"I am pleased to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Stoll."
It was my dad. The ceremony had just been performed, there was a special time of prayer, and now we beamed through teary eyes.
The weather had been totally, absolutely gorgeous for the outdoor wedding. Hand in hand they sprinted down the lush, green, grassy aisle. The witnesses followed. My heart swelled in joy. Much had happened in order for this to actually occur. Yes, it was the prep of hosting and feeding 430 people, but even more than that was the miracle God did to prepare and unite these two hearts. They were born and raised in different states, and over the last years got to know each other better.
No one but God knows what their future will hold, and no one but Him will provide for each moment of their lives. They love children and say they'd love to have a dozen of them. Oh my, we'll see. At any rate, Keturah has blessed me many times over by simply being available to help me with my children through some of those more intense moments of our lives when our hands were filled to the brim, or when I needed help settling little ones down for the night. We'll miss her when we go to Grandpa's house; on the flip side, we're eager to go visit her in their cozy little cabin. But it's like I assured them, we'll give them all the space they need. My dad would call that honeymoon salad: let-us (lettuce) alone!
My mother did tops in coordinating all the food for those helping before the wedding, then of course the noon wedding feast. Getting recipes and ingredients together, and making list after list with instructions. At night she would keep a pen and paper next to her where she could jot down notes of things she thought of throughout the night. Bless her heart. She did superb.
They had a full course meal of mashed potatoes, gravy, grilled chicken, noodles, dinner rolls with cinna-butter, salad, three kinds of pie, and ice cream. A highlight for all of us was when Jonathan and Keturah served coffee for anyone who wanted seconds. I personally didn't want more, but I asked for a warm-up just for the special feel of being served by them! I'm not big on coffee, but I do like putting a little splash in my vanilla ice cream then whipping it up with a fork for a coffee smoothie effect.
My children were excited about the event. They all had a job of some kind. The four middle ones were dessert servers for the bridal table. Hosanna wore her new sage green dress. It was her first time wearing a cape dress with a belt apron. I loved watching her beam with delight, her eyes dancing with utmost accomplishment. How well I remember when it was my first time to wear a big-girl dress. The boys wore white shirts with black or gray pants.
Joshua was pan passer with nine more adorable little nieces and nephews. He took his job seriously. When I explained his job, he repeated back to me what each step would be before he would get to fetch his card and gift from the gift table in the corner. After the pans were passed, he came announcing his completion and showing his gift — a large candy bar and a compass, flint, whistle combo. Ah, the sweetness of a five-year-old crowned with curls.
Julia and I matched in cream along with the others who served the main course to those at the bridal table. It was special to have everyone sing Daniel's favorite song, "The Best is Yet to Come," after lunch. Yes, regardless of what life may hold for any of us, with Christ the best is yet to come!
Tonight I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to decide which wedding recipe to give to you. Really, all of the meal was tops according to my specs. Since I am a fan of cream cheese desserts, I'll settle on the cream cheese black raspberry pie. Mmm. They were phenomenal. Take this, my aunt by marriage, who is known for her cooking and baking, was hired to bake all 60 pies for the wedding. I stopped by her house when she was in full swing. There were pies everywhere. Wow, it smelled as good as it tasted the day following.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
- 2 cups black raspberry pie filling
Cream cheese mixture
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 ½ oz. cream cheese
Crumbs
- ⅔ cup flour
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Beat together sugar and flour then whip in sour cream and cream cheese.
- Mix until crumbly
- Layer cream cheese mixture in pie shell.
- Spread filling on top.
- Sprinkle with crumbs.Bake at 425 for 15 minutes..reduce heat to 350 for 25 minutes or til done.
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