Our love story (part 9): Time to party!

Ecclesiastes 3:4
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance

The last eight posts in this series have been mostly reflective in nature with a rather serious tone.  DC and I had been waiting over nine years since the day we met, and we were now engaged to be married.  Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that "there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens", and the time had finally come to laugh, dance, and celebrate.  The bridal showers given in our honor were such a blessing.  The gifts were wonderful, but having that opportunity to see friends and loved ones again on such a joyous occasion was a tremendous blessing indeed.

Six days before our wedding, the same aunt and uncle who hosted DC and me at their lake home back in 1992, hosted a luau at their home in honor of our upcoming wedding.

Aqua-cycle racing at my aunt and uncle's house (Summer of 1992)

I'd like to share a few photos from that party because they capture some of the joy expressed during that special season in our lives together.  Hopefully the photos will amuse some long time friends who attended the luau and who are actually reading this blog series.  I also hope these friends will still be my friends after they see these photos. Oops!  All photos below are pictures I took of the scrapbook my aunt made for me as a keepsake from the party.

The hostess extraordinaire

Each guest was given a Hawaiian name. We were Keli and Kepeli.

Lokata received the prize for "Best Female Tropical Attire".

"Best Male Attire" goes to Kewina.

Karaoke was so much fun. DC selected the classic song, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", which was especially appropriate considering the song's role in the movie Top Gun and DC's navy background.

You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

My reaction to DC's serenade

These guys selected a hilarious redneck song for their karaoke serenade.

When my aunt captioned the photo in the bottom left, she didn't know that this

guy really had been a rocket scientist for GE Astrospace in real life!

YMCA

Group photo of karaoke singers

The crowd chose Keoni for "Best Male Karaoke Entertainer"

Kuli got the prize for "Best Female Karaoke Entertainer"

 A Time to Dance....

 I liked dancing with my silly uncle....

 ...but DC was my favorite dance partner.

 Creative Menu

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Each guest brought a card to the party with words of advice for our marriage.  Some of these cards were lavishly decorated.  Some included great spiritual insights and meaningful poetry or Scripture verses.  Others, like the card from my brother, were downright hilarious.  My aunt included all these cards in the scrapbook for easy reference.

Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us. 

I'm too left brained to end this series with an odd number, so this story will be continued one more time!


Click here to continue to part 10.
To go back to the beginning of this love story, click here.