I’m prejudiced, I know: You’re just going to have to put up with me and say “Jesus, bless her!” Grandmothers, especially one who’ll be eighty years old shortly, are ordained to gush all over their grandchildren and be in “The Biased Granny Club.” Dear Lord! Did I just call myself a “Granny”? Yikes!

My grandson Carter and his beloved Kaylee’s wedding was truly like no other. Oh my, oh my, oh my! My God and yours did way beyond what I could have asked or thought. The glory He poured out on them, on us,…. on everything, even the dog, was amazing. Before you take back your “Lord bless her!” and try to do I don’t know what to this gushing granny, I’ll let the beautiful pictures speak:

What joy is captured in this picture after Carter and Kaylee sealed their love with their “I do’s.”Walter, their best man and their dog, Theo’s best man, too, did a great job, not only in timely giving the ring, and their written vows, but the treats that kept him at bay. With a belly full of them, there is Theodore (as Kaylee calls him) in this photo-….. a well-behaved, stately prince.

Carter and Kaylee’s vows were all that any parent or grandparent could wish for…. even their prayers answered. Here’s Carter’s❤️: “Kaylee: I just have to say first off that I know exactly how lucky I am, I know and probably everyone else here knows, that I’m definitely getting the better end of the deal today.

I have known for as long as I can remember, that you were going to be the woman I married, from the very beginning, everything about being with you has felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be, from the very first time I met you, spending hours talking at a cookout and feeling like I’d known you my whole life, to every night we’ve spent just hanging out on a couch knowing we’d rather be with each other than anywhere else. Every moment has made it clear that God made us for each other.

I love everything about you, from the laugh you can’t control when I tickle you, to the dance you do with your feet when you’re eating your food, there is nothing you do that doesn’t make me happy. I still can’t believe that I was lucky enough to meet the love of my life so young. It has already been the joy of my life being able to grow up with you and watch you turn into the amazing woman you are today.

You have taught me what truly loving someone means. Throughout all the best moments and all hardest times you have stood by me and never given up on me. You have helped me to become a better man than I could have ever been without you and always supported me in whatever I’ve gone after. I couldn’t have ever asked for a more caring, beautiful, and funny person to spend the rest of my life with.

I vow to always be there when you need someone to lean on and ear to listen. I vow to love and cherish every moment we get to spend together. I vow to be by your side through whatever life brings our way, the good the bad and everything in between. I vow to do everything in my power to give you the life you deserve. And finally, I vow to love you with my whole heart until the day I die.”

And now, this is Kaylee’s❤️: “Carter, If someone would have told me at 15 years old that the boy I spent 3 hours talking to at cookout would one day be my husband, I probably would have believed them. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by in over 7 years, that my mind hasn’t wondered into the thought of you.

From the day I met you, I knew you’d change my life. You’ve taught me how to laugh without holding back a snort. You’ve taught me it’s okay to eat chipotle 5 times a week because it is the best meal I’ve ever had. You’ve taught me to care for others even after they do you wrong.

I promise to always put God first in our relationship. I promise to always pray for you and our life together. I promise to never wield from your side.

I believe this love was created by God. The hardships we’ve been through, growing up together, long distance from 30 minutes to half way across the world. I believe we are capable and able to get through anything due to our unwavering love for one another. You push me to be a better person, and there’s no one I’d rather spend this life with.

When I look at you I see my best friend, my husband, and the love of my life. I am so excited to stand by your side and watch the amazing man and one day father you’ll become. I love you more than words can describe. You are my forever and I will always be your always.”

We are so grateful for Coach Hicks, Carter’s high school soccer coach who officiated the ceremony. Carter and Kaylee requested him to do it because of his spiritual influence in their lives and he lovingly and graciously accepted a role he had never been in before. Yay coach! Great job! God bless him for his dedication and love, and especially for faithfully serving the younger generation with the Word of God.

Kaylee’s lovely bridesmaids attending to her, including my granddaughter Julia on the far left.

The speeches given at the reception were so memorable! Walter’s humor, lively expressions, spirited, motivating love and warmth had us all filled with joy and appreciation that Carter and Kaylee were so loved. Kaylee’s father’s words were especially touching as he shared how he had taught his daughter to put God first and family afterwards. How deeply he cherishes her was obvious to us all. Truly, we who know the Lord are a blessed people, and it couldn’t have been more obvious than at this wedding.

This is the word (the Father’s blessing) God had for Carter and Kaylee on their wedding day: “God be merciful unto you and bless you; and cause His face to shine upon you. That His way may be known upon earth, His saving health among all nations.”

May it be so for all of us, too!