The wedding

reunion
a rose among thorns


Rebekah and John's wedding this past weekend was worshipful and beautiful. I love fall weddings (by the way, with weddings, I think October is becoming the new June). What a perfect day--the sky as clear as a bell. Rebekah looked stunning--I mean, stunning--in her cream antique lace gown. The bridesmaids didn't look so bad, either, I must say. It was just nice to see people I haven't seen in a while: Michael, Heather, Michael, Jessica, Sarah, Gracen, etc. The song "Old Friends" feels appropriate here.

This was the first friend's wedding I've ever been a bridesmaid in. The wedding party arrived at 10 am for the 4:00 ceremony, which was early, but good (ha, for me). Michael and Phil got to take a lot of "fun" pictures with us since we had some spare time. Photo shoots are always exciting. And, of course, Sarah and I had our own little photo shoot off to the side as Rebekah was having her solo portraits done. We are such nerds.

Oh--I wish I were in Italy/Switzerland right now! I got an email from my dear friend Hannah last week and, read this--does this not make you want to hop on a plane and head for L'Abri?

Hello friends and family,
I haven't been as diligent with the emailing as i hoped i would be, but here i am with free internet and 20 minutes on my hand, so here it goes! Life at L'Abri in Switzerland has been really, really wonderful. It's cold there....i get to put on sweaters and scarves nearly every day, and the leaves are turning brilliant colors. My studying is getting more and more enjoyable as i get a feel for what i want to learn. It's a very productive and cozy way to study to fix a cup of tea, wrap yourself in a wool blanket, and settle into a comfy chair with a good book. Community life (with 34 housemates) is going well. I love all the people there, each so different, and there is always something crazy and fun going on. (or quiet and relaxing....our new favorite evening activity is where someone reads aloud from a children's book and we all sit around and knit:)
Our fall break began thursday, so i am currently writing from Florence, Italy. WOW!! i can't believe i'm here. My friend Sara, who i met at L'Abri, and i took off for Cinque Terra, Italy on wednesday afternoon. It's like, one minute you're in the alps, and a few hours later on the coast of the Mediterranean. Cinque Terra, for those who haven't heard of it, is a string of 5 small fishing villages set in the cliffs, and there are beautiful hiking trails to connect the towns. I was in HEAVEN admiring everyone's terraced gardens full of basil, tomatoes, lemon trees, and olive trees. The climate is so mild there so the growing season has huge potential. We ate pesto and fresh, fresh seafood, and had great red wine!! we stayed last night in a beautiful, quaint room at the top of one of those classic, tall, brightly colored buildings that are scattered all over. We even got to hang some laundry to dry outside our window like the locals!! (it was pretty exciting, but we know we're dorky) Actually, this morning some American tourists took my picture when i was leaning out our window. They must have thought i was a local. :) Yesterday we did a lot of hiking and even swam in the ocean!! It was so beautiful...greenish blue, clear, and very salty.
Today we took a train to Florence and are getting to stay for free with some of Sara's friends from college. Tomorrow we'll visit the market and then i'll head to Tuscany to poke around before flying to Ireland for a few days!! i feel so very blessed to be able to see and experience all that i am. I wish i knew some Italian...the older people don't know any English...or perhaps they don't want to stoop to that level. :)
Ok, i think it's time for dinner. I just wanted to catch you all up on my life a bit. Sorry for the impersonal nature of the mass email. Time and opportunity are scarcities!!
love you all,
Hannah