Married: A true testament to prayer and patience

Wait, I have a blog? You'd think I'd forgotten. So let's get back on the wagon with this:

That's my dads pulling rose petals out of a urinal at the community center in Siloam Springs Arkansas. The community center (a beautiful building with adjacent fire places, lofted ceilings, and hardwood floors) housed my older sister's wedding reception. She married a blind, 6 foot, pentecostal preacher and musician named Mark Rotramel on April 17th. They met via Facebook, really. Weddings, for the most part, are special events. Special doesn't cut it for this nuptial because, in all honesty, I never thought Carey would find someone. My older sister is an achondroplasia dwarf, or Little Person. And, as I'm sure you know, men are visual creatures who, due to sin, usually see my sister as an abnormality, to put it nicely. To make matters more difficult, Carey had always said she could only see herself with an average statured man. The knowledge of these things hit me at a very early age and when talks of marriage would surface from the dinner table back on Russell Street in La Habra, we'd all stay silent, or drop a word of encouragement every now and again as Carey went on about her future spouse. Being the hopeless romantic she is, she had been praying for her husband since the age of 16. 16! She also used to write letters to would be love on a regular basis as a kid in high school and well into her college years. Her wedding gift to Mark was, litteraly, a treasure box stuffed with letters to an unknown man, unknown until that day. When she explained this gift to those at the reception, a dry eye was ne're to be found.

The ceremony was also out of this world. An hour long service (felt like half an hour) dedicated to God's sovereignty, his love for them, their love for him, and their love for each other. It was filled with symbolism and music. Cary and Mark led us in four songs of worship and my dad sang two solos. He's a classically trained opera singer, a tenor to be precise, spent some time at Juilliard (yeah I just named dropped). Oh and talk about the tears of joy! I tried my best not to loose it, but just before they were pronounced, when Mark surprised everyone by picking up his guitar and making up a song on the spot about how much he loved my sister, I felt like Niagra Falls had been transplanted to my cheeks. In the years I have been alive, I have not been a part of a moment more meaningful then when Mark sang that song, and I mean that. His love for her is rich and transparent, powerful and encouraging. Below are some pictures some one took (no idea who, got these from the Moms via 11 emails) at the wedding and reception and some I took on my phone. Can't wait to post better pictures later. Oh yeah, my aunt Jennie thought it would be funny to put rose petals in the urinals. My dad was given the job of pulling them out after the reception. It's cool cause he used to be the janitor at EVFree Fullerton, so that makes sense.

Oklahoma Skies.

I flew into Tulsa and my mom picked me up at the air port. We had a nice long drive and talked about anything and everything.

B-fast the morning of with Dad, Jess, and Laurel at Cathy's Corner. About as down home southern as one could get.

Mark's Dad, my brother, Mark's Grandfather.

My cousin Leigh Anne and my younger sister Joy.

Yeah I know.

Laurel Dailey offered to shoot the wedding. For FREE. Her time and talent are worth thousands!! If you've seen her blog or her web site you know this. Jessica Kemp came to record audio. For FREE!! She spent the day recording all sorts of conversations, the wedding itself, and anything audible really, so that Mark would have something to "look" back on. 'Cuz you know, he's blind. So pictures don't mean much. He also hates having pictures taken of himself so kudos to Laurel for working with that. Oh and the recording idea was Jessica's. Brilliant. 

Dad and Carey.

Holy crap wow.

(Never mind the lady in pink ok, we've all been caught unawares by the camera before.)

My cousin, a fellow grooms man, and I had to fill over 200 communion cups. It took a while. We used cleaned out ketchup squirt bottles for filling the cups. Some got overfilled. So, I had to do something about it. This was the quickest method. Don't tell no body.

Mark's mother made this.

Candid. Ha.

Mark's immediate fam. Dad, Mom, and Brother.

 Carey Louise Rotramel.

You know, one of the biggest things that bums me out about Mark's blindness is that he can't see how physically beautiful his wife is.

And yet,  it would appear his words and actions prove he sees a beauty in her hidden to all others.

Congrats, Ree-Ree.