Suffering and Holy Saturday

"Now we stand at the threshold of the Easter Triduum. And perhaps we feel we have not made the best use of Lent. We bear a secret guilt like Judas, the betrayer, did. Betrayal is especially grievous, for the one who betrays turns against someone close to him -- someone with whom he is intimate. Indeed, Christ precisely identifies Judas as the one 'who has dipped his hand into the dish with me.' (Mt 26: 23). Through his death, Christ has invited all of us to such intimacy. He comes close to us. He draws us into the inner circle. And yet, like Judas, we so often refuse his offer and turn against him. How many times do we choose our own justifications over his will? We prefer to 'win,' to be right, to have the final say. And if that doesn't work, there is always that last desperate shot at having it our way: despair. Despairing, we make our own dark interpretation of the future a reality. And we find ourselves alone. Like Judas, we choose loneliness. But there is another option before us now: Mary. Judas chooses loneliness. Mary chooses to stay. Standing at the foot of the cross, her heart is pierced with his. We too can join our deepest sufferings to his. Suddenly, we are no longer alone."

- Lisa Lickona

The reflection above (based on Matthew 26: 14-25) is from the Magnificat Lenten Companion entry for Wednesday of Holy Week.

We Call This Friday Good

Catholic Mass Readings for Friday, March 29th, 2013

First Reading

Is 52:13--53:12
See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him--
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man--
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25
R. (Lk 23:46) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
For all my foes I am an object of reproach,
a laughingstock to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends;
they who see me abroad flee from me.
I am forgotten like the unremembered dead;
I am like a dish that is broken.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God.
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors."
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
Take courage and be stouthearted,
all you who hope in the LORD.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Second Reading

Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

In the days when Christ was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Gospel

Jn 18:1--19:42
Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley
to where there was a garden,
into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards
from the chief priests and the Pharisees
and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,
went out and said to them, "Whom are you looking for?"
They answered him, "Jesus the Nazorean."
He said to them, "I AM."
Judas his betrayer was also with them.
When he said to them, "I AM, "
they turned away and fell to the ground.
So he again asked them,
"Whom are you looking for?"
They said, "Jesus the Nazorean."
Jesus answered,
"I told you that I AM.
So if you are looking for me, let these men go."
This was to fulfill what he had said,
"I have not lost any of those you gave me."
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,
struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear.
The slave's name was Malchus.
Jesus said to Peter,
"Put your sword into its scabbard.
Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?"

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus,
bound him, and brought him to Annas first.
He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews
that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus.
Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,
and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.
But Peter stood at the gate outside.
So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,
went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter,
"You are not one of this man's disciples, are you?"
He said, "I am not."
Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire
that they had made, because it was cold,
and were warming themselves.
Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus
about his disciples and about his doctrine.
Jesus answered him,
"I have spoken publicly to the world.
I have always taught in a synagogue
or in the temple area where all the Jews gather,
and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me?
Ask those who heard me what I said to them.
They know what I said."
When he had said this,
one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said,
"Is this the way you answer the high priest?"
Jesus answered him,
"If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong;
but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?"
Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.
And they said to him,
"You are not one of his disciples, are you?"
He denied it and said,
"I am not."
One of the slaves of the high priest,
a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
"Didn't I see you in the garden with him?"
Again Peter denied it.
And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.
It was morning.
And they themselves did not enter the praetorium,
in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.
So Pilate came out to them and said,
"What charge do you bring against this man?"
They answered and said to him,
"If he were not a criminal,
we would not have handed him over to you."
At this, Pilate said to them,
"Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law."
The Jews answered him,
"We do not have the right to execute anyone, "
in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled
that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium
and summoned Jesus and said to him,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered,
"Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered,
"I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered,
"My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him,
"Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered,
"You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"

When he had said this,
he again went out to the Jews and said to them,
"I find no guilt in him.
But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.
Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
They cried out again,
"Not this one but Barabbas!"
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
And they struck him repeatedly.
Once more Pilate went out and said to them,
"Look, I am bringing him out to you,
so that you may know that I find no guilt in him."
So Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, "Behold, the man!"
When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
"Crucify him, crucify him!"
Pilate said to them,
"Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him."
The Jews answered,
"We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God."
Now when Pilate heard this statement,
he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
"Where are you from?"
Jesus did not answer him.
So Pilate said to him,
"Do you not speak to me?
Do you not know that I have power to release you
and I have power to crucify you?"
Jesus answered him,
"You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above.
For this reason the one who handed me over to you
has the greater sin."
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
"If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar."

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out
and seated him on the judge's bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.
And he said to the Jews,
"Behold, your king!"
They cried out,
"Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!"
Pilate said to them,
"Shall I crucify your king?"
The chief priests answered,
"We have no king but Caesar."
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,
he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read,
"Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews."
Now many of the Jews read this inscription,
because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
"Do not write 'The King of the Jews,'
but that he said, 'I am the King of the Jews'."
Pilate answered,
"What I have written, I have written."

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier.
They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
"Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, "
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:
They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, "I thirst."
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
"It is finished."
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.
And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body.
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes
weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus
and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;
for the tomb was close by.

Meanwhile, In Spain...

A flash mob I would love to see:

Sunday Obligations

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health. The charity of truth seeks holy leisure -- the necessity of charity accepts just work (CCC 2185).

In other words, no regrets.

I'm currently trying to refrain from catching up on work on Sunday. The temptation is so easy, and the pay-off is immediate. But what of the long-term?

God has given us a day to rest and spend time with our family - how could we squander such a gift by worries and stress? Today, I'll be finishing up work like I usually do. But next Sunday? On Easter? No way. I'll be doing no work whatsoever.

Hopefully I'll carry that on for many Sundays to come as well!

Have a blessed Palm Sunday!

Les Poissons Are Friends, Not Food

Happy Friday, y'all! Thanks to Jen for hosting!!

ONE

Instead of blogging, I should be chopping heads off five fish my Father so grandly left me to deal with this morning, as well as de-scale and de-bone.

By myself.

I'm taking a break and letting them cool down. Forever.

When I was in South Korea visiting a friend, we went to a fish restaurant and accidentally ordered a meal with fish eyes in it. Never again, I pledged.

That's an eyeball. Look closer if you don't see it.

The most famous fish model in Korea.

What I ate instead of fish eyes.

My friend just ate a sea slug by accident. Whoops.

Then, a month later, Will and his family took me out for a day on the Cumberland. It was delightful.

I caught my first two fishes ever-ever:

Numero uno!

Second one bled on me. I was really roughing it.

I learned how to "net" a fish:

Then, prepare said fish for cooking:

Then, eat it. Eating it was less traumatizing than the fish parts we tried to eat in Korea:

It was very satisfying, and then I was glad to go home to the Real World.

But the Real World is a hard master, and there are five fully scaled fish with eye balls waiting for me to chop them off like the Chef Louis in Little Mermaid:

TWO

I watched Finding Nemo yesterday. Best decision of my day! So full of laughs and life lessons. Favorite scene:

Marlin: I promised I'd never let anything happen to him.
Dory: Hmm. That's a funny thing to promise.
Marlin: What?
Dory: Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo.

THREE

As of yesterday, Will and I have been married for three months! I wrote about it here.

FOUR

Here is an awesome article from FEE on the welfare state. Lawrence Reed mentions my second favorite president too. FEE is an amazing organization, especially if you are more interested in learning about economics and American history. They host free seminars too!

FIVE

I should also be cleaning my room and changing my sheets. Do y'all have any secrets for keeping organized when you feel like life has chopped off your head and you're just flapping your wings to get work done?

After I chop fish heads off, I have more work-work to do. Is it better to split time and multi-task or do one thing at a time? What about errands? Grown-up life has such a learning curve.

SIX

To go with the above theme, I play the Disney (children's) Radio on Pandora when I need a mood pick-me-up. Runners-up: Talking Heads, Mumford and Sons, Adele, The Chieftains and RUSH. Gregorian Chant for my cool-down, and Coldplay or Ray LaMontange for in-between times.

SEVEN

Reading anything awesome lately? My friend Betsy introduced me to Carrots for Michaelmas after I showed her Small Notebook. Now I am loving on A Holy Experience. My favorite daily read is Best of the Web Today at WSJ.

 Oh happy day! Have a wonderful weekend, dear readers.

Today's Post Is Brought To You By The Number 3

My husband and I have been married for three months. Three glorious, splendid months. Three months married, and yet we've only lived with each other for half that time.

Intellectually and practically, it makes sense. He continues going to school in one city. I continue working in another. I drive down on the weekends, or he comes up to my parents's house. The real difference is that we have our own bed and own apartment and own bills to pay. We snuggle on a couch that I bought and he hates* to watch a movie. We both receive mail in the same mail box. We both hear our upstairs neighbor practicing his one-man band act [at eleven o'clock at night].

It does not feel like three months, longer or shorter. It just feels like we're exactly where we're supposed to be, and who we're supposed to be with right now and forever. I know I'd rather be home with him every night, but I can't help relishing this extra time spent with my family. [I currently have our two dogs at my feet, both vying for the same bone. Happiness!]

These past few months have been soul trying. First, adjusting to how we each wash the dishes. Then, to a very long separation due to my work. But mostly, changes in our plans. We've been thrilled, disappointed, extremely honest, hurt, forgiving, and love each other more and more.

When Will and I attended our pre-cana retreat, we sat in front of the Peanut Gallery. These two couples had it figured out. I wondered, why go to an Engaged Encounter weekend if you already know the answers? Am I right? High five! In turn, as prepared as Will and I felt for marriage, as prepared as we were, there is nothing like experience, prayer and never-ending I love yous to pull a couple even closer.

For our first act of marriage, we abstained from sex starting on Christmas, a.k.a. four days after our wedding, until the end of our long honeymoon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Merry Christmas to you too, body of mine. Because that's what happens when you get stressed out over your wedding and your cycle gets pushed back a week. But honestly? May have been one of the best things that happened, as well as one of the hardest we've encountered as a couple. We waited our whole lives for each other... and then we had to wait some more?

I'm bringing up this episode not to over-share, but to testify to sacramental love - the kind that sacrifices, and nourishes, and controls desires when consequences of said actions are clear. I recently read an article about going on vacation with your spouse (I'm already daydreaming about our next trip!). I was sad (though not surprised) to see "birth control" at number two on the "What To Bring" list (after a yellow polka dot bikini).

We also ate way too much sushi.

The only birth control Will and I brought on our honeymoon was our intentions, and our promise to honor, love, and respect the other person. That is exactly what I received, too. I felt extremely loved, honored, respected and desired on my honeymoon. How thrilling it was to be "Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin"! How much fun Will and I had exploring Sedona, going hiking, sleeping and then napping, going to the spa, and eating delicious food. We brought fun movies along, and finished-ish off a bottle of red wine almost nightly. We laughed a lot, and wholly enjoyed the uninterrupted time together.

Our second act of marriage, which we started when we were engaged, is nightly prayer. Neither of us grew up with regular prayer time as a family (outside grace at meals and Mass every Sunday), but I experienced a lot of shared prayer in college with friends and classmates, both Catholic and Protestant. When I babysat my adviser's family, I was always included in their family prayer, and it opened my heart to something I wanted to do with my husband and my family. It's my favorite part of the day - to share an "Our Father," "Hail Mary," "Glory Be" and signs of the cross with my husband. This Lent, we pray the rosary each night.

Which brings us to the third act of marriage, which is not anything we do. Sure, I've cried to him and he's hugged and soothed me. He's been down and I've cheered him up and supported him. But none of this would be possible, none of this would be as beautiful if God was not already here in our relationship. He is our anchor and our guide. When we asked his blessing upon our marriage and our lives, we asked him to be with us and stay with us.

I've been praying the words of Jeremiah 29:11 lately - "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

These three things have changed everything for us. Love is patient, love is kind. God is faithful; God provides. God has already blessed me abundantly, and so I pray to rise to the challenge of my vocation within God's plan. I am so grateful for my husband and these past three months. Here's to many, many more!

* I should specify that he hates the pattern on the couch, not the super-comfy couch itself. Here is my sister taking full advantage of said couch:

Viva il Papa!

CatholicVote put together this wonderful, short montage of Pope Francis's election. It made me cry tears of happiness, watching my fellow Catholics cheer at "Habemus Papam!" I was receiving text messages from friends all day at work in anticipation of our new pope, and I feel so blessed that our cardinals picked such a wonderful, holy and humble new pontiff.


God bless you, Pope Francis! I am praying for you. I am praying for the world.

In other news, help us trend #lovehimalready on Twitter!

Tell the Rambler, the Gambler, the Midnight Rider

Tell 'em that God's gonna cut them down:


Johnny Cash. Yes.

Freedom and Florida

7QT for the start of March 3013, graciously hosted at Conversion Diary!

ONE

I'm done with around-the-clock nannying. Back to regular hours this Monday! Oh my gosh. For the last 3 weeks, I've been living with the two year old I watch, and it has been one of the best and sleep-inducing activities I've ever done.

The day would start at 6 a.m., when I would hear "Jewee! Jewee! Jewee, up? Jewee up!" Yes, 6 a.m. Fortunately for me, we were living with his grandma and she always got him up because I had him for the rest of the day, and, if we're being honest with ourselves, I am not human at 6 a.m.

Back to sleep. Wake up again, eat breakfast, and take the two year old out to some sort of activity until lunch or nap time, and then I would nap too. Back up when he was up, play time till dinner, negotiate about green beans before "eye meme" [ice cream], more playing/ watch Signing Time, bath time (or just play in the water), more playing, final diaper change and jammies, 3 to 6 books (they're so short and he's so cute saying "anen" [again]), then off to bed little boy!

Then I'd dive into another two hours of work for The Imaginative Conservative (the journal I write for/ am an Assistant Editor = do their social media on Twitter, Facebook, etc.), taking a break to say night prayers with husband and eat a bowl of raspberry sorbet.

So you can see why 6 a.m. is not an option for the two year old to wake up... Lord, bless me with children who wake up in time for school, and no earlier. Amen.

TWO

That being said, Husband and I are currently on a secret trip to Florida. Perhaps not so secret, now that I've blogged about it, but we're leaving tomorrow. I've taken... three pictures.

Here's one:

And the Super Cool Award goes to...

We took a three hour bike-ride around the island yesterday. I'm still feelin' it. But are we not adorable?! It is sunny and windy down here. Emphasis on the wind. The day before, we took our mini tent to the beach, but it wouldn't stay down thanks to 30+ mph gusts of wind. So we plopped the cooler on the back of it and crawled inside to keep it from blowing away.

Now, I am a bird-lover. I love watching them... from afar. I grew up watch Alfred Hitchcock movies, and I became increasingly alarmed by the number of seagulls standing around our tent. Rumor has it that they liked the break in the wind, but over a dozen seagulls within a doritos throw might make anyone nervous. Ditto that when I went out to but my feet in the Gulf: I looked up and there were ten seagulls flying above my head. I told Husband that I've seen this movie before, and whenever he was ready, I was too.

THREE

My sister Katie writes a really funny blog. Look, look, look! She has Jennifer Lawrence gifs and errything.

FOUR

We find out about Husband's residency in exactly one week. Any prayers would be awesome as our next three years kinda depend on it... Katie at NFPandMe is praying very specifically about one location. We're just waiting to see how it pans out!!

Let's just say we would hang out all the time.

FIVE

I wrote on dating at Ignitum Today: "This Modern Love". Now that I'm out of wedding season, I'll be posting more regularly on these topics. Please give me a shout-out if there are any posts you'd like to see! This one came from a sorority sister's question to me. It got picked up three times today, so I'd say it's worth a read.

SIX

Oh, and I also wrote "Vocation: Your Epic Story" at Ignitum Today a week bit back and never posted it. Read away!

SEVEN

My wedding pictures FINALLY ARRIVED!! Sneak peak here:

Can you spot the two other Bright Maidens?

Saying our vows

Married!

First dance!

Okay, Husband and I are off to mini-golf and to pick up our non-meat dinner. Happy Friday, y'all!!