They arrived a little after 7 PM last night, and I had a spaghetti dinner waiting for them. I also had a little cake I found at the grocery store. I had the girl write "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Boo Bear" on it. They loved it and the cash gift inside.
After dinner, I got up from the table and said, "Newlyweds are not allowed to do dishes here, so don't get up." Hollie said, "Please, let me help you. I want to." I couldn't help wondering what possibly could have gone wrong in this girl's upbringing. Kind, helpful, grateful and insists on helping with the dishes. She must have had a concussion early on or something, and doesn't know that when you turn 17, you leave home and do the exact opposite of everything your parents taught you.
After dessert, we went up to Papa's movie room to watch a movie. I told the guys I didn't want to watch anything too ghoury, and Hollie agreed. Hollie and I decided we wanted to watch Make a Joyful Noise with Dolly Parton. The guys weren't at all excited with our choice. I think Papa slept through most of it. Hollie and I thought it was adorable though. Here's the newlyweds waiting for the movie to start. (In the background is the tropical quilt I made years ago to enter in a contest on a quilt cruise I never took.)
I always pack lunch when we go out in the boat, so John put up the table, and we had ham sandwiches, chips and apples.
The weather was made-to-order. The paper plates and napkins didn't blow off into the lake, but we still had a wonderful cool breeze and no bugs. When it gets really hot later in the summer, the gnats and the bees can find you no matter where you are on the lake. I always have a can of OFF in the boat.
Then came Jerry's favorite part. You will never see my husband more content than when he is taking someone fishing in the boat and they actually catch fish. He just loves it!
Here, he is helping Hollie get her fish in and taking it off the hook. I LOVE to see him smile and laugh like that!
And the kids were catching fish two at a time! It was so much fun.
It was like God planned a special day JUST for us! Everything was so perfect.
I kept staring at Hollie and thinking back a hundred years ago when I used to look like that -- from the neck down anyway. I never had such a beautiful face and long, thick hair. Just wished I did. I wore a blue and white polka dot bikini like that when Jerry and I were first married, and I got the worst sunburn I have ever had in my life while I kept telling him how I never burned.
Hollie kept telling me how she never burns, and I warned her! She did put sunscreen on, and John was lathered in it. He has fair skin like Papa does.
When we realized the fish were actually biting that day, we decided to start keeping them so I could cook a fish dinner for them on Sunday. We didn't catch enough though, so when we got back home, we decided to go fish in the big pond Jerry built. AGAIN!, it couldn't have been more perfect.
I caught the biggest fish of the day, but everyone was catching fish.
This is the first time ever we have taken fish out of the pond to eat. For the first several years, Jerry was counting them and naming them!
Hollie grabbed the catch from our pond to add to the catch for dinner on Sunday.
We decided we better get back to the house and clean all the fish and call it a day. I was so exhausted that I didn't stay up to watch the guy's choice of movie. I went to bed at 9 PM and slept like a baby all night. It was a WONDERFUL day, and I am so thankful it turned out that way. Hollie told me the next morning that I would NOT have liked the movie they picked.
The next morning was Sunday and, of course, church in my sewing room on the monitor. I told the kids we attended church online and what time it would be. I wasn't sure if they would show up or not. BUT, being the DREAM weekend that it was for a Grandma, both kids arrived showered and dressed. Hollie had makeup on! I was still in my pajamas.
Matt Hagee preached the PERFECT sermon. I'm telling you, this weekend was planned by God for this very special couple. The sermon was about facing your giant -- taken from the story of David and Goliath -- but the message was about today and our government and how we have to face that giant as Christians joining together in prayer and faith, believing that we can reclaim America as One Nation Under God! Matt recited all the wars American lives have been lost in, and the reason they were fought. The sermon was awesome, and the kids really listened. When it was over, we talked for a long time about the Bible and the sermon.
I fixed the big fish fry lunch, but didn't think to take a picture of it. It is a LOT of work, and not much free time. Then the kids just played. John loves my 4-wheeler and rode Hollie all over our property and down to the lake. It got late in the afternoon, and the kids had to go back home. Hollie is still in High School and had to be at school this morning.
That is it for our weekend with our oldest grandson and his brand new wife, Hollie. John leaves early Wednesday morning for Alaska. Hollie will join him there after she graduates. What an adventure these two will have. She is going to go to college there. Wants to be an Orthodontist.
Better go.
Hugs, Joy
Oh, Joy, what a lovely weekend you had. What a wonderful blessing Hollie will be to your family. God Bless them and their marriage.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Phylly