Celebration

Talk about perfect timing! Because we happened to be in Missouri this weekend, we were able to attend the wedding reception of my step-niece, Tanya, and her husband Jake.
I was also reunited with my baby brother, Darryl, who moved to Missouri in May 2003, six years ago. I haven't seen him or his family since they visited Arizona in December 2005.
*
In the photo above you see our parents' oldest and youngest children as we are today: Darryl is 46 and I'm 54 (at least for 6 more weeks).
Here I am with Darryl's wife, my sister-in-law Tamera. Poor woman--not only married to Darryl, but also willing to put up with us as houseguests for the next 6 days!
Darryl and Tamera together. When they married, they became a blended family. Darryl has 3 children from his first marriage: Brittany, Savannah, and Rhett (you met Brittany on my blog the other day). Tamera has 4 children from her first two marriages: Chris, Glenn, Tanya, and DJ.
*
Chris and Glenn were adults living on their own when Darryl and Tamera married, but Tanya and DJ came to live with their mom in Arizona and thus they truly became part of our family. Not long after, Brittany came to live with them, too.
*
Savannah and Rhett live in the Phoenix area with their mother and we rarely get to see them. I miss having them in our lives!
Today's wedding reception was for Tamera's only daughter, Tanya. She and Jake were married on July 7th and honeymooned in the Smoky Mountains before returning for today's reception.
*
The reception was held in a ramada at Stockton Lake State Park, a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Branson. The lake was huge and beautiful, but as you can see by the above photo, it was hard to see the lake through the thick trees surrounding it!
*
I'm learning that the forests of the midwest are much denser than those in Arizona!

Here are the happy couple, Tanya and Jake. Tanya has 2 daughters from a previous marriage, Krissa and Adrienne. She and Jake have added two more children to their family, a son named Hunter and a baby girl, Kendall.

*

I hope to have pictures of them all later this week. It was a little too hectic to gather them all for a family shot during the reception!

Isn't the wedding cake beautiful?

I believe Jake and Tanya were childhood sweethearts, back before she moved away to Arizona. After the family moved back to Missouri in 2003, she and Jake reconnected. I adore love stories like that!

Tanya prepares to toss the bouquet to the eager single gals. Just before she tossed it, I said, "Remember, Tanya, I'm the most desperate one in this group!"

Guess who got the bouquet? Yep, that would be me! So do you think I have a chance? Ha! Notice I didn't say I caught the bouquet. It actually landed on the ground, and when everyone else hesitated, I snatched it. I wonder if that's breaking the rules...

It was a clean sweep for the Carters! Here you see Dylan snagging the garter. Not that any of the older guys were really trying, mind you.

This is Tamera's oldest, Chris, with his wife Tammy and their daughter Haylee. I got to know them pretty well during the Arizona years.

Tamera's second child is Glenn, shown here with his wife Mindy. Today was my first time to meet them. They have 2 children, Matthew and Kelsey, who were not at the reception due to conflicting schedules.

Tamera's baby, her son DJ, is in the Air Force and attending school in Wichita Falls, Texas. This is DJ's wife Jessica and their baby girl, Natalie. Baby number two is also on the way.
*

DJ and Jacob became the best of friends during the years Darryl's family lived in nearby Show Low, and Jacob was sad that DJ couldn't be at the reception. He and DJ spent the rest of the evening texting each other.

It was such a blessing that our visit coincided with Tanya and Jake's reception. Not only were we able to celebrate with them, but family members were gathered whom we might not have gotten to see any other way.

*

Best wishes for a bright and joyful future to Jake and Tanya!