So all of the bridesmaids and the bride of the day arrived at the Dunbar home around 11am that morning. We got there, brought in our bags and all our girl stuff, and dropped it in the front room. The "Dressing Room." We then looked at each other and thought . . . what now??? We had about an hour to kill before we were to eat lunch, and there was no way we were going to get dressed before we ate! So, most of us started on our hair and makeup, while Deanna put the finishing touches on the wedding cake.
We all ate wonderfully! Sherry had made an amazing and tasty spread for us girls. Then . . .
it was time!!! To get dressed and help Larissa with all her getting ready!
The flowers were delivered by Shannon, just as we were finishing up lunch,
and Larissa was ecstatic! They were gorgeous, more than she had dreamed of.
(But who needs to dream about flowers when they have Shannon to create!?!?!?!?)
Mom was having fun taking pictures and laughing with us girls.
Just soaking in all that was to take place that special day.
Deanna was the magical Hair person of the day! Didn't Larissa's hair look lovely!
Linnaea was cute . . . she kept "fussing" her hair! I caught this picture just right!
~
Larissa is ready to get dressed and so on goes the gown!
Mommy had a "moment" or two in the process, but we all survived, makeup still intact.
Shannon is an expert lacer! Who was that girls kindergarten teacher???
Mommy and Linnaea watching the preparations of the bride.
What a beautiful woman!
Accessories of the day!
And we're READY!!!
Larissa was feeling a bit excited about the day at this point!
When she had arrived that morning, she had said
"... it just feels like a regular day."
And I responded . . . "don't worry, it won't for long."
The families started arriving around 3pm, and us mommy's in the group got set to help the
kids ready themselves for pictures. Here's Elie in her too cute flowergirl outfit.
My family - Karl, Me, Josiah, Larissa, West, Hunter, Katy and Andrew
Nick and Jessye's family - Jessye, Lainey, Elie, Nick, Larissa and West
Linnaea and Larissa and West
(I don't know how I missed a family picture of Deanna and Ben's family. Sorry guys!)
Daddy and Mommy and Bride and Groom
Mother of the Bride (a.k.a. Mommy)
Father of the Bride (a.k.a. Daddy)
The whole Party!
All the Crazy Kiddos!
The ceremony was amazing, beautiful and touching.
Breathtaking to see and also to hear Larissa and West's
commitment to each other before God, Family and Friends.
Then is was PARTY TIME!!!
Just kidding, but cutting the cake and toasting is about as
partying as we Saemenes' get at a wedding!
Nathan is West's brother, and his toast was fantastic, and revealed much about West's commitment level in his relationships with those he loves. It was a special toast.
My toast was as follows:
So there I was, minding my own business when Larissa called and reminded me that I would be giving a toast at the reception. Well . . . Okay! I don’t know that I’ve ever rejected the opportunity to “spill the beans” and here’s an INVITATION!!! Just kidding! I know none of you care that I know the most rebellious thing Larissa ever did was to stay up late playing Monopoly until all hours of the night. So, I move on . . . I figure as the sister who has been married the longest, it’s my duty to share some marital advice, so here goes . . . five pieces of advice (in no particular order of importance)
~ Always remember on the days when … When the money is low, the tensions are high, where there are good days or bad, there are 3 most important words to remember and say …… “LET’S EAT OUT!”
~ Here we go . . . I’ll say this one fast! Never fight with your clothes on . . . you get to the making up faster!
~ On a more serious note J Be each other’s biggest loudest cheer leaders! Support each other and stand beside each other always.
~ Please!!! Please don’t tell your friends or family what you fight about today, because tonight you’ll make up and tomorrow, we’ll still be mad!
~ and last but certainly not least. CHOOSE LOVE. Most people believe love is a feeling. I believe it is a choice. Trust me when I say that someday, you are going to roll over in the morning and see a drooly face sleeping on a pillow next to you, or be woken in the middle of the night by what seems like a train in your bedroom (also known as a snoring spouse) and your first thought won’t be “I feel so in love with you!” So, on those days, Choose Love.
So there’s the silly, here’s the serious.
Pslams 37:4 says – Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Larissa, Any of us who have known you for any amount of time, know that the desire of your heart was to be married. But at the heart of that desire was a deeper, stronger yearning to be in God’s will. You have lived your life delighting in the Lord, and now, he has given you the desire of your heart. WEST!!!
West. You probably know that Larissa has been praying for you for years, but what you may not know is that many of us here today, have been praying for you for years as well. We all loved you before we met you. Trusting all the while that God was handcrafting the man who was to be Larissa’s husband and that in His perfect time, the two of you would be brought together. God never fails us does he???
Larissa and West, Job 36:11 says – If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. So, my prayer for you (coming from a tweaked Phillippians 4:12-13) is that years from now, you’ll be able to look back and say . . . – We know what it is to be in need, and we know what it is to have plenty. We have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. We have done and can do everything through him who gives us strength.
I LOVE YOU BOTH! Here’s to many years of wedded bliss!
Me and My Chief!
The Happy Couple!
Daddy's Toast
First Dance
Dancing with Daddy
Driving off into the Sunset! Happy Married Couple! Larissa and West.
Happy Honeymooning!
So, we arrived! Just a little bit behind schedule, but not too bad. The kids did amazingly on both flights even though Andrew's ears hurt quite a bit. We spent day one at Grandpa and Grandma Saemenes' house, and while grandpa had to work, we kept ourselves busy. Sleeping, playing in tick-free grass, having a picnic in the backyard, playing the piano, taking naps, and helping Grandma with some things around the house (so Grandpa could play when he got home.) It was fantastic! Day Two was spent at Multnoamah Falls and the Bonneville Dam. The kids were amazed at how "huge" the falls were, and loved hearing the history and stories there. We climbed about 1/2 the way up and the kids did fine, until we lost sight of the falls. :) Then we headed back down. The Bonneville Dam proved to be quite educational and the kids had lots of fun watching the fish ladder from underground! 
Day Three was spent riding the Max (lightrail) to the Oregon Zoo. It's almost an hour on the Max, and the kids had lots of fun seeing new things, and the different sorts of people who ride the Max. A TriMet officer was on one of the trains, and gave each of the boys a Junior Crimesolver sticker badge . . . you know that was one of the highlights of the day! :) We arrived at the zoo, just as the rain was starting to let up, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. The weather was cool, and the animals were almost all out moving around, playing, being fed, or doing stunts! It was fantastic. The highlights of the zoo day for Karl and I was to watch our kids faces light up, and see the intrigue as they had their first real zoo experience. 
We ended the tour at the tigers, my personal favorite! And then we hit up the Zoo Store, and hopped back on the Max to head home. (Joe slept almost the entire first leg of the train ride!) That night, we hung out with Aunt Linnaea (my little sister) and went to bed early - relatively speaking, as tomorrow, everything would change!
