Why Our Adoption Story Proves God Has a Sense of Humor

This is a story I never in a million years thought that I would write. It's a story that - if you know me online - you will probably be surprised to see. This is a story that GOD is writing, and it's finally time to share it with you. 

Childless by choice. No "trying for years," no tear-filled months of disappointment, no hours spent with fertility specialists, no sensitivity when people asked when the kids were coming. As hard as it might be to understand, we did indeed make a choice to not have children. This is not something that most adoption agencies are prepared to hear on the initial call with prospective parents, yet that's exactly what our agency heard when we called in August of 2013. But I'm getting ahead of myself... let's go back to June 17, 2000.

On our wedding day, both Peter and I knew that neither of us felt a desire to have children. I've never been the maternal type, Peter's never longed for an heir to carry his name. It was for purely selfish reasons that we spent the first 12 years of marriage completing school, traveling the world, focusing on home improvement projects, and building our careers. It was a good life, and we enjoyed every minute of it. In fact, I had often joked that if God wanted us to be parents, He was going to have to put a giant neon light in the sky. Be careful what you joke about...

After 3.5 years in missionary aviation, we began to feel that God was causing our discontent with the status quo to grow. Our time overseas taught us that the only thing that matters in this life is where people spend eternity. It demonstrated the power of personal relationships, and the deep seeded need of people to be seen and loved in the name of Jesus. We prayed, we talked, we pondered - how could we best impact the world for Christ? We came back to the States in December of 2008, got jobs, and then we got comfortable again, until November 4, 2012.

On that day, God pulled out His largest hammer and chisel and started cracking our selfish hearts. It was Orphan Sunday, and a couple in our small church who had adopted 3 siblings from Ethiopia shared their story with the church. It was short, it was simple, it wasn't even rehearsed (they'd forgotten they'd been asked to do it until they were announced as next on the program!), but it was exactly what we needed to hear. At the end, they offered to speak to anyone who might be interested in adoption.

As I sat in my seat, my heart started pounding. "No! Lord, this can NOT be what You're asking of me!" I tried to pay attention to the remainder of the service, but my mind could only focus on the small voice saying, "Yes. This is your calling." On the way to lunch, Peter and I talked about the service - everything but the mention of adoption. I still remember sitting at a traffic light in our town when this conversation happened:

C: "I do not want to say this... but do you think God might want us to adopt?"
P: "WHY would you say that?"
C: I shared what had happened during the service, and as I talked he looked more and more stunned. When I had finished...
P: "I don't know what to say."
C:"Tell me I'm crazy and we'll go on with our nice life!"
P: "I can't, [MASSIVE PAUSE] because I felt God telling me the same thing, but I didn't want to mention it because it's NUTS. It IS nuts, right?"

We decided there would be no harm in TALKING to the couple... it wasn't like we were signing up to bring kids home that day, so we let them know we would like to talk and they came over for tea during the Christmas season. They, of course, were ready to sign us up, but we assured them, "This probably will go no where... we're just going to pray about it."

And that's exactly what we did - for the next 8 months. Or as Peter likes to tell people, "We tried to lay down and hope the feeling passed." It didn't. Instead, it grew.

God began hammering harder and harder on both of us. Videos (like this one) and adoption stories started popping up in my news feed on Facebook. People I hadn't spoken with in years were suddenly calling me to talk about orphanage work. Kisses from Katie came out, and I found myself sobbing about half-way through the book, wondering if Katie could trust God enough to do this "alone," why couldn't I trust Him to do it with Peter? We talked and prayed, we both shared that IF this happened, we felt called to request all girls (because of our experiences overseas) and that God was placing the number "4" on our hearts. In all honesty, we were still waiting for God to say, "Okay, just kidding... I just wanted to make you panic a little!" But He didn't. And the neon lights grew.

In August of 2013, we knew it was time to take another step in GUT OBEDIENCE to God. At the time, we thought we might want to adopt from Peru (where Peter, a "missionary kid," had grown up), and when we did some research about U.S. agencies that worked there, there were only 3 that came up in our Google search. After reviewing the 3 options, Lifeline Children's Services in Alabama became our top choice. We filled out a form requesting more information, and waited for God to say, "Thanks! That's all I wanted. You're done now. The test is over." But He didn't.

The phone call came, and we found ourselves stumped on the very first question: "Why do you want to adopt?" Being exceedingly honest (and blunt) people, we figured it was best to get the truth out right away, so it's no surprise when there was silence from the Alabama end when we said, "We don't... but God's telling us to, so we're following Him."

Question #2 didn't get any better: "Okay... since you have no children I assume you're looking for an infant?" Now there was silence from the Tennessee end as we looked at each other and then said, "No. Actually, we don't have any desire for an infant. We think God wants us to take an older sibling group of 4 or more, and females." 

Amazingly, they didn't say to us, "Thanks for your interest... don't call us, we'll call you." Instead, she listened to the rest of our story, and asked if we'd like to get more information on taking the next step. We responded with, "Not really... but send it!" Sometimes, walking in faith looks a little bit like being scared out of your mind.

They sent the paperwork, and we let it sit on the dining room table until November. That whole, "Lay down until the feeling passes" thing still wasn't working, and one November night we looked at each other and confessed that we were more afraid of continuing to say "No" to God, than we were of taking on a tribe of kids. One year from the time we first felt God leading us to adoption, we filled out the first 8 pages of what would end up being mountains and mountains of paperwork, wrote a check for $250, and mailed it to Alabama with a prayer.

Along with joking about needing a neon light to have children, I also used to kid around that 9 months wasn't nearly long enough for me to adjust to the idea of being a mom. I would laughingly say, "I really need the gestation period of an elephant to get used to THAT idea!" If you're not sure how long that is, it's 18-22 months.

Our Home Study began on January 1, 2014. It took 19 months to complete (the typical home study for an adoption takes 3-4 months), and was filled with frustration, learning, laughter, and growth. Many times during the process, I thought about how I always said I would need time to adjust - and I am grateful that God seems to have a sense of humor! It was during our home study that we felt God leading us to adopt from Costa Rica rather than our original choice of Peru. That change (mid-home study) caused a delay, but our decision to switch has been confirmed over and over again.

Also in the midst of the home study, we took on a large home renovation project (another reason the home study took so long), gutting the front half of our 2,000 sq. ft. home to remove the plaster walls, add insulation, and renovate the bedroom and bath of our future kids, adding a play loft over their bedroom in the process. In January of 2015 our home renovations were completed, and in July of 2015 our home study was finally finalized. It was time for the next step.

Ready and waiting!

Throughout this process, God had been molding us more into His image. He had broken our selfish hearts and allowed us to realize that this was the story that He was writing for us. Although we didn't start out wanting to adopt, after 2 full years of working through the process, God has softened our hearts and given us a desire to minister for Him to a set of siblings. The change is a direct work of God... and we praise Him for that.

For the last 6 months, we worked through more paperwork, more fingerprints, even MORE fingerprints, immigration applications, notarizing EVERYTHING in triplicate, and assembling our Dossier for Costa Rica.

WHERE ARE WE NOW? I'm so glad you asked! We were informed that a few days before Christmas, our Dossier had been reviewed by the agency team in Alabama and had been approved and sent to Costa Rica to be translated, notarized (again), and then submitted to the National Children's Trust to be reviewed and (hopefully) approved for adoption. On January 27, 2016, our Dossier was officially placed in the hands of the Trust, and now we're waiting to see if they have more questions or if it's approved.

AND JUST WHEN WE GOT COMFORTABLE AGAIN: On January 28, 2016 we were approached by the agency with a possible match, for a sibling set of 5 - 4 sisters and 1 brother. It came out of left field for us, but we agreed to pray for a few days before we gave them our answer. Just like our experience in 2012, both Peter and I knew almost immediately that this is the path God wanted us to take, but we still spent time praying and talking about the changes this would require. We need to revise our small guest bedroom, we need to think about how we fit 7 in our vehicles, we need to think about how having a boy changes the dynamics. On January 30, 2016, we emailed our agency to let them know that God had made it clear that we were to take the next step. We are not officially matched with this sibling set yet, but we're trusting that if this is who God has for us, He will continue to open doors. If it's not, He will close the doors and we'll wait for Him to bring along the kids He has for us. HE is writing this story... we are along for the ride.

If you've made it this far - THANK YOU! If you want to know if there's a way you can help - KEEP READING.

Up until now, we have paid for all of the expenses for this adoption out of our own funds (approx. $35,000 so far - including fees, renovation, bunk beds, etc.). God has provided for us, above and beyond, and we believe He will continue to do so. HOWEVER, should this sibling group work out, we're looking at a lot of expenses in a very short amount of time:

• Final renovation expenses 
• Travel to Costa Rica 
• Time off of work (we have to be in country for 6 weeks) 
• Housing and meals in Costa Rica (for 7 people for 6 weeks) 
• Paperwork changes (we were approved for 4 kids, now we need to make changes to our home study and immigration forms if we want to take 5 - that's an additional cost) 
• Passports and paperwork for the kids in country 
• Travel home for 7 (we're hoping to utilize Delta's adoption rates) 
• Remaining agency fees 

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Throughout this process, both Peter and I have really fought the idea of asking for funds. We both felt strongly that God had provided good jobs for us, that this was something He called us to do, and that we needed to be responsible for the cost. Last month we took a hard look at the numbers, and we realized it was time to humble ourselves. It's not easy. I hate telling people what we need. I hated it when we raised support as missionaries, and I hate it more now. But in looking at the possibility of bringing these (potentially) 5 children home within the next 6 months, we are faced with the reality of the expense, and God has been nudging us that it's time to be vulnerable, lose the pride, and allow other people in on this adventure, if they want to be involved.

So... we know God is writing this story, and if you'd like to be a part of it in a financial way, we'd be grateful. (You can donate at https://www.youcaring.com/KoensAdoption) If not - no worries. This is the story, these are the needs, and no matter what you choose, we covet your prayers for wisdom.

After almost 16 years of marriage we're going from "Koens, party of 2" to "Koens, party of 7!" and life will never been the same, and #iamthankful.

• Pray for us. 
• Pray for our kids. 
• And ask God what He might be calling YOUR family to do... if you think it might be adoption, we'd love to talk to you. :) 

Koens. Table for 7. It's time to gather.

We're Just Getting Started...

Fourteen years ago, two young people (one a wee bit younger than the other...), stood before a minister, wedding party, and a small crowd of friends and family, and made their vows to God to love, honor, and cherish each other, until death did them part. The theme song from Indiana Jones ushered them down the grass aisle and into a life that has certainly been anything but dull. For this couple in the "getaway car" - life was just about to get interesting.

From the coast of New England to the hills of East Tennessee and the frozen tundra of Alaska, from the plains and deserts and mountains of Africa to the jungles of Indonesia - together we have traveled and explored, experienced frustration and faced the dissolution of expectations. For fourteen years we have done our best to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow the Lord's leading, and while most people would look at our lives and say we've already done so much, I'm betting that the next fourteen years are going to be some of the busiest and most interesting yet. As the Lord leads us into unknown territory, there is absolutely no one I would rather do life with than the man that I wake up next to each and every day.

Happy Anniversary to Us.

New to the blog? Read Our Story.

Thankful For :: 951 - 960

Twelve years ago, I was rushing around, mixing icing, thawing cakes, packing up my bedroom, and preparing to become a bride just six months after my 18th birthday. Twelve years ago, Peter was by my side, keeping me calm, doing what needed to be done, and making me laugh. Just like he still does.

I know people thought my parents were crazy for letting me get married so young, for allowing me to cut my "college experience" short, for "giving" me to someone seven years my senior. They thought I must have baby-fever (they didn't know me), they assumed I would never finish college (three years later, B.S. degree in hand), they decided Peter was just another Moody who married local and would never make it overseas (4.5 years on three continents, eight countries). I know there were skeptics who doubted it would last, who thought we were nuts, and who just couldn't understand what this 25-year old guy saw in an 18-year old girl. But we knew. There was never any doubt.

For the last twelve years, we have gone through the better, and the worse, the sickness, and the health, the richer, and the poorer. In twelve years, we've never spent a night apart, we still enjoy being together, and no one can make me laugh harder, longer, or more often than Peter. As we've grown as individuals, we've grown together as a couple. There's no telling what the next twelve years will hold for us, but there's no one I'd rather face them with, than that big smiley guy. We're a perfect match.

This week, I'm thankful for...

951. Twelve years of wedded bliss

952. Being married to a man who knows me better than I know myself

953. A husband who makes me feel beautiful, all the time

954. A God-centered marriage

955. All the fun and laughter, road trips, life overseas, the whole shebang

955. Ravi Zacharias's tape: I, Isaac, Take You, Rebecca

956. God's still, small voice

957. The gift of humor, for laughter, and for a husband who doesn't take himself seriously

958. The sense to wait on God and His timing

959. Getting married young and being saved from so much heartache

960. God's faithfulness in providing the perfect (for me) mate

What are YOU thankful for?

Thankful For :: 431 - 440 (The Anniversary Edition)

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

* * * Psalms 1 * * *

Eleven years ago today, Peter and I stood in front of our minister and heard him read Psalms 1 - the third and final time for Psalms 1 because we were finally getting married. It was a nice wedding - or so I've been told. I was, apparently, totally zoned out and just ready for it to be over so we could move on with normal life. Over the years, we've come to the conclusion that wedding festivities are really more for friends and family than they are for the bride and groom. Although our wedding was quite simple (I mean, we made our own wedding cakes for goodness sake!), if I came across a sweet DeLorean (outfitted with a flux capacitor, of course), I would go back eleven years and do a couple of things differently...

1) Small wedding (immediate family, and possibly a few close friends) in my parent's yard
2) Take the rest of the money and go on a really nice 2-3 week honeymoon (Hawaii or Europe)

But that's not how we did it, and it was a lovely day and people did have a good time, and despite my out-of-it state, we were married and have enjoyed eleven years of wedded bliss. So it's all good. We've had eleven years of fun and laughter, even during the hard times, and I can't imagine living my life with anyone else.

This week I'm thankful for...

431. Finding a guy who would suggest that I stuff myself in a bag so he could carry me around the house and take pictures...priceless!

432. Marrying a man who isn't afraid to wear many hats in this life

433. Finding a mate who encourages me to do things that are outside of my comfort zone

434. Living with a man who has the patience of a saint when trying to teach me about engines, cars, construction, electrical stuff, etc.

435. Having a companion who enjoys traveling as much as I do and who is always ready for a road trip

436. Finding a spouse who actually enjoys cooking - I am so blessed!

437. Getting to hang out with my best friend (really and truly my best friend) every single day

438. Being the wife of a man who actually enjoys being with me, who doesn't bad mouth me to other guys, who stands up for me when necessary, and who doesn't feel the need to have "guy time" to get away from the "old lady" - Yoda would say, "Much blessed, you are." Yes indeed.

439. Marrying someone who has helped me discover foods I didn't know I liked and pushed me to try things I never would have in the past, only to discover yumminess I didn't know I was missing.

440. Meeting a man who was able to convince me that I didn't need to experience the world single before being content to experience the world married. Getting married at 18 isn't for everyone, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made and I haven't regretted it for one moment. God knew - far better than I did - what I needed, and I'm forever grateful to Him for bringing Peter into my life.

    

L-R: Showing our mutual tongue talents, eating Chick-fil-A before the wedding, relaxing during pictures

One of my favorite photos of the day

Happy 11th Anniversary, Peter - I love you.

If you would like to read our whole friendship-turned-courtship-turned-marriage story, you can find it under the "The Story of Us" tab on the sidebar, or by clicking HERE.

He Knows Me So Well...

These beauties arrived at my door this afternoon. A "Happy 10th Anniversary" gift from Peter who was spending ten hours at work today (mandatory longer hours - but no complaints because that means overtime pay!). After ten years of marriage he knows the kinds of flowers I like - why send me roses when daisies are my favorite flower? :-) And he made sure they put in ten gerber daisies to represent our ten years of married life. Is he romantic or what? :-)

It was a low-key day. We ate BLTs at home before running out to a local marina to hear our neighbor and his son play in their band - and we even got an anniversary shout out as we were leaving. We came home and Peter continued studying for a test he is taking this Saturday. After our second anniversary (when we also had our second anniversary trip disaster) we decided to skip spending money on one day a year and just enjoy each and every day. It works for us...but I never say no to beautiful flowers! :-)

Celebrating 10 Years!

If you've been following Our Story at all, then you already know how we met and that the 17th of June is a big day for us (first "date" - '98, day we got engaged - '99, wedding day - '00). Today we are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. It's truly hard to believe that we have been married for ten years already and have often wondered where the time went! Well, in tribute to our 10 years of wedded bliss (and a few years prior to marriage) I decided to put together a slide show set to two songs that have special meaning to us. It covers the years of our friendship, courtship, and the ten years since we started our life together. The photos follow us around the world and around the U.S. as we worked as traveling missionary aircraft mechanics and Jack-and-Jill-of-all-trades. In the words of Bilbo Baggins, we went "there and back again" and wouldn't change a thing. It has been an amazing ten years and we can't wait to see what the next ten will hold for us. Chances are we'll find ourselves on all sorts of new adventures - and I can't imagine going along for the ride with anyone else. I am blessed.

So...Happy Anniversary to us and here's to many, many more! I hope you enjoy the video (Running time is 6:42) and thanks for all who have made such kind comments about our love story. Please feel free to share it with others. Sorry for how small the video is - I couldn't figure out how to make it bigger!

After going through all our pictures to make this slide show I was reminded of what the angel Clarence told George Bailey: "You see George, you've really had a wonderful life." I feel the same could be said of us - it's certainly been an adventure and I'm thankful for all of the experiences we have had - can't wait for more!

The Story of Us - Part 11 (The Wedding Pictures Edition)

As promised, here are some photos from our wedding on June 17, 2000. We tried to make it a very simple day and we recruited our friends and family to help make that happen. Looking back on it after ten years it still looks like a beautiful day, but the reality was that I was very out of it all day long. Peter will confirm that if necessary! :-) Still, we were married and we didn't spend a fortune making that happen, so it's all good.

At the rehearsal with my dad - we had come a long way in 2 years!

Yes, I helped him get dressed for our wedding - as I said, we did everything differently!

If you can't tell from this picture, these two could not have been happier - Mom always wanted Peter for a son-in-law and Peter thinks she's the best mother-in-law. I'm thrilled they get along (and are comfortable enough to give each other a hard time)!

This is the church where I had wanted to get married since I was a little girl - back then it was out in the country and when we got married there was a Lowe's across the street! But it was still perfect. The church was too small for all our friends and family, but we used the building to get ready and we set up a tent in the side yard under the trees where we got married.

We knew we were meant for each other when we realized we could both fold our tongues into a weird shape. ;-)

It's for real this time - and he's still smiling! :-)

And so we were married - nice and quick, twenty minutes from start to finish

Telling my Dad good-bye...

...and then on to Chicago for the honeymoon!

Eating dinner at the top of the Hancock Tower in Chicago

Room service meal at The Drake (probably one of the best meals of the week)

After two years of waiting and drama we could finally focus on real life! We moved to middle Tennessee for me to start school at a new college, for Peter to begin his job at a little airport as a mechanic, and to see what married life would hold for us. As I was unloading the dishes into the cabinet of our first home together, I really didn't think I would be packing them up and moving again a mere six months later...but that's what happened. Life has been an interesting set of twists and turns in our ten years of marriage, but I'm thankful to have been along for the ride!

I hope you have enjoyed going along for the ride as we have gone through the process of meeting, friendship, our bumpy courtship, surprise year-long engagement, and finally - our wedding day! Thanks for reading and commenting along the way.

To God Be the Glory

The Story of Us - Part 10

June 17th is a big day for us. Over a period of three years it was the day of our first date, the day that we became engaged, and the date that we picked for our wedding. This coming Thursday we will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary - those years have flown by! If you missed the first nine sections of our story, you can do a little catch up reading HERE. We had just become officially engaged in the conclusion of Part 9, my sister had just gotten married and Peter was preparing to move to Boston to look for work and an apartment. About a week and a half after our engagement, we packed up Peter's little '88 Mazda 323 with everything he owned (minus his aircraft mechanic's toolbox which I would be arranging to ship to Boston once he had a job).

Here we are with Peter's fully packed car

When Peter left my summer was full of preparing for college, shopping and packing, spending time with family, and talking to Peter daily. Keep in mind that this was 1999 and cell phones back then didn't have the coverage packages that we enjoy a mere eleven years later. He had to get a job quickly or these $600+ phone bills were going to kill us! He had two temporary jobs (including working at my favorite store - Target!) before he finally landed an aviation mechanic position in Bedford, MA - about 35 minutes (during "good" traffic hours) from where I would be living in Wenham, MA. Once he had a job he started hunting for an apartment that would work for us after we were married. Easier said than done. After being #37 on a waiting list for a $1200 studio apartment and renting one "renovated" motel apartment for a few hours (which was all the time our friend's parents would let him keep it before they insisted he pick up his stuff and move back in with them), he finally realized that finding an affordable apartment in a good area was almost impossible. Since he had a free place to live - at least until I got there - he decided to focus on his job and we would worry about renting an apartment once I arrived and we could look together. In August I packed up my stuff and drove up to Boston with my folks and my sister. We couldn't get there fast enough and every time we stopped I waited impatiently until we were on the road again. 

 

Finally reunited and oh so happy!

There's a lot that could be said about that year in Boston. Positives would be that we grew a lot as a couple, we learned to work through our disagreements even when it meant late nights, I met some great people at college, we had lots of new and fun experiences, we loved living near the city where there was so much to do, and we fell in love with the New England coast. Boston is still our favorite city and we love going back to visit as often as we can. However, it wasn't all happiness, sunshine, and light. A few of the downsides were that it was a very expensive place to live, the college that I had had my heart set on attending since my brother went to school there 16 years earlier failed to meet my expectations, and we were unable to find an apartment to live in once we were married. So although we are still thankful for that year together (which we call our first year of marriage without the "fun"), we decided that once I completed my freshman year, we would move back to Tennessee for me to finish college before we headed overseas.

Yes, that's Peter standing there with me! And no, I don't feel ill, why do you ask?

Over my Christmas break from school I finally pulled that wedding dress out of the closet (where it had been sitting for a year and a half!) and took it in to get it altered. As you'll be able to tell from the pictures, we did everything a little differently - yes, that is Peter standing there holding my veil. Well, who would I want to go with besides my best friend? :-) I didn't realize that I was fighting the flu at the time, nor that I had lost about 4.5 lbs. from being sick. When I got home from getting the dress altered I collapsed on the sofa with a 103-degree fever. Nice. And six months later on our wedding day when I tried to zip up the dress I realized I was back at my normal weight. Oops! Suck it in, ditch the bustier (the dress was thick enough), and don't breathe. :-) 

After my finals in mid-May, we packed up a large U-Haul and with a car trailer in tow we started driving to Tennessee. A wee bit different than when Peter moved up to Boston hauling everything he owned in his small car! However, I'll give you a hint as to what was inside the truck...but shhhh...don't tell U-Haul! :-)

There's Peter's little Mazda 323 stuck half-way in and half-way out of the moving truck. We got some come-along ratchets and ratcheted that thing all the way in the truck from that point. Good times! And here we are (below) at my parents house with our U-Haul and the car we acquired in Boston. That was a miserable trip as it was stinking HOT, it rained the whole way down, and the A/C in the truck didn't work. I think we got $40 back for our troubles.

Once we were back in Tennessee we had about a month before our wedding. There was a lot to be done - like baking our own wedding cakes (no, that's supposed to be plural!). We got this brilliant idea that we could save a lot of money if we used box cake mixes and baked our own wedding cakes. My sister had a friend who gave us the recipe for butter-cream icing and for about a week you could find us in the kitchen baking cake after cake. Each layer was a different flavor - confetti, yellow, chocolate, strawberry, and lemon. After the layers were baked, we would slice the tops off and freeze the layer. On the morning of our wedding we were recruiting all our friends and family to assemble wedding cakes on the ping-pong table in my parent's basement. What's that? Yes, we were nuts and yes, of course there are photos of the process! :-)

Cake mixes and cake pans all ready to go...

I have absolutely no idea why it looks like Peter is trying to get me to let go of the mixer...

Cutting the tops off of each layer (later we would put icing between the two thin layers and then slap another layer on top and then ice a thick layer of cake) - we ate what we cut off. :-)

This was the morning of our wedding day - madly icing cake layers (and obviously we didn't care about Peter seeing me before the wedding - there was too much to do!)

A friend (and bridesmaid) helped me assemble the cakes once they arrived at the church

One of two finished cakes - they weren't perfect, but everyone loved them, they tasted good, and we did save money, even if we lost our sanity in the process! Actually I can only assume they tasted good based on what people told me - we were so sick of cake (we had eaten all the parts we cut off before they were iced) we didn't even try the finished product!

So with the cakes assembled, our friends and family gathered around us, the photos taken, guests arriving, and an hour left to kill before the service started, there was only one thing to do...eat Chick-fil-A for lunch of course!

I planned on this being the final installment, but if you come back tomorrow I'll post some pictures of the actual ceremony and reception, and tell you where we went on our honeymoon. :-) If you don't want to come back for the pictures, then let me say thanks for reading along as we have reviewed how God set our story into motion and how He led us up to the point of marriage. Without Him our story would be very different. I am forever grateful for His leading in my life that caused me to pray that "scary prayer" and open myself up to falling in love with Peter. I could not have found someone more perfect for me, and I know that is no accident. So thanks for your patience while I retold our story and for your kind comments along the way. Hope to "see" you back tomorrow for the final wedding saga and then again on Thursday when I've got something quite special planned that will show you what the last ten years have been like for us. :-)