The Blog 2.0

Man today was Hot! My van’s thermometer actually read that it was 100 degrees today in Lowell. Wow! Last year we had an outdoor wedding on a day this Hot!

I took a trip down Memory Lane today, remembering the hot days on the farm. Days like today we were using to rake and bale hay. I can’t imagine how we did it, but we’d be outside in the sun driving tractors around and around the fields all day. Or Mom would be driving the tractor while the rest of us were helping stack bales on the wagon or neatly pile them in the barn. I look back on those days and realize just what we had. We had family. Yes, it was Hot, yes, we did complain, but more than that I remember laughing at each other, trying to out do the other person, and goofing off with each other. And, crazy as it may seem, I miss days like today on the farm. Sometimes I wish I could take Lily and Brandon back there, so we could do it together as our family.

And a big thank you to the farmers who actually did spend today outside on the farm. (applause)

Emily

Congratulations to Aaron and Mandy, a beautiful couple from South Dakota. The wedding was Amazing, the Venue was Beautiful, and the Couple was everything a wedding photographer wishes for. We pray that God would bless you in your journey together, forever.

Many of you know that I am a Paramedic/Firefighter. Over the years I have ran on 1000′s of calls of people who are sick or injured. This one July afternoon, four years ago, was like every other day until Jen and Joe called for help.

I was working in a rural EMS system when we were called for women with abdominal pains. Jen was 23 weeks, 4 days pregnant with triplets when we arrived. My thought was, we’ll make it to the hospital and they’ll stop her contractions. We assumed this call would be like the many other pre-labor abdominal pains. I also knew from training that if the babies came today they wouldn’t survive.

Autumn had other plans. She arrived on the scene about 5 minutes from the hospital. She fit in the palm of my hand and she was alive. Her mother heard her cry in the ambulance and had to wait months to hear her cry again. You see Autumn was not supposed to have survived. Most of the doctors “knew” she wouldn’t make it. God had other plans. The staff at the local hospital did everything perfect in the delivery of her two sisters, Amber and Alexandria.

Autumn and Amber have been on a long road together over the past 4 years. Unfortunately, Alexandria passed away about soon after birth. Autumn has had multiple surgeries, continued care, and long term effects. With all she has been through she is a very happy child, full of energy, and full of love.

I thought I would never see them again after delivering them to the Emergency room. I tried to drop in and see Autumn when she was intensive care but was never allowed into see her. I have thought about this family every day. Every time the alarm would go off at the Fire Department I would worry that it was a call like that July day.

I never knew how much I affected their life, I just knew how much this affected me, that is until Jen was able to get in contact with me. Our two family’s got together this past weekend it was amazing to see how Autumn and Amber are growing. The family has been through so much that I can not understand. When Jen told me their side of the story I just wanted to cry. She remembered every action, every word, and everything about the event.

It is so over-whelming to think of how my actions positively changed their life. Please remember this family in your prayers, and be aware of the fact that your actions today might effect someone for the rest of their lives. That’s a very powerful thought!

Brandon

Fun is an understatement for this Bridal Party. They celebrated like no other group. They were creative when it came time to throw out different poses. They were crazy on the dance floor. L & S are one of those couples who makes you laugh the night away.

Congratulations to the Hoovers. They actually eloped last year in San Diego due to B. being deployed to Iraq (applause), but we were honored to (finally) photograph their wedding ceremony here in Michigan. They were an extremely happy, friendly, fun, care-free couple and we enjoyed every minute of the day. Each time the marines did the ‘Arch of Sabers’ I had a hard time holding my tears back.

Anyhow, congratulations to K. and B. may God bless you and your marriage. And THANK YOU to all of the Marines, Thank you for serving our great country!