Special Visitors!

Last Friday, my good friend Bonnie came to visit. Now, Bonnie and I met many years ago, like 15 years ago at a retreat and hit it off right away. Back then, every retreat we did together, people would ask if we were sisters. I think we'd both say "Sisters in Christ!"

Well, her daughter, you all might recognize as "The Clay Rosary Girl", but I know her as Sarah. She's been making those beautiful clay rosaries since she was a young teen.

It was such an honor to have her and her children in my home. (I feel so old) She will soon be homeschooling her oldest for preschool and came to get (hopefully) some ideas about homeschooling. (I hope I didn't scare her)

I wish we would have had more time. I wanted equal amounts of time with each of them. It was so nice to see them both.

Bonnie and her husband Jim, read this beautiful prayer at our wedding almost 14 years ago:

Beloved Bride:

Please take your groom's hands in yours:

These are the hands, young and strong and vibrant with love, that held yours today at your Wedding Mass as he promised to love you all the days of his life.

These are the hands that, God willing, you will place with expectant joy beneath your heart one day until he, too, feels his child stir within your womb. These are the hands that look so large and clumsy now, yet will be so gentle when he holds your baby for the first time.

These are the hands that will work long hours to earn money for you and your family. These are the hands that will get nicked and bruised from fixing things around the house to make you more comfortable.

These are the hands that will caress your body throughout the years, to make the passion of love come alive in you.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe away tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will comfort you in illness and hold you when fear or grief racks your mind.

These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek, as they raise your face to look into his eyes, eyes that will be filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you.

Beloved Groom:

Please take your bride's hands in yours:

These are the hands that hold yours today as she gave you her pledge to love you and accepted your ring at your Wedding Mass.

These are the hands that are smooth and young and carefree now, but will become lined and rougher in the years ahead, from thousands of dishes washed, tons of laundry cleaned, and hundreds of meals prepared.

These are the hands that God willing, will hold you in joy and excitement, each time she says you are to have another child, that together you have created new life. These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness, disciplining them, diapering them, baking for them, praying for them, and wringing themselves in worry when trouble comes.

Perhaps these are the hands that will comfort you when you are told you cannot have a child and will convince you that together you can create new life in other ways.

These are the hands that through the years will caress your body in the passion of love. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your face and wipe tears away from your eyes in wonder and awe that you would cry for her.

Beloved Newly Weds:

These are the hands of the Sacrament of Matrimony. These four hands are your armor and shield against the evils of the world. These four hands are part of God's Plan for renewing His Church. These hands can reach out to the lonely and discouraged, bring hope to the destitute in mind and body, heal the abused and hurting children of the world, and teach your friends the wonders of married love. These hands are the hope of a troubled humanity. For these are the hands that can change the world.

God bless you today and each day of your married life.

(This our actual prayer, I had to get out of our wedding book. I tried to look online and only found the more liberal versions with no mention of washing dishes.)