weekend activities

Today has been a relaxing around day. My biggest endevor of the day was attempting to make pea soup. Didn't work out too well. It didn't flop so badly as to be inedible, unfortunately. We still have to eat it.
Next time I will let the peas soak overnight instead of trying the quick soften method. That's all I'm going to say about that. Except that cooking on a gas stove is more difficult than electric.

Yesterday was a full day, the most interesting part was that we experienced one of the "firsts" that I talked about in my earlier post. My husband and I went to a wedding yesterday. We've been to them before but this one was unlike anything that either of us have ever been to.

We didn't know the family, or the bride and groom...I won't get into why we were invited but we were. And it was HUGE. Our guess is that there were about 500 people there.

It was kind of a cross between the culture here and a western wedding. It was a wedding banquet, crossed with a reception program, crossed with a western wedding ceremony. To start, the lights went out, and the spotlight came on the big arch at the back of the room, and the bride came in on her father's arm and did a walk down the red carpet under a huge arch.... there were professional video crews there with huge spotlights and what not, as the bride and her dad came down the "aisle" the smoke machines started and music swelled, people threw rose petals and metalic confetti. She was wearing a big white dress with a long train being carried by four little children. Then the groom took her arm and they walked the rest of the way to the stage.(This was in a banquest hall)... and then they went through various things that were shades of what we do in the west....but with a unique spin..... usually there would just be a banquet and speeches, toasts, and maybe someone would sing a song....but at this one, they exchanged rings, shared wine together, poured champagne into a huge champagne glass pyramid...
Whenever something significant or moving was being said or done....the background music would swell, and sometimes a bubble machine would pour out bubbles(like Lawrence Welk) , and the smoke machine would make it all misty.... one interesting part was that they had this little girl dressed as an angel come down the aisle... she was cute, with a little crown and wings....she had a little candle and she went up to the couple and they lit their candle stick (stick with dendrobium orchids on it) and then lit a whole candlabra....

It was all so unlike anything we've seen done here.... but interesting. It was really neat to get invited.

Oh yeah, then as we were feasting the couple had to come around and toast at each table, during this time, they had a couple dancers go up on stage and do a rhumba .... it was called "The Honeymoon" ... they did a good job, (and kept it PG!) Thank you.

I think that the bride's father was trying to make the day as special as possible for his daughter. I hope it was a good day for the couple. I also hope and pray that their marriage will be solid, and focused on what really matters.... I'll pray a special little prayer for them tonight before I hit the hay.