Trip to SC, Graduation & Our Kids are Home!

Greetings!  Hope this finds you well.  Just wanted to share a little about our trip to South Carolina and Brennan's Graduation. 

Initially, we had only planned to go down early Tuesday for Graduation that evening and come home Wednesday.  When we found out both Brennan & Breezy were in a play the weekend before, we felt we couldn't pass up the opportunity to head down early to catch the final performance on Saturday night.  It was called Joseph of Aramathea.  Brennan played John the Baptist and Breezy played Martha.  It was wonderful and we enjoyed it so much! 

On Sunday, we spent several hours with the kids, including lunch at their favorite local spot...a wonderful Mexican restaurant that was FANTASTIC!  Let me just say it quickly became a favorite to us, too and I suspect we'll visit anytime we're in town.  Everything was positively delicious!  It started getting rainy and stormy as we headed back to the hotel. Tom and Brennan chatted and Breezy and I checked out all sorts of blogs...it was great! 

On Monday, Brennan had some final exams and projects and Breezy was working, so Tom and I were on our own.  It was unfortunately still very, very rainy in Greenville, meaning we couldn't do many of the things we would have normally enjoyed (we love their beautiful downtown area).  Tom said, "let's head to the beach!"  (You need to know Greenville, although in SC, couldn't be farther from the beach!)  We went to Google to find the closest, which was Folly Beach, near Charleston, 3 1/2 hours away.  Unfortunately, they had rain in their forecast that day, too.  We checked other beaches, just in case, but all were expecting 70% rain and thunderstorms!

We decided to take our chances that we'd miss it and hit the road.  After all, it was better than sitting in the hotel all day!   About 2 1/2 hours into the trip, we hit some unbelievably hard rain.  (So much for our chances!)  It was so hard to see!  Finally, it cleared up just before we arrived at Folly Beach.  It was cloudy there, but not raining! 

(photo courtesy of Google images)

We walked on the beach for a while, put our toes in the (very) cold water, and then decided to head over to Charleston, an an effort to beat the rain.  The skies were getting darker by this time and it was sprinkling just as we arrived.  We parked and started walking around town, then stopped for a late lunch at Five Guys Deli (there is one locally but we've never eaten there).  It was terrific! 

We both quickly noticed there were college kids everywhere!  (There are a number of colleges/technical schools in and around Charleston.)  As we were finishing lunch, the rain got heavier and this time accompanied by thunder & lightning!  We decided the rest of our exploring was going to be better done from the car...i.e. no photos.  (Sorry!)  = (  We headed back to Greenville thinking we'll have to try visiting again sometime in better weather! 

Tuesday was graduation day and at last, the sun returned!  It turned into a beautiful day.  We took advantage of the opportunity to sleep in a bit, had lunch at Panera, then headed to the school for graduation practice.  Later, we enjoyed dinner with the kids and then we headed back to the school for the big event!  Though Brennan's college is a small one, they went to great lengths to host a special, inspiring and wonderful ceremony. 

 
Receiving his degree...

With faculty and other 2010 graduates, Rachel & Natalie

 

Thought this was such a sweet moment...Breezy is so proud of Brennan! (and so are we!) 

And a kiss for his favorite girl!

Following the ceremony, there was a wonderful reception for the students, family and friends.  Everyone enjoyed it so much.  Finally, it was time to call it a day.  We were making the trip home on Wednesday and wanted to get a good night's rest.  Speaking of making the trip home, a certain couple followed us here!  = )  They have several vacation days and they wanted to spend it with their families.  (Hooray!)  You can only imagine how much we're loving that!  = ) 

My Mother's Day Gifts... = )

Just had to share with you my charming Mother's Day gifts from Breezy & Brennan.  They were perfect!  First...

I should tell you...I've always loved flowers in a Mason jar, but this was precious!  I love the way that ribbon and button dress it up.  She added that sweet mini clothespin and made the card attached with scrapbooking software.  Isn't that a great idea!? = )   

Then...this!  I absolutely LOVE it!  She stained the wood plaques and then Mod-Podged pink paper to the front which she distressed.  She added a slight antique coloring to the photos and added a beautiful quote (chosen by Brennan), then embellished with ribbon and buttons.  The photos she chose are some of my favorites.  This is truly an absolute treasure!

I've always told you Breezy and her family were talented and creative.  Over the years, I've seen her create some wonderful and very special gifts for Brennan.  It was especially meaningful to receive something so special for my own!  Apparently, her inspiration for both gifts came from things she has seen in blogworld. Yes, she too has been bitten by the blogging bug!  (I love it!)  She has been having lots of fun exploring & getting all sorts of ideas.  = ) 

Oh and lest I forget!  Here is the beautiful quote:

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.  ~Washington Irving.

Hope you had a wonderful and special Mother's Day, too! 

Valentine's Weekend

First, I want to thank you for your kind words and prayers for the families in Thursday's post.  I can't tell you how much that means to me.  This post was in the works at that time, but had been set aside.

Are you digging out of snow where you are?  We've had record-breaking snowfalls this month and currently have about 7 inches on the ground.  (I am sooo looking forward to Spring!)  Between two large snowfalls, we had a several cold but clear days.  We had tossed around the idea of traveling south to see the kids, but hadn't finalized our plans until we knew what kind of weather was in store.  (Normally, we would wait to visit until it wasn't questionable, but there were performances at the college that we really wanted to see.)

Thursday night, we decided it was a go and got packed.  I had taken Friday off, so we hit the road in the morning, hopeful we had left the snow behind (for a few days anyway).  Would you believe, 6 hours into the trip (two hours outside of Greenville) it started to SNOW!!!  By the time we arrived, there were about 3 inches on the ground! A very rare occurence there.

We arrived in just enough time to get checked into the hotel, change our clothes and head to the college.  We saw Bren & Breezy just moments after walking through the door.  It was great to see them!!  We hugged and chatted for a few moments with them (and some of our "adopted" kids) and then settled in to enjoy some pre-show entertainment, planned especially in honor of Valentine's weekend.  Then, it was onto the plays -- two of them, back to back with an intermission in between.  The Miracle Worker (the story of Ann Sullivan, teacher to Helen Keller) by William Gibson and The Last Leaf written by O Henry.  Each was only about an hour in length, yet both were very moving  (we were in tears on more than one occassion) and beautifully performed. 

Chatting with many of the cast members afterward.  I was definitely swooning over their wardrobe!  Hard to believe the old man on the far right is only 21 years old!  ; )

Don't they look great!?

My two favorite guys in all the world!  I wish you could have seen the makeup on stage.  Very effective and Brennan portrayed his character extremely well!

Love this photo.  When Breezy's Mom saw this, she started singing "When I'm 64!" ;  )

Peter & Jaimie (they too are newlyweds!) 

After the performance we spent a little time with the kids, then called it a night.  (All those hours travelling were catching up!)  

On Saturday, the performances were matinee which was wonderful because it allowed for much more time with the kids. = )  It was really great to see each of the plays again.  I think Saturday's performances were even better than Friday's (and they were awesome to begin with!) 

When everything wrapped up, it was still early evening, so we had lots of time to "catch up" with Bren & Breezy during dinner.  (Yay!!!)  Afterward, they came to our hotel.  We had the best time!  We had a couple of Valentine gifts for them and I made some Valentine cookies so we just snacked and chatted for at least a couple of hours (maybe more).  It was bliss! = )  When we all started to get sleepy, they headed home and we made plans to meet for a quick breakfast on Sunday morning before we headed home. 

Sunday morning, we checked the weather forecast and learned they were predicting more snow back home beginning late that night and we wanted to get home well before that started.  We met the kids at McDonald's, shared a quick breakfast (so happy to get to see and hug them one more time!) and then were on our way.  Tom and I had decided this  trip was our Valentine's gift to one another (and one that would be hard to top!)  The kids are hoping to come home sometime in March.  If not, they'll be home for spring break in April.  Either way...we cannot wait!  = ) 

Happy Birthday Brennan!

A young man who is very near to my heart is celebrating his birthday today...his first as a married man!  = ) 

Recently, I ran across a very old spiral bound notebook.  I've never been one to journal, but I have been known to scribble random thoughts and notes.  As I picked up the notebook and flipped through its pages, I found the story of Brennan's birth!  From all appearances, I wrote this when he was still quite young as if I was telling him the story.  I thought it would be fun to share it, in honor of his birthday. 

* * *

On a sunny Saturday in May of 1988, a man and his wife discovered they were expecting a baby.  They were so very happy, extremely excited and a little nervous all at once!  For nearly 4 years, it had just been the two of them.  It wasn't long at all before they shared the great news with family and friends, that soon they would be a family of three!

A few weeks later, they got to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time! What a thrill that was!  Soon the woman's tummy began to grow...she felt wonderful!  The couple began reading all about how the baby was growing and changing everyday.  What a miracle!  Then one day, the woman felt the baby kick for the first time!  She couldn't wait for her husband to feel it too, and very soon, he did.  The baby continued to grow and they began to try to choose a name for this special little person. 

Every night, the man would place his head on his wife's tummy and talk to the baby.  After a few months, the woman was able to see it when she had an ultrsound.  The baby was flipping and moving around in every direction and even sucking its thumb!  It was incredible!  She learned it weighed only about 1 pound and was abut 6" long.  She learned the baby was healthy and expected to arrive in late January or early February of 1989.  Oh, and one other thing...she learned that "it" was a "he!" 

She called her husband right away to share the news that they would have a son.  They both spent much of that day in a sort of daydream, thinking of their baby boy. 

They began making preparations and decorating the room that was soon to be occupied by this little guy.  They choose periwinkle blue carpet and painted walls of warm beige.  They found a charming border with lambs, horses and lions in beige, blue and pink, which the man put up with the help of his brother-in-law.  One set of Grandparents bought a lovely crib, the other Grandparents bought a matching changing table.  The man surprised his wife with a beautiful rocking chair.  She couldn't wait to rock her sweet baby boy. There were baby showers and many special gifts in anticipation of his arrival.    

At last, one evening the woman was admitted to the hospital. She was given medication they hoped would coax the baby to come.  She got settled into her hospital room, and the waiting began.  She and her husband played Uno to pass the time.  They called both sets of Grandparents and sometime later, they drifted off to sleep.  About 3:30 in the morning, the woman awoke to find her water had broken!  It was finally time!  (or so they thought...)  The hours that followed suggested the baby was quite comfy where he was and really didn't want to leave.  After many hours (27 to be exact), the doctor decided it was time to help the baby make it's arrival.  At long last...he did!  At 6:19 am on Friday, January 27th, 1989. 

He was born with quite a lot of auburn hair and round little cheeks and dimples on his hands.  He weighed a whopping 9 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long.  Lots of people said he looked like his maternal Grandpa.  As you might guess, to the man and woman, he was the most precious baby they had ever seen. 

After a couple of days in the hospital and many visitors...the couple took the baby home to begin their new life together as a family...our family...and that sweet and precious baby?  He was Brennan Thomas Klensch.  A good natured, loving, happy baby (not to mention beautiful!)  Everyone said he looked just like the Gerber baby.  He was (and still is) definitely a "cuddler" which only made him more lovable.  He was even known to put his head on the shoulder of people holding him for the first time, and they would always just melt.  Those huge blue eyes and the sweetest of smiles never failed to light up any room.  The joy he brought (and continues to bring) to his Daddy and Mommy is something beyond anything they could have ever imagined.  There was never a doubt God had blessed them greatly with this extraordinary gift. 

Bren, even though your baby days have long since passed, you continue to bring great joy to Dad and I. Being your parents remains the greatest privilege God has ever given to us.  We can truly never thank Him enough. We are so very proud of you and the way you serve and honor God with your life.  We wish you a wonderful day of celebration! (No doubt Breezy is making it a very special one.)  We love & miss you so much!   

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~3 John 1:4

The Wedding!!!

Hello!!! There is sooooooooo much to share with you, I haven’t a clue where to start! I’m just going to dive in headlong, so hold on!!!

Last Saturday was the wedding…THE wedding, the one that’s been planned now for over a year. What an incredible day! It came together perfectly, wonderfully and beautifully. It had been unseasonably cold, rainy & dreary all week long. On Saturday morning, we awoke to those same cold temps, but beautiful sunshine! What a blessing. It truly set the tone for a wonderful day!

The entire wedding party met together at the church around 9:00 Saturday morning. Brennan and Breezy were seeing one another beforehand, so that many of the photos could be taken in advance of the ceremony. However, they shared a few special moments together, just the two of them (captured at a distance by the photographer) when he saw her for the first time as his bride. (I can't wait to see those photos!)

The original plan was to take many of the remaining photos outdoors. However, because of all the rain, mud & cold temps, they decided instead to make arrangements to use a local old theater instead. It was beautiful!

Special thanks to my sister, Marcia for capturing so many of these photos for me, all throughout the day (and even the night before at the rehearsal!) What a gift! Although I'm very anxious to see the photographer's photos, it was wonderful to have a huge array of candid shots (over 200 from her alone!) Thanks also to Dale Robertson who graciously shared his photos, as well. (Trying to narrow them down was no small task, let me tell you!)

The juniors, ring bearer and flower girl.

The WHOLE wedding party!

Beautiful Breezy

All the lovely ladies...

My two favorite guys...

Tom and I, just before the ceremony

Breezy's Mom, Lisa

Awaiting his bride...

What a great moment...

Brennan & Breezy planned a very meaningful and Christ-centered ceremony. At the outset, during a hymn, they had set aside a few brief moments for a time of prayer with us as parents, Breezy with hers and Brennan with us. It was very special and something we will never forget.

The service was officiated by pastors who are very dear to Brennan & Breezy. They did an amazing job, and their messages complimented one another beautifully. There was great emphasis on the covenant they were entering into, and the challenge to make their marriage mirror the relationship of Christ and the church. It was a powerful reminder to all married couples.

With this ring...

Signing their covenant

At the close of the ceremony, there was unmistakable, radiant joy that these two were now husband and wife!

LOTS of family photos after the ceremony. I love this one. = )

My Mom & Dad (He was wearing dress shoes for the first time since his injury...every time I thought about how bad my feet were aching, I thought of him. He was in a good bit of pain, but kept on smiling.)

From the decor to the favors, Breezy's family did an incredible job. They had worked on various items for several weeks and everything looked so elegant. Breezy's Grandmother made 40 of these beautiful arrangements! On Thursday, everything was brought to the church and we started putting it all together. As friends arrived from out of town, they all jumped in to help....it was a great time!

Here is the happy couple making their grand entrance at the reception!

The extraordinary cookie table! In keeping with Italian tradition, there were all sorts of cookies offered. (In addition to the beautiful cake!) Among them, Kolache, thumprint cookies, crinkles, Mexican wedding cookies, shortbread, biscotti and clothespins. With the exception of two cookies, all the rest were made by family friend, Brittany Robertson. She was baking and freezing for several weeks, and did an amazing job...they were INCREDIBLE!

The food itself was delicious... Italian wedding soup, salad, chicken & fettucini alfredo and Italian green beans.

Another HUGE hit of the day was the coffee bar. Bren & Breezy had arranged it through a local coffee house who came in and set up shop. They made coffee drinks and smoothies all afternoon!

My nephew, Blake and his lovely girlfriend Lydia

Remember how Brennan proposed? He wrote a play called "She Said Yes." Near the end of the reception (as a transition to their getaway), they had arranged for the same people who originally played the parts to re-enact the play. It went beautifully and the crowd absolutely loved it!

As the play ended and they prepared for the tossing of the bouquet and their departure...they took a few moments to thank everyone for sharing in their special day.

All smiles at the end of the reception, my beautiful nieces, Jordyn & Blaire.

And finally...a picture of my sister, Marcia with my lovely niece, Brooke!

A wonderful day, indeed. Hope you've enjoyed these glimpses of the wedding. Thank you for sharing in our joy and excitement for all these months. We wish Brennan & Breezy a lifetime of love, joy and happiness together.

Special People + Bridal Shower + Road Trip = Great Memories

This time last weekend I was on a road trip. My travelling companions? Breezy (my daughter-in-law-to-be), her Mom, Lisa and her Aunt Shawn. Our destination? Youngstown, Ohio (about a 5 hour trip). The occasion? A bridal shower for our sweet girl, given by her Aunt Kristin.

They picked me up at 9:00 am Friday morning and after a quick trip to Starbucks, we were on the road. Our plan was to arrive at the home of Breezy’s Aunt Kristin in Columbus (on the way) for lunch. It normally takes about two hours to get there, but due to heavy construction and an overturned semi, it took almost four. We finally arrived at Kristin’s home, and after a warm welcome by her and her husband, Andy, we were ushered inside to enjoy the wonderful lunch she had prepared for us. Oven Fried chicken, Caesar salad and fruit. Delicious! And then…Kristin’s specialty, “Kolache” (an Italian nut roll) for dessert . (It was simply amazing!)

After lunch, we were back on the road, this time we followed Kristin, who had kidnapped Breezy for the ride. = ) More construction, a missed exit, more traffic and we finally arrived in Youngstown and got checked into our hotel around 7. Breezy’s Dad, John (Kristin’s brother) had come into town to surprise her. = )

I knew Breezy’s family was Italian. What I didn’t know was that Youngstown, Ohio was known as “little Italy.” There are Italian restaurants everywhere. We ate dinner that night at a pizzeria called “Inner Circle.” We tried an assortment of different menu items, all of which were very good. We had a great time, chatting and hearing stories from Kristin and John.

After a relaxing Saturday morning, we got ready for the bridal shower. It was a luncheon at a wonderful (of course, Italian) restaurant called Caffe Capri in the absolutely beautiful “Mama Q Room.”

The host & the guest of honor. = )

The tables looked lovely! Breezy’s love of coffee inspired Kristin’s choices for decor and favors...


Each table had a centerpiece containing various kinds of coffee. There were coffee beans scattered all around, then iced coffee and three different types of flavored coffees from which to choose. Each place setting had a chocolate spoon, a coffee scented candle, chocolate covered coffee beans as well as a darling pen that was personalized with a tiny little coffee cup!

Breezy's Mom, Lisa and her Aunt Shawn playing Bridal Bingo.


When it was time for lunch, we first enjoyed a wonderful salad, followed by the delicious entree, Chicken Marsala. The side dishes (green beans with almonds and gnocchi) were served family style. (It was the first time I'd ever tried gnocchi and I thought it was terrific!) My absolute favorite part of the meal, however was dessert...tiramisu. The portions were huge and I unapologetically ate every bite. = )

Is that not just a thing of beauty!? ; )

And now...gifts!


The shower was a wonderful & joy-filled occasion, with two especially touching moments. First, at the start of the shower, Kristin asked Breezy to share the story of how Brennan proposed. As she told the story, she got a bit emotional, which resulted in many teary eyes. (I especially enjoyed hearing this sweet story from her perspective.)

Later, when only one gift remained, Kristin explained that though it was from her, it was being given in honor of Breezy's Grandma, who passed away last year. "Grandma Sandy" had always loved buying snowglobes for Breezy. Needless to say, as she opened this, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. It's a bride and groom and the inscription reads, "Love is not about who you live with... it's about who you can't live without." What a fitting end to a very special occasion.

We so enjoyed the remainder of our weekend (even that long drive home!) Great memories that will last a lifetime. How I love this precious girl and her dear family!