Anna & Nate (#8 Got Married!)

December was such a busy month - as it always is - and I'm only now getting around to processing and celebrating the events that occurred.

The highlight of the month was that my youngest sister Anna got married. She made a beautiful bride, and I'm so happy for her and for Nate. The biggest surprise for me was that on such short notice I was able to make the trip back to Virginia to celebrate with everyone. It was a fairly quick turnaround - arrived Saturday evening, the wedding was Monday, and I left Tuesday - but it was worth being present and part of the occasion.

The wedding was a small, family affair held at my sister Rebekah's home. Bryan, my brother-in-law officiated their ceremony. It was so low-key and lovely... it really was. The boys moved a bunch of furniture in the living room to make space for the chairs. I thought they did a great job of creating a suitable environment for the ceremony, and I really enjoyed myself. :) Good job, Rebekah and Bryan!

I love the Christmas tree!

A lovely table!

And, of course, we had to have some pictures with everyone (well, the ladies, anyway). It was really special to have all the girls present - all four Clementson sisters, as well as my brothers' wives Courtney and Rebekah, who are like sisters and might as well be! It was truly a special time to spend with these people whom I love so very much. Of course, just our core family has grown as everyone has gotten married. Of the eight Clementson children, six are now married, and there are four grandchildren, so that makes 20 right there... Bahaha! I love my family!

Anna and Mommie

The Clementson sisters (me, Anna, Sarah & Rebekah)

All the Clementson ladies

I really love the picture below, and I'm so glad I captured it. Bryan is sitting down with Anna discussing the final details of the ceremony right before all the ladies sat down together to pray over the ceremony and over the covenant of marriage that Nate and Anna made. 

The other highlight of the event was getting to spend an evening with my nieces and nephews. Rebekah and Bryan have four kiddos - two boys Micah and Nathan and two girls Chloe and Jane - and it was truly a precious time for me to hug and squeeze and play and tell them that Uncle Jody and Aunt Ruth love them a lot. They are growing up so quickly!

With Micah before the ceremony

With Janie!

Angry faces... sort of.

With Chloe - compliments of Jane :)

Another picture Jane took of Chloe and me

With Nathan

Every wedding is another reminder to me of the sacredness of marriage, and I leave such occasions with a renewed challenge to love my husband well. To serve him with all that I am. And that marriage - just like following Christ - is about the business of dying to self (and my selfish desires) day after day after day. It also serves as a reminder to me to pray for the couple, that they would love each other well and submit to one another. Tough stuff... but we're rooting for you, Anna and Nate! Congratulations!

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.    - Ephesians 5:21-28

Celebrating the gift of marriage

Last Sunday, Jody and I celebrated six years of marriage. I can't believe it. On the one hand, it has been the greatest gift and joy ever. On the other hand, it has been a tough six years.

I am so grateful for my husband. Jody is a gift from God, and I truly do love him more and more every day. He serves, sacrifices sleep and comfort and works so hard. But most importantly, he strives to obey the Lord in everything.

I could not ask for more.

Our wedding date six years ago was Saturday, August 25, 2007. And unlike anyone we had heard of at the time, we decided that we would wash each other's feet during the wedding ceremony. We felt - and still do feel - that marriage is best described with one word: servant, and Jesus best explained that Kingdom principle to His disciples in John, chapter 13, by washing their feet.

And while we had mentally prepared ourselves for the actual process, we didn't realize how cumbersome it would be during the wedding ceremony. Untying shoe laces. Taking off socks. Wetting and then drying the feet. Then trying to put the socks back on after you wet and dried the feet. Then we had to switch places! It took a lot more time than we thought. I felt so clumsy in my huge dress.

And everybody was watching.

Six years later, I realize now more than I did then that the footwashing during our ceremony truly is a perfect metaphor for marriage. :)

Life with Jody is wonderful, and I am truly blessed. But marriage can be hard and messy... and with social media and life in ministry, I am realizing how people are watching Jody and me to see how we will handle the stresses of life.
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Jody decided we should celebrate our anniversary with a wonderful surprise trip to Snooze, a breakfast joint in downtown Denver. It was so much fun to get out of our little bubble and to make the trip downtown. We never go into the city, it feels like, so I really enjoyed the novelty of a new area and, of course, the good food!

Then, Jody surprised me even more with such a great gift - the first three seasons of my current favorite show, Downton Abbey. The package was waiting at our door when we got back from Denver. I was so excited that I squealed and squealed and jumped up and down with excitement. It truly was not on my radar; I had no idea what he had up his sleeve.

Jody's response to my response was: "You didn't get this excited when I proposed." Hahaha!

And now, as I look to Year #7 of marriage to Jody, I am reminded of my calling as his wife - to submit to him, as I submit to the Lord and to pray for him.

I praise God for you, Jody Been!

Chris + Rebekah

May 18, 2013

A very special occasion in the life of my whole family happened just 6 weeks ago. 

My older brother Chris got married. 

I confess everyone in our family wondered if this day would ever come, because Chris - perhaps more than anyone I have ever met - aspires to perfection. He is one of the hardest working individuals I have ever known, and he refuses to settle for anything less than the best. Naturally, that attribute affected his decision-making in pursuing a spouse. We all knew that Chris could never settle for anyone less than someone he respected. Someone who could challenge him to be better.

Bryan, my brother-in-law nailed it on the head at the rehearsal dinner. He said that the four Clementson sisters were forever trying to set Chris up with girls we liked. And that is so true. Girl after girl came and went (college roommates, church friends...), and Chris never did anything. It was so frustrating!

But then, a few years ago my sister Anna brought home a mentor and friend from church, Rebekah Milian, and Chris met her.

And it happened. :) They started dating a few years ago, and this past January they got engaged - while I was in Panama, in fact. And we couldn't be happier for Chris. Rebekah is perfect for him. She loves the Lord, she challenges him to be better, and she truly does bring out the best in him.

In May, Jody and I flew back to Richmond, Virginia for this incredible occasion. My brother-in-law Justin captured several of these pictures (the good ones - ha!!). You can find more of them here.

The rehearsal dinner was held close to my parents' house in Brandermill, and it was wonderful.

Justin - the photographer brother-in-law extraordinaire!

The boys. Trouble.

Snapshots

(L-R) My sister Anna, me, my sister-in-law Courtney, my sister Sarah

The parents' table   :)

Beloved family. I am so blessed!

My aunt Conway and my wonderful Grammie, my Mom's mom 

My mom and Aunt Lynn chatting

I love the picture above. It shows my (L-R) my parents, my mom's brother Pete and his wife Lynn, and my mom's sister Kathy and her husband Frank. Great shot of all of 'em! Love you guys!!

My precious grandfather, Grandy and my uncle Steve

I so love my mom's family. This is the core Sampson family. Grammie and Grandy, with their three children: Kathy, my mom Mary, and her brother Pete. Such a great shot!

And this picture of all of 'em - Sampson family and spouses. LOVE THIS. So very grateful for families with marriages that last. Decades and decades of faithful marriages right here. Grateful for the heritage, and grateful for a memorable rehearsal dinner spent with dear family. God is indeed so good to me.

And then, the day of the wedding arrived. The wedding was held at a lovely little church close to downtown Richmond. A small, lovely chapel with just enough room for everyone. And - of course - Justin got some amazing shots of the day.

Jody with my cousin Scott

My daddy!

Daniel, about to walk Grammie to her seat

Luke, about to walk Rebekah's mom down

Rebekah made such a beautiful bride!

When Chris first saw her :)

We are gathered here, in the sight of God....

You may kiss the bride!

Mr. & Mrs. Chris Clementson

The happy couple!

It was a simple, lovely ceremony. Christ-centered and peaceful. Josh did an incredible job as the best man. We are all so proud of him! And I just love this picture of him below - smiling like nobody's business!

The bridal party

Justin got some great family shots, too. I'm thrilled that Jody could be present for this wedding, since he wasn't able to make Sarah and Justin's wedding last September. Yay for the whole Clementson family. I'm so happy we've got these pictures forever. :)

The Clementson Family

The extended Clementson family

I am so grateful that our extended family came. Love, love them. And we missed everyone who couldn't make it!

The Sampson Family (my mom's side of the family)

Everybody!

All the Clementson girls - in-laws, too!

The 4 Clementson girls

I'd like to mention that the only reason I look so tall is because I'm wearing 3-4in heels that I borrowed from Courtney, who wears them like a champ. INCREDIBLE. After four hours of wearing them, I was almost hobbling. Ha! But I was going to look good, by golly! ;)

I am so truly happy for Chris and Rebekah. They didn't settle. They waited for God's best in marriage, and I pray God blesses their marriage. 

We love you guys! Congratulations!