Mom and Dad sing while we blow out the Unity candle

Mom and Dad sang this song at their wedding in 1976!

The getaway

Hopefully this video will work so you can see the golf club salute at the end of the reception from our wedding!

Beach = waves, wind, sunshine, and a good book

Sunday morning we flew down to Orlando Sanford Intl. Airport for our last hurrah of the summer! We were certainly glad we flew instead of driving! Hollie picked us up at home at 9:30 AM to head for the Chattanooga airport and we were at the beach by 2 PM - definitely better than driving the day away.

I think I was kinda pictured out this week so I really didn't take many terribly exciting pictures. Instead I read over 300 pages in 4 days while sunning myself on the patio and jumping in and out of the pool or ocean. But here's what I did take for your enjoyment... slightly out of order...

A beautiful sunset greeted us our first night

Valeri, Stanley, Aunt Vicki and Uncle Andy bringing in the sail boat

There's always lots of good eating at the beach!


And its usually Uncle Andy's birthday.
"Happy Birthday to ME!"









The other thing you're sure to find during beach week is lots of games.

Ryan and I lost yet again in shuffleboard

Here is the only picture I'm in from the entire week

I enjoyed watching Ryan and Ross play tennis from my shaded perch on the 5th floor with my zoom lens.

Robin's boyfriend Eric joins in a family game of Pegs and Jokers

Our last night together the cousins + spouses + Eric got together for a little 7 Up. It was a blast!
We got a little crazy - so crazy Zach rolled himself a paper cigarette for this picture. I have to confess - I was the one that found the ash tray.

Sometimes picture taking is useful - this picture solved a dispute over what Aaron actually bet.

One night we went out onto the beach to take family pictures. We borrowed this beach wheelchair from another family in the condos. Isn't it neat? Gramma and Papaw so generously make this week of family fun possible!

Today we left the beach at 7:30 AM and were back in our home by 12! Although we're sad to see perhaps the most fun summer of our lives end, I think Ryan and I are both glad to be at HOME for a few weeks back to back!

Kelli & Jonathan tie the knot

After spending Wednesday night with Carrie and Ryan in Nashville, we all got up at 3:30 AM to make it to the airport to catch our flight to Colorado for Kelli & Jonathan's rehearsal later that day.

Right after Dad walked Kelli down, the family had a prayer during the wedding.

The happy couple!

Jonathan Davidson, Ryan, the groom and Chris at Papa and Grandma's house ready for some rehearsal dinner lasagna!

Kelli's family fed us well ALL long weekend in Papa and Grandma's garage. We were so stuffed!

Enjoying the hammock

Their dog enjoyed Ryan's petting.

On Friday evening during worship, Kelli gave Jonathan the bear she had made for him to match the bear he made for her when they first started dating. Both bears had brand new clothes for the occasion!

On Sabbath morning Ryan started signing the Brasses guest book - their kitchen table! I don't have a picture of the finished product but it sure was fun.

We found another dignitary we knew - Josh Kanen

Playing with Kelli's 2nd cousin Tahlia

A big group went out into the hills around the house to play frisbee golf. Ryan found a new obstacle: cactus.

Enjoying Sabbath afternoon

The guys really enjoyed having dart competitions.

Stephanie made friends with one of the flower girls who got tuckered out and fell asleep.

Later in the day, Kelli & Jonathan opened presents from family and friends

Opening the story book called A Tale of Four Friends I made for them.

Kelli's mom found an apron she made for Kelli when she was younger!

I had never seen a part of Colorado like this before, it was BEAUTIFUL!

Katie and Faudi doing some impromptu gymnastics


Along with Whitni and Crystal

Every night there were lots of shoes in the entry

On Saturday night we played a game where Kelli had to feel all of the guy's legs and tell which ones belonged to Jonathan. Even Mr. Barton got involved. It was hilarious!

Kelli picked Steve, Kimmy's boyfriend, instead of Jonathan!

Then we switched...
Jonathan knew he had Kelli picked.
Then we split and had a girls party while the guys went out.

Stephanie had to put makeup on Kelli blindfolded

The "moms" and the "younger girls" had to make wedding dresses out of toilet paper and Kelli judged them. On the left is Kelli's grandma and on the right is Amanda, one of the bridesmaids.

WEDDING DAY!

Dad gets a haircut for the big day

The boys went to play paintball while we got ready. Apparently the wild west got to Justin and Faudi although they said they just bought the shirts because they were $3.

The Barton hair salon or how many people can you fit in a bathroom?

Daddy saw Kelli for the first time as we drove away to get our makeup done.
I had the white balance set wrong when I took this picture but I still think it turned out neat!

And then the big day began in earnest... Ryan appreciated the sports television in the groomsmen's room. He didn't miss much of the golf tournament.

Quick self-portrait with the bride. My job (besides being the amateur photographer) was to play the music for the wedding on a keyboard outside next to the bridesmaids. This proved challenging with wind and bright sunlight!

Sisters Kimberly and Crystal, and Mom with the bouquets in front

Mom and Dad watch as Jonathan and Kelli meet for the first time

Newlyweds of a month: Mr. & Mrs. Knight

With both sets of parents, recognize Mrs. Carlson's dress anyone?

Barton family
We stayed with the Brass family on the left side:
Standing Cousin Garrett, Uncle Alan, Aunt Diane
Seated Shawndra (Garrett's wife, she kept my music from blowing away), and Cousin Whitni

There aren't any pictures of the actual ceremony as I was otherwise occupied...

Finally we're all married!

The wedding site

Ryan always loves meatballs!

If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you'll notice that Kelli's bouquet with the pink daisies had little gems in the center of the flowers.

The bridal party leads the congo line

After the cake was cut, Chris and Ryan kidnapped Kelli and held her for ransom.

Then, after Jonathan passed around his shoe and collected the dough, they brought her back.

One of the most special parts of the reception was when Kelli, her sisters, and her dad sang a song together called Daddy's Girl.
The chorus went like this:
Daddy's girl, Daddy's girl
I'm the center of Daddy's world
I know that I'm his number one
For he loves me like I was his son
Daddy's girl.

(For the full lyrics, which just might make you cry, see:
http://www.ourweddingsongs.com/father-daughter-songs/daddy-s-girl-lyrics

Jonathan shot the garter forward...

... and tried to recover it, but Jonathan Davidson beat him to it.


Her sister Kimmy caught the bouquet.










The get away

Monday morning we flew back to Nashville and met Ryan & Carrie for some Macaroni Grill and a walk around Opry Mills mall. Here's Ryan & Ryan trying to win free stuff.

Now we've been back at home for a few days and we're off again to Florida on Sunday for beach week with the Johnson, McDonald, and Knight families.