to burn off some energy.

In the afternoon, I went to my checkup and also had time to squeeze in a pedicure!

On Wednesday, we went swimming. But not before I snuck away to get a haircut! I have a whole other post on that, because I actually won the haircut in a contest...

On Thursday, we mostly stayed in, but due to a wonderful surprise package from my Aunt Cindy, Jacob got to try out a new slip n' slide! They also have new matchbox cars and racing tracks to keep them occupied.

On Friday, we took a trip to "our mall," as Jacob calls it, found Ethan a much-needed new pair of shoes, walked around a bit, and enjoyed the A/C, the food court, and of course, the carousel!

Jacob and "DeeDee" (my mom) riding the carousel. It's amazing what a difference a year or so makes. It's only very recently that he's been willing to ride the horses!

Ethan's milestone was that he chose to ride an animal for the first time! Yay! He predictably chose a frog. (One of his latest past times is hopping around the house and either saying "Hop like a frog!" or "Hop like a bunny!") Until now, I have had to hold him or sit on one of the benches. I apologize that this was the best photo I could get. You'd be amazed how hard it is for a pregnant woman to squeeze between the camels and horses, not to mention juggling a purse and camera and a 2 year old...

On Saturday, we played under the sprinkler and slip n' slide some more. And then that evening, Gaines and I got to go out to dinner with a bunch of our old friends from West Merritts, the church we attended when we were first married. It was a send-off for a couple we dearly love, Ben and Kristen, who are leaving to go to Charlotte, NC. Kristen is a labor and delivery nurse and stayed all through my first labor with Jacob, but she was going out of town the day Ethan was born and apparently, will be headed out of state by the time I go into labor with this one.

Sunday was filled with one last chance to worship at church. I had one last afternoon meeting and came home and gratefully took a nap. Two out of the other four got naps as well.

Today, we went to my last prenatal checkup. I'm technically "overdue" at 40 weeks and 2 days, but since both of the other boys made it to 41 weeks it shouldn't surprise me. We actually received some great news. Instead of the previously scheduled repeat c-section (I had a cesarean with Jacob, and then a VBAC with Ethan), I am actually on a list for an induction for this Thursday! That is a big praise and an answer to many prayers. I know birth is unpredictable and many things could happen, including surgery, but just being given the opportunity to labor on my own is wonderful. For me, recovery from a c-section is just not on my list of things I would prefer. Plus, I'm showing way more readiness this week, even some contractions, so who knows when this baby might arrive?!

We also got to eat dinner at Slopes tonight with some good friends, Gordon and Christy and their adorable son Joshua, who are in town visiting. I'm hoping the magical properties of the Slopes' BBQ sauce will induce labor. In fact, I'm going to go walk around the house and see what happens. :)

My Misadventures in Hotlanta

Today the heat index in Atlanta was 105 degrees. Apparently not quite as high as yesterday, but still, that's HOT in my book. And I'm 9 months pregnant. Those little internal heaters are not much of a boon this time of year as they are in winter.

In my wisdom and in spite of the heat I met a friend and her little boy, as planned, at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens this morning. It was hot, but it wasn't too bad yet. The thermometer only hit 90 at 11am (!). The walk was shady, the conversation stimulating and the company pleasant. The boys wanted to walk around a whole bunch which I was hoping would tire them out. Plus, they got to play in the sunflower fountain at the Children's Garden -- a perfect day to get drenched. I got my share, too, since helping them change into dry clothes only served to get me soaked! It was a good morning, but by the time we headed home for lunch it was about 12:30. I had brought snacks, but they don't let you eat in the Gardens unless you buy their food (a major drawback in my book), so I let them eat grapes while the car was cooling off. At this point, I was trying to stick to my rule of "No eating in the van... at least while Mommy is driving."

You may remember we got a minivan quite recently. As in, a little over three weeks ago. (I still have yet to post that story...but I'm working on it!) Well, I am used to driving a little Civic, so sometimes parking and other maneuvers are a bit unwieldy in such a large vehicle. Apparently, I had such issues today as we were leaving the Gardens. Just before we reached the booth to pay for parking, I heard the unmistakable sound of the van hitting a curb. Perfect.

I thought to myself as we pulled away from the ticket booth, "It sounds fine, it can't be that bad." Then Jacob noticed a "bump, bump" sound as we turned onto Piedmont Avenue. At first, I thought it was just the condition of the road because of all the recent construction. I drove slowly, but as I turned onto 14th street, it became worse. My fears were beginning to be realized. I started looking for a place to pull over to the right. There was none! I was in the middle of downtown Atlanta in the middle of the lunch hour, plus there were construction cones everywhere, blocking access to the side. Strangely, I kept thinking if I could just make it to Einstein's on the left, or across the bridge... Then, I noticed two women motioning to me from the sidewalk. I rolled down my window and heard, "Hey, do you know you have a flat tire? It's on the rim! There's a Shell station not far up." "On the right?" "Yes!" So we pulled slowly into a parking space at the gas station and I called Gaines and he reminded me about our AAA membership. Ah, yes. I blame pregnancy brain for my lack of coherent thought.

So, there I was, 9 months pregnant with two kids under the age of five in a van with a tire that had been almost completely shredded, waiting in 100+ degree heat in the middle of July, with nothing but some snacks to sustain us well after lunchtime. I checked the tire (Yep, it was a goner! I was praying the rim wasn't damaged from driving on it so many blocks!), made sure the kids had water and figured a NutriGrain bar, some grapes and pretzels might hold them over until we could get home. There's no way I was going into the Shell station with those two to get something just for me, so I helped finish off the grapes.

Just as I'm deciding that I'm in pretty rotten circumstances, a lady walked up to the van. I had seen her and a man try to use the pay phone. They were pushing a double stroller with two kids inside who couldn't be more than 3. She approached and said that she and her family were evicted this morning from their apartment and only had enough money to pay for one night in a motel. She said her kids were hungry and asked if I had anything to give them. Well, leave it to God to give us a little of His perspective now and then when we start feeling sorry for ourselves. So I rummaged around in my bag for whatever little food I had left and handed over a meager fare of cookies and fruit snacks. She thanked me and walked back to the shade of the gas station overhang. And my heart just dropped. What could I do? Where could I send them to get help? So, I got out of my air-conditioned van (which I had the liberty to leave running while waiting for the AAA guy on this hot day). I asked her if I could call some folks and find someone willing to help. I thought of our old church not far away and of people I knew who lived downtown who might know of a shelter or something nearby. As I was leaving messages and using my phone, she came up and said they would return to the motel and try to get help there. I asked her if she knew someplace to go for help and she said they would try 211. I'd never heard of it until today, but I hoped they would get the resources they need. I watched them slowly walk across the 14th Street Bridge in the sweltering shimmer, pushing two kids in a stroller, and wished I could have asked her more about their story. I wished I'd had sandwiches to give her. I wish I'd thought to offer her some diapers. Instead, I just said a prayer and hoped they would find some more assistance along the way.

The rest of the day seemed a blur in comparison with that moment, watching the slumped shoulders and sweaty brows slowly push a stroller to seek help from strangers and try to sleep during what might be their last night with a roof over their heads for a long while. I ached for them, wishing the Church could somehow step up at that moment and embrace them, help them, love on them.

I, on the other hand, didn't have to wait too long for help from AAA, and once the spare tire was successfully installed, we made our way slowly back towards home, stopping at a local tire store which had plenty of toys and TV to distract the kids for an hour and a half. Thankfully, the flat just happened to be one of the back two tires and we had been warned when we bought the van that those particular tires would probably need replacing soon. So the expense of two new ones came quite a bit sooner than expected, but we'll survive.

I just pray the family we met will survive. And find some shelter, soon. We are blessed beyond measure, and one day's loss of naptime and a couple of cranky kids are nothing to going hungry and without a home. Though Ethan was distraught over having to give up his cookies, Jacob, it seems, understood that the family needed them more than we did. Cookies seem like such a small thing, but to a preschooler they are a prize. I hope that when he remembers this day (because he remembers EVERYTHING) he will think about how we helped others and not about having to sit in a car or a tire store for hours without relief. Just this past Sunday a guest preacher talked to the children about how Jesus calls us to give up our "crowns" for others, giving them the best even though we might want it for ourselves, and I think he got a visceral lesson in that today. Hearing him recount the story to his Daddy was one of the proudest moments I've had as a parent, and I hope that I can learn from this experience as much as he seems to have done.

Thirtysomething

It's my birthday, y'all.

Yes, I'm 31. It's a milestone year, I tell ya.

This year is the first year I have had the delight of being extremely and/or knowingly pregnant on my actual birthday. As of today, I am 33 weeks along! This bundle of boy is coming soon, folks!

(Obligatory belly shot, since I think I've failed to post one anywhere. I can't imagine why...I mean, I'm obviously looking my best here. Ha!)

Though the boys were a tad bit too eager to wake me up this morning (Jacob had a nightmare at 3am that woke all of us up eventually), it was fun to see them come running at me at random times today, shouting gleefully "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" (Imagine the cute little-kid voices. Especially Ethan.)

Many thanks to my mom drove up from Alabama for a helpful turnaround trip. She arrived Friday and left Saturday afternoon, but despite its brevity her visit brightened us all up considerably! She agreed to watch the boys last night so we could go out for a "birthday dinner." She's the one who encouraged the boys to wish me a happy day. Plus, she stayed with them all day while we made our first real vehicle purchase as a couple. (Our previous purchases were either at auction over the phone or just Gaines by himself.) We realize we cannot fit three car seats in the back of a Honda Civic, and so now I am officially a mini-van mom. Van shopping took up a considerable part of our day, but I hope to tell you all about it tomorrow when I get a chance to take a picture of the new swagger wagon.

Have I mentioned my parents' have been running a restaurant for a year? Well, my mom brought us some yummy pulled pork to enjoy. BBQ birthday dinner!

She also brought furniture. (More on that later.) We are in full-on nesting mode around here at the Team Redd home.

A highlight of my day: the boys and my mom surprised me with homemade cupcakes, homemade cards, and a familiar-looking kid-crafted bead necklace. I wore it proudly while enjoying my feast of BBQ sandwiches, home fries, and the aforementioned cupcakes. Ethan did the "sprinklers."

The Redd boys serenaded me while I blew out my candles.

Gaines, leading the choir:

Ethan, singing dutifully:

Jacob, pausing mid-note to pose:

Me, enjoying the festivities:

(Question: Do the numbers on the necklace mean that Jacob thinks I am 127 years old?)

(Q2: How did I spend all day with Gaines and it took me until just now to realize that our shirts matched? Oh yeah, we were up late last night planning that one.)

What a fun family I have! I love my boys and can't wait to add another one to the mix. What a year this is going to be!

Easter has broken through!

This past month, and really the entire season of Lent, caught me somewhat off guard this year. I made a half-hearted attempt at giving up fast food and failed miserably within a week. I think I expected, since I was in the second trimester, to have a bit more energy. Or to want to do more, to write more, to be creative. To cook. Something different than the way it has been. Of course, we were kept busy with all sorts of fun things like a family wedding and a trip to see Thomas the Train (which I plan to write about soon!). But I hope that nesting phase kicks in soon because our house is nowhere near where it should be if a new little one wants to join us in our humble abode. Thankfully all nausea and sickness is behind me, just lethargy remains. Every day I wonder why I am so tired. It might have something to do with not being able to sleep, you know, because of the little kickpuncher inside my belly.

Thankfully, just before Holy Week, I found my stride. Or at least, started walking again, getting back on the path to being somewhat productive and making our home more of a haven than something I'd like to run screaming from everyday. Signs of new life:

I actually got out the box of Easter decorations. (Not that we put them all up this year, but it was a start!) We put up the egg tree.

Both boys had baskets for our church's Easter Egg Hunt. (I did have to dump out stuffed animals from one of them, but at least they had a place to stash their finds.)

The entire family was together for one whole Saturday. We hunted eggs. We ALL took long naps.

On Palm Sunday, we started a tradition of doing a hacked version of Lenten Lights. We used the readings as a guide, but since they didn't hold the little ones' attention all that well, we alternated between the "official" readings and choosing relevant passages from The Jesus Storybook Bible, by far the best children's Bible I've ever read. Have I raved about it yet? I should.

By the grace of God I faithfully started and finished N.T. Wright's Holy Week devotional: The Scriptures, the Cross, and the Power of God. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the small but powerful chapters taken mostly from Matthew and John's account of Jesus' last week leading up to the crucifixion and I hope to share more thoughts with you on that soon. It was a first for me -- to read something so regularly.

I bought (free with CVS bucks) an egg-decorating kit, fully intending to use it before Sunday. Oh, well, maybe next year? I did buy some little goodies for their bags and didn't spend ANY money on candy this year, thanks to coupons and sales and some surprises that showed up at our door from a kind neighbor.

I was glad for the Maundy Thursday service, which I think got me back into a right way of thinking about and living out all that Holy Week entails. That, and the generosity of a friend who helped me clean my house that morning helped prepare me for the weekend festivities.

On Good Friday, I spent much of the day at home, but had an unexpected opportunity to peruse Marshall's and Home Goods in the evening--sans kids-- to spend a gift card and help add some small touches that make our home a bit more livable. (Hint: I will gladly accept gift cards to said places and any and all cash upon occasions which call for celebrations in the near future -- the day of mothers, my birthday, etc. I have bunk beds to buy and to outfit with linens! Rooms to redecorate! A new baby! Did you know they even have hedge clippers there, apparently seasonally?!)

Saturday was spent shopping in preparation for our Easter meal and for our friends' annual Lamb Roast. Yay for Greek food and good friends and beautiful weather and bubbles! And swings!

On Saturday evening, I actually ironed the boys' adorable seersucker Easter outfits (that I had purchased in March for a steal!) and put together baskets of goodies that I then hid around the house. I think this is the first year I really made a big deal about Easter baskets. No real "bunny" talk (they knew it was from us) but we did see an ACTUAL bunny hanging out in our yard over the weekend.

We were up early Easter morning. Gaines left around 7am to practice a song for the "sunrise" short service at 8am. Jacob got up and dressed on his own not long after, yelling "Christ is risen!" while somehow not waking up Ethan, who slept until it was almost time to go. J waited for his brother to get up before beginning to look for his basket, which I thought was sweet. (It also gave me a chance to get a shower and get ready!)

As soon as E woke up, they both found and opened their baskets! They were delighted! Lightning McQueen socks! Buckets! Sand toys! Candy! Money! ($.50 each) books and goodies galore!

I managed to get both boys dressed and out the door in time for the breakfast at 8:30. And I even remembered to ask someone to take our picture BEFORE church.

I had a moment of pure inspiration and thought to bring large t-shirts so the boys' could put them over their outfits to keep them clean during the breakfast. Genius, I thought! However, Jacob didn't want to wear anything BUT the t-shirt and Ethan wouldn't wear anything at all (bib or shirt) and so his was quickly stained with OJ. Sorry, no cute photos of just the two of them this year. Still, they managed to stay mostly decent and I even got Jacob to wear his little seersucker jacket to the 11am service. (Over just his plain white t-shirt instead of the peter pan collar button-up, but who really noticed?)

The rest of our Easter Sunday afternoon was spent lazily. We ate leftover biscuits from the church breakfast (thank you, kind cook!), added ham and jelly and called it lunch. Most of us napped. We played outside while I cooked a ham in the oven. I threw some sweet potatoes in the same pan, heated up some green beans, served Hawaiian rolls, and called it a meal. Very casual and laid-back for the biggest party of the year, but it was just what we all needed.

Of course, today brought overcast skies, thunder, most of our time spent indoors and a bit less productivity, but I figured we all needed a break after the hectic weekend. And so, the Easter season begins!

I think we all forget that Easter shouldn't just be celebrated one day, but an entire season in the church year. I'm hoping we can keep that joy of resurrection life (and some of the leftover ham) reoccurring in our home over the next several weeks before Pentecost. And I still just might dye those eggs.

Stats

A little over two weeks ago I took the boys to the doctor's office (together) for their yearly well checks. I don't recommend doing this by yourself -- I'm thankful a friend went with me to help since Gaines had to work! (There were vaccinations and hearing tests and drawing blood and all sorts of things involved with the 4-year.)

Here are their current weight and height measurements, if you care about that sort of thing. Since I wrote them on a piece of paper torn off of the patient table, I need to record them before they disappear and so I won't forget. You see it already took me this long to record them!

Ethan, age 2:

24 and 3/4 lbs

32 and 3/4" tall

They were taking every quarter inch into consideration since he's such a little dude.

Jacob, age 4:

35 lbs

41 and 1/4" tall

He's upwards of 80 percentile in height. Must get it from his grandfather Lee, certainly not his parents! Both of the boys are on the slim side. Thankfully, that means I can just pass down pants from one to the next...

Healthwise, both boys are doing well, though Ethan had a mysterious ear infection (no symptoms that I noticed beforehand) which required antibiotics, so his shots had to wait until this week when we got the all-clear. After that long stretch this winter where we had antibiotics for 6 weeks in a row, I'm hoping we can stay away from them for a while. And so far, the boys don't seem to be allergy-prone...yet.

We're hoping to enjoy this glorious spring weather as much as we can!

Passion Sacrificed to Keep from Going Crazy

All the recent wedding preparations and celebrations brought to mind one of my favorite songs of all time. As I was driving from Atlanta to Montgomery for a bridal shower a few weeks ago, I broke out Waterdeep's album Sink or Swim while the boys were napping. And I cranked it up. While grooving to some great songs like "And" and "18 Bullet Holes," I finally get to my absolute favorite: "Both of Us'll Feel the Blast."

Really, who else would equate the experience of a newly married couple to an explosion? And include admissions of our brokenness and need for Jesus and a picture of the final marriage supper of the Lamb? Only Don Chaffer, that's who. And the lyrics still all ring true so well, even after being married for over 8 years, that I had to put it on repeat for a while. I feel like there are still many days when I wake up and think "we ain't never done this thing but but I guess that's how it goes/ You breathe deep as it comes to you and hold tight when it blows..." In a few months we're going to be a family of five and I can only imagine how bringing up another new life is going to rock our world.

I've been considering doing a series on all the music that has shaped my life over the last several decades. I hope you will find some new-to-you artists to appreciate, since our favorite artists will likely never be featured on Glee. Mostly, too, I've realized that people who have only known us in the last 5 years or so have no idea about our history with the independent music scene and how Gaines and I met, so I plan to combine it all somehow. I need to call it something less cheesy than "My Musical Journey," but give me time.

I suppose this song is an appropriate introduction, since I think we included it in our wedding rehearsal dinner slideshow lo those many years ago. (But I can't check, because the presentation was saved on a laptop that was stolen out of Gaines' trunk one night while he was eating dinner in Midtown, not long after we were married. Backup your files, people!)

I wanted you to be able to hear Waterdeep perfom, so I've included a video from a live show they played last year. You get an idea of the song, but they cut off part at the beginning, so I included the full lyrics below. Seriously, if you buy one album this week and don't have this one yet, go get it. Or just get the song off iTunes. Waterdeep will thank you.

Both Of Us’ll Feel The Blast
Written by Don Chaffer

We're both dirty, baby- that's just the way it goes
We'll try to cut the fuses off before everything blows
And if it blows and both of us are standing real close by
Then both of us'll feel the blast and both of us'll die
But dying's overrated, it's a ticket on a train
And as long as I can hold your hand, I'll know that I'm still sane
Maybe I'm an idiot for thinking that that's true
But I believe that Jesus knew what He was doing when He gave me you

Lately I've been wondering- what are we gonna do
When we wake up in the morning and its just me and you?
Cause we ain't never done this thing but I guess that's how it goes
You breathe deep as it comes to you and hold tight when it blows
And if it blows and both of us are standing real close by
Then both of us'll feel the blast and both of us'll die
And dying's underrated, it's a ticket to the feast-
The one we're all invited to, from the greatest to the least

I hope we sit together when Jesus serves the wine
So I can look into your eyes when I taste it the first time
And I know there's no secrets when you're sitting at that table
But I believe we'll smile real knowingly when we read the label
And it says "passion sacrificed to keep from going crazy."
We'll tip our glasses to the Host who used to look so hazy
And drink it down all sweet and slow and slip inside His mind
And realize as it goes down- this is communion wine
This is communion wine
This is communion wine
This is communion wine

First Comes Love

...then comes marriage!

We traveled to Alabama this weekend for Gaines' youngest sister Erin's wedding. Her now-husband Kevin has already been like part of the family, since they have been dating as long as we've been married (almost 9 years!). It was appropriate, then, that all of us took part! Gaines gave a Scripture reading, I was one of the bridesmaids, and the boys -- well, they were bell-ringers! Thankfully they were escorted by their Daddy, who had to be up front to give a Scripture reading. Here is Gaines holding Ethan just before their big debut:

Saturday was the perfect way to send the Mohajerins off into their new life together; the wedding took place at Jasmine Hill Gardens, near Wetumpka. The azaleas and other flowers were in bloom after a week of rain and clouds and overall "lousy Smarch weather." Thankfully, the day was filled with glorious sunshine and we could not have asked for more perfect weather! (I suppose God answered all our fervent prayers!) Here's our handsome oldest son in front of some of the fauna that was arrayed in all its splendor in other parts of the garden:

Kevin's family is originally from Iran, and so there were many Persian touches throughout the weekend, from his parents' delicious meal on Friday night at the rehearsal dinner, to the incorporation of some Persian wedding traditions and delicacies at the reception. And I can't be certain, but I believe the chosen theme also has Persian ties. From the invitations to the bridesmaids dresses and bouquets, Erin incorporated peacock feathers into every aspect of the wedding. It was beautiful! The mothers and grandmothers' even managed to fit the theme, wearing shades of aqua, deep blue, and turquoise to match our teal bridesmaids' dresses. The most gorgeous and elegant array of peacock feathers, though, had to be Erin's dress, which was designed and handmade by her friend Mara. Here's a picture from the dressing room, where you can see a bit of her peacock-feathered "tail":

Apparently, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, the peacock was seen as a guardian to royalty in the Persian culture. Doesn't Erin look very regal here? A princess about to become a queen!

Also, in Christian tradition the peacock is associated with eternal life and resurrection -- some link it to the mythical phoenix. Either way, it made for some beautiful displays and the English major in me appreciates the symbolism. There were peacock feathers in the cake toppers, on the programs, in the groomsmen's boutonnieres, and on the bridal party's shawls and headpieces. Erin is quite the creative gal and it showed in every aspect of the wedding!

We hope Kevin and Erin are enjoying their time together as a new couple. Before we sent them off for their honeymoon, Jacob had to "steal some sugar" from Erin! I didn't take many pictures over the weekend, but I am certainly glad I captured this moment!