Seth and I convalidated our marriage in May. The kids were pumped to be part of this "second marriage" as they called it. When we first got married, I didn't want to plan a wedding or spend money on a wedding and the thought of walking down the isle in front of my entire hometown parish without my Dad still brings me to tears. I just wanted to get through what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life without a bunch of sadness. Don't get me wrong, I still thought about him throughout my Vegas weekend, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been had we been married in Wibaux. Plus, who would have given me my before church cert and sang our Smokey Robinson song? Anyway, the reasons I wasn't married in the church don't really matter now. The reason, I needed to be does. Ryker and Kya always asked me during church why I never took communion. I explained to them that I missed the Sacrament of Marriage and so I couldn't take communion. Their response, "can you ever eat the bread again?" You get the point. There was a way for me to "get that bread again." Here I was making them go to church and giving them the same building blocks of faith that I had, yet I wasn't following the rules. How could I expect them too? They are free to make their own decisions as adults, but I couldn't bare to set an example that contradicted what I was teaching them. I try hard not to be a "do as I say, not as I do" parent so if I was going to make them sit through church on Sunday I needed to get back in good standing so I could take communion again.....preferably before Ryker had his First Communion.
As much as I had hoped and tried for an easier way out of it, we had to take all the classes, go to Confession, and have a ceremony in the church. In the end, it worked out well. I'm glad I took the classes. I learned a few things and found some interesting ways of looking at things that I hadn't thought of before. Am I a more religious or better person than I was before I started the process? No. I do have a better understanding of my own faith though and it was a good review of some things that I had forgotten or had just forgotten to practice on a regular basis. Surprisingly, I was actually relieved after my confession. Not that I had done anything terrible, I just felt better for some reason. It was probably just because I was done and I was so nervous and embarrassed to say how long it had been since my last confession.
Anyway, one of the best things I learned from these classes was that no matter what I ask Seth to do, no matter if it is completely meaningless to him, he will do it.....happily, graciously, and without judgment.....no questions asked.
There's no one else, I'd rather remarry!
Ryker was the official ceremony photographer....
Until he found out he could stand up front with us. Then he ditched the camera.
Ryker got to hold the Holy Water for Father Tom. Now he has an interest in being an Alter Server. He felt like he had a pretty important job.
I'm glad we had to bring our own witnesses or we probably would have done it with just the kids. Vi was thrilled to be there so I was very glad that we had invited her. She's pretty religious and has probably been wearing the knees out of her pants praying for us these last 13 years while we've been living in sin:)
Kya had been telling us for months that she was going to sing "Love is Something if You Give it Away" at our wedding. She was really hoping to use the microphone so Father Tom turned it on for her. I really wish this picture was closer or we had a video, because she was beaming. This was her "important wedding job" moment!
The kids were hoping for a dance and reception to follow so we took them to Snowgoose Produce for Ice Cream.
After the ice cream, we headed to the Bayview Cemetery to put some flowers on graves for Memorial Day.
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