Here comes the bride

Rebecca got married in March 2001. Jared was in Johannesburg, South Africa on a mission for our church.

My Dad had recently had surgery for bowel cancer and really was not a well man. It was very emotional to see him walking Rebecca down the aisle at the church as we did not know whether or not he would be able to do it. I remember when Dad told me of his bowel cancer. He came to my house with my Mom and I was upstairs cleaning. I was heartbroken. I had great faith in God and told my Dad he would be fine. He went through a lot of pain and grief but the surgery was successful........(I can't help but wish it had been the same outcome this time :(


Gary (Pickering) was the lucky groom and they had been dating for so long, he had felt a member of our family for a while. The one memory Gary and I always laugh about is when he called me a 'not so nice' name and my Dad heard him. My Dad got very angry with him and it felt great to see my Dad defend me in such a way. Afterall, I was 26 years old at the time. Thing is, Dad would defend me even today at 40. ;)

I used to babysit Gary and his brothers and sister when we were all a lot younger. I used to babysit for them very frequently and knew the family so well that it was always fun to go to their house. One particular evening, after I made Scott (Gary's younger brother) brush his teeth about 10 times, we decided, OK, I decided we would have some fun. I told Mike (Gary's older brother) and Gary that we were going to make some 'phone calls'. Gary called a random number and was chatting away with a grown lady and arranging to meet her some place. ;) Mike then rang a number and started chit chatting away only to realize that it was HIS Dad he was chit chatting with. Their Mom and Dad had gone to their friends to visit and Mike just so happened to call their number. He was giving him a right good telling off for not paying his electric bill and threatening to cut the electricity off.

OH BOY was that babysitter ever in a lot of trouble???? We really laugh about that night. I used to love playing Maziacs. ( A game on the Spectrum 64). The aim was to get the 'gold' and you had to collect food and swords along the way. Spiders would jump out and you would have to fight them. It was a very intense game.


Whenever I think about weddings or see or hear of them, I always think about my Mother and Father. They have been true to the vows they made 46 years ago. In sickness and in health.......I can't even imagine how my Mom feels seeing her husband so sick and weak. They have had wonderful years together. They always lived life to the full.



"We love you Dad"