The wedding was beautiful, the weather fantastic, and the food delicious! From what I could tell, the day went off without a hitch... Barring a major one: that of John and Laura. :)
The ceremony was held in a church in Tucson. As you can see in the following picture, the entire front of the church was nothing but windows. Beautiful!
Jonathan and Steven walked Laura down the aisle. Joe was certainly in our thoughts and very missed. :(
Julie (right) was Laura's matron of honor. (She is also my mother-in-law's youngest sister.) Joy Yarborough was her other bridesmaid. (Joy is married to Bro. and Sis. Yarborough's son, John.)
The ceremony
Linda, Laura's aunt (Joyce's sister), sang while Marcus, Laura's cousin, accompanied on the guitar.
Ben Baker also sang a beautiful song!
Julie Schuler and Doug Parks
Joy Yarborough and Joel Blumke
The reception was held in the church's reception hall. There is nothing like a little decorating to completely transform a place!
Laura and her bridesmaids!
Joyce, my mother-in-law, and Julie sang a hilarious song that had people in stitches! I sure hope that was captured on video!
So happy for them!
I was blessed to be a part of an event that had years of prayer and faith backing it. What a beautiful thing to witness!
The Gaither web-site just announced Mark and Michael's decision to leave the Gaither Vocal Band. Here is the link to read all about it: http://gaither.com/news/announcing-gaither-vocal-band-personnel-changes Also, the GaitherHomecoming magazine announced there will be a concert in Visalia, as well as Ontario (California). The web site, however, only lists the Ontario concert. I e-mailed them and asked which is correct... I'll let you know when I hear! Well, tomorrow Jonathan and I are headed to Tucson, AZ, for Laura's wedding! I've already got my camera packed and ready, so pictures and a report will soon follow our return back home. We would appreciate your prayers for this trip!
At the end of May, Jonathan and I were blessed to have a house full of friends and family! While Katie, Jenny and Priscilla were making their annual trek up here, my mom and Kayla were also heading in this direction. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together on Friday and Saturday, and when Sunday arrived, up rolled Aunt RoseAnn, Aunt Linda, Erin, Amanda and Abby in time for morning church, afternoon lunch, and plenty of good times! Braden brought over his 'barrel', in which he and Jonathan slow cooked lots of ribs. Delish!!! We were pretty much force feeding our guests because we had so much food that needed to be consumed! The force feeding continued when my mom packed up her potato salad into containers and doled them out liberally to whoever happened to be near. :) But what a fun time we had with a wonderful group of people!
Around 2:00, we decided to hit the road and head towards Modesto for the Collingsworth concert. We wanted to get to the church well before the concert started to make sure the seats we got were front and center... And were they ever! The best seats in the house, by far. :) And what a fantastic stage set up! It had a very rustic feel, complete with an old truck, bales of hay, and hanging mason jars used as lights. There's nothing like a warm, homey setting to set the atmosphere for the evening; it's something I truly appreciate, I must say. The concert started with the entire family singing a song together. Now, if I were more on top of it and wrote this review back yonder, I would be able to tell you which song... But, alas, I cannot recall. Just know that it was well done. :) They continued with songs from off of their different albums, as well as songs from their upcoming release! Kim played several piano solos- certainly a few more than the last concert we attended... I have a feeling those solos are in high demand. As I've said before, you really have to be there to know what I'm talking about when I say you can literally feel the anointing. It is certainly an experience, to say the least. Another highlight was Brooklyn and Courtney playing 'The Prayer' as a duet on their violins, with Kim accompanying on the piano. Here is a link you can click to view their performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3hEczvr4iE
As with the previous concert, they did a great job arranging the songs, switching up lead singers, and occasionally having only certain family members sing a song. The variety~ as well as intermittent talking~ really kept the night moving along nicely. The concert was no disappointment!
After it ended, Aunt RoseAnn went up to meet and talk to Kim. Apparently, her relatives are very good friends with the Collingsworth family, so it was neat for them to be able to connect! (As a side note, if you ever attend one of their concerts, I suggest meeting Kim. She is the warmest, most down to earth person... and just plain fun.)
To sum it up, let's just say that there are a lot of people hoping they return to California next year! :)
In other gospel news, there are a fair amount of 'just released/ soon to be released' CDs and DVDs!
The Collingsworth Family will be releasing a DVD/CD (Hymns from Home), and another CD (The Lord is Good), on September 10th. The DVD was recorded in their home, I believe.
Another DVD duo (accompanied by CDs) that is due to be released on September 24th, is The Women of Homecoming. Looks great!! Sample of that series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1bwqN7tIkI
I also recall reading that the Gaither Vocal Band will be releasing a new album, which mainly focuses on hymns... I'll have to keep an eye out for more detail on that one.
As far as concerts go... Well, the glass isn't even half full; it's dry. I actually e-mailed the Gaithers a couple of days ago and asked if they planned on coming out this way this year or next; just to put a little bug in their ear. :) So far, the closest they're getting to any of us is Chicago, IL... Melanie? Angel? ;) And the Isaacs also have yet to book a date! I will continue watching the different sites, though, and will post when I find something that pertains to us.
In other news, Jonathan's sister, Laura, has become engaged to a man named John and they are set to be married in Tucson on November the 2nd! I will be sure to give a full report AND post pictures. :)
In signing off, I would like to leave you with a quote:
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.
~Victor Hugo
*A special thanks to Aunt RoseAnn for the pictures! (Someone forgot her camera...)
Even though this report is long overdue, I am finally getting around to making an attempt to recount an incredible evening with none other than The Isaacs! I've got one word: wow.
Let me begin at the beginning. At the end of September, my mom, Kayla and I met Susan, Jessie and my mother-in-law, Joyce, in San Luis Obispo. Our first stop was at Bro. Fluitt's house, due to the fact that he graciously opened his home to us for the night. Next we went to Coco's for a bite to eat, then headed to the church where the concert was held. (As a side note, Coco's has the best broccoli soup!)
We arrived to a rather full parking lot and got to our chairs in time to hear a local band do the opening act. I must say that I was rather partial to the fiddler. His bow was a literal blur at times and I've got a picture to prove:
After the band performed a few classic songs, The Isaacs took the stage. I think my jaw remained slack during the entire concert. That family is beyond talented. Not only are they phenomenal musicians, but their song writing skills are so unique! Amazing!
They sang several songs off of their latest release, Why Can't We, as well as pieces from many of their other albums- including a few of their a capella numbers. It was the perfect variety to showcase their versatility.
One of the many highlights of the night was a duet by Sonya and her husband, Jimmy. The song, You Never Know, was written by Jimmy in memory of a friend who passed suddenly a few years ago. Beautiful! Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D6jPyvurvY
By the way, Jimmy told the audience how very thankful he is to be doing what he is doing because he's always dreamed of travelling the world... on a bus... with his mother-in-law. :) (Lily Isaacs is the mother to Ben, Sonya and Rebecca, and she travels with them full time.)
Another touching part of the evening was when Rebecca performed a song she wrote based upon her personal healing experience. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk3W9kBwJK8
Apparently, Rebecca has been told many times over that she looks like Cher (Sonny and Cher). Not too long ago she and Sonya went shopping. When they got to the check-out counter the checker said to Rebecca, "Do you know who you look like?" Rebecca sighed and said, "Yes... Cher." The checker said, "No! You look just like Rebecca from The Isaacs!"
Which reminds me... A while ago, Jonathan and I were in Arizona when a group of us got onto the subject about couples who look alike. Jonathan remarked how odd a concept it is to be married to someone who looks like yourself, to which I agreed. The next day we were at a potluck when Jonathan sat down at a table with an unfamiliar man. I hadn't quite reached the table when the man motioned towards me and asked Jonathan, "Is that your sister?" Jonathan replied that I was his wife. The man said, "Oh, really? You guys look alike!" :)
O.K. Back on track! Here are a couple more pictures taken that night.
Becky, Sonya and Ben
I don't know that much more can be said to even begin to do that night justice... Besides simply saying GO if the opportunity ever arises!! Well. Worth. It.
Now, time for some interesting tidbits on a couple of the Gaither Homecoming artists:
Kim Collingsworth met her husband, Phil, when she was 14 years old and married him when she was 17! Her favorite songs are: I Then Shall Live, It Is Well With My Soul, and Now More Than Ever.
Matthew Holt, the Gaither's new pianist, was 3 years old when his parents heard him playing Sweet Hour of Prayer after returning home from a church service where he had heard the song. (Need I continue?!) At 19 years old he was hired by The Perry's. Through that connection he met Gene McDonald, who in turn told Bill Gaither about him when the position became available! And for those of us who were wondering, he is 27 years old. So glad he's on board, as he seems to fit right in!
**NEWS FLASH** Come February 5th, Heidi is going to be one happy gal because there will be two new DVDs released based on the Gaither Vocal Band's latest CD project, Pure and Simple. Judging from the promo, I highly doubt that disappointment will be an option! Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=934bFL2_r7I
On a different note, I was so saddened to read that David Phelps's sister, Sherri Proctor, departed from this life at the end of September. What a tremendous loss for David and his family. The Gaither web-site posted a lovely blog about Sherri, which you can read by going to: http://gaither.com/news/loving-memory Also, here is a song she and David recorded just a short time before her passing:
May that family be greatly comforted during this time.
In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote:
Music speaks what cannot be expressed
Soothes the mind and gives it rest
Heals the heart and makes it whole
Flows from Heaven to the soul
Author unknown
Until next time...
Mizz Babs
*** A special thanks to Erin for once again helping me to understand the ropes of working this blog site! Because of her, you are able to automatically view the posted videos by a simple click- as opposed to the 'copy and paste' technique! :) ***
