"Our" Jeannie is getting Married tomarrow :-)

       "Our" Jeannie is one of our 'part-time' kids. I know that some of you are well aware of what all that means, but there are those of you whom don't, so I shall explain.
       Brian and I have over seventeen "part-time" kids. The first one entered our life as such the summer after we were married. A couple more came along during our 'birth sons' younger years. But the majority came during our 'birth sons' high school years. For the record - we never went looking for any of them. To be honest, if we had, a whole lot of them would not have been picked. But God did the picking. He led each and every one of them to us, for many varying reasons. And we had already learned in our life, that God doesn't take you tellin him "no" very well. o:-).
       Some of their reasons had to do with HUGE challenges in their own homes. A couple of them were just out and out desperate for acceptance and love. A couple had eating disorders. And a couple came due to being good friends (or even girl friends) of our boys, and stayed. The "our" Kate I talk about, is one of the latter.
       Five of our "part-time" kids actually moved in and lived with us for awhile. A couple of others never officially moved in, but they did have their own beds here, which they were in really often!! And while Jeannie didn't have any specific bed reserved for her, all of our boys knew that at a moments notice, they would be surrendering their bed and room to her. As "HER BROTHERS!!!" (what they dubbed themselves, which thrilled Jeannie to no end) they were proud to do so.
       For s-e-v-e-r-a-l years we averaged fifteen or more for Sunday dinner. And it was a rarity to have only our 'in house' family at dinner any night during the rest of the week. We always did head counts before setting the table, and even then often had to add a plate and instruct people to scoot over on a bench.
       While we might not have picked some of them, each and every one of them managed to grow their own niches in our hearts. So many crazy personalities! So much love. God blessed us through all of it, in so many ways.

      Tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 10th, 2010, "our" Jeannie is getting married. :-D  'Her brothers' put Joel (her groom to be) through quite the testing when he accompanied her to Byron and Cyndi's Michigan reception. And to a one, they reported that he passed the testing. ;-)  Jeannie is a short, petite little fire cracker! We never could figure out how God had packed that much spunk into such a small vessel. Seriously!!! But her spunk just endeared her all the more into 'her brothers' hearts!!
     And I really do not know how to express the place Jeannie has in Brian's (her "Dad B.") heart!!!  It is a very special place / relationship indeed!
     The wedding shall be interesting, the shower sure was. That many "steps" in the same place has the potential of being more than just 'interesting'. We are praying they all get over themselves and concentrate on giving Jeannie the dreamiest of weddings!!! If they don't, ...well...., 'her brothers' have been waiting years for her to give the word okaying them to be her actual bodyguards o;-p.

     Our 'birth' son Byron currently lives out of state. And their car is on it's last knee cap. (the "last leg" is down to it's knee cap.) A-n-d he has to work till midnight tonight. But Cyndi's mom is driving them half way here. Brandon and Benson will meet them there and bring them home. HOPEFULLY, adorable little Analyse will let them sleep for several hours before it's time to go to Jeannie's afternoon wedding. And then the evening reception. And then Sat. we are hoping to squeeze in celebrating Benson's birthday (which is next week) before Brandon has to go cater, and Brian and I escort Byron, Cyndi and Analyse back home, so Byron can work again Sat. evening.
     Yeah, very quick trip into town and out again. But there is no way what-so-ever either one of them wants to miss Jeannie's wedding!!!
     Brandon got a call to cater Friday. He desperately needs the work, so he said yes. But he is also desperately hoping that this turns out to be one of those jobs that cuts their numbers in half at the last minute, so the caterer ends up calling and canceling him! o;-p

      I am THRILLED!!! "Our" Jeannie is marrying a guy that LOVES her!!! Thank-you Lord!!! A-n-d, I get to see my 'birth' out of state kids this weekend!! :-D    WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!