meet kristine, one of my bridesmaids. she's also known as the wife of my brother, michael...but more importantly, the mom of jonathan's and my future niece or nephew. how she and mike met is one of those things that can mainly be chalked up to an "act of god".
back in late spring of 2004, michael g had been the campus minister up at western. he was doing the hiring for the peer ministers, and selected kristine as one of the pm's for the upcoming year at western. when he decided to leave wwu's campus ministry and return home after his mom's re-diagnosis with cancer, he recommended my brother for his position as campus minister (and head of the peer ministers), and mike was subsequently hired. they worked together at western, and later started dating after the finished in campus ministry.
she's been an amazing sister (we dropped the 'in law' a long time ago), and mike is so blessed. by the time the wedding is here, she will be nearly seven months pregnant, and two months later, jonathan and i will be uncle and auntie!
she is an awesome third grade teacher at st. charles, and the kids just love her.
here's our story in pics (with a few links here and there)...
the first photo i ever took of kristine - not realizing that she would eventually be in my family!michael g had invited his new pm's down to our estrogen militia kells night - and she was there. (i found this photo when i was finding photos of crystal, for her upcoming feature)
august 2004
mike and kristine at the house in the harbor
august 2005
"the bum shaker" at the wwu cow plop in bellingham
january 2006
mike proposing to kristine at the salish lodge
march 2006
while he was busy planning the proposal, mike asked me if i would get a few surprise photos of it. she would have no idea that i was there, let alone our family and her family...i managed to hide (see my fabulous get up below) along the path in open sight, and snap a group of pics from his proposal. afterwards, i ran back up the hill, changed into my cashmere sweater, and was seated at the table by the time they came in. she never saw the photos until i snuck them into the slideshow at the wedding. the look of surprise on her face was the best! it was so much fun!
how good looking am i? :)
with the wedding invitation i designed for their wedding
april 2006
from their engagement session
april 2006
at the 2006 relay for life - kristine was cutting out the tiny little running men with cancer facts on them for our award-winning tent site...
june 2006
kristine and her sisters (kelsey and ashley) with me at the rehearsal dinner
august 2006
one of my favorite bridesmaid photos from their wedding - don't we look naked?
august 2006
their wedding day was one of the most beautiful things i had ever been a part of. it was also one of the most bittersweet - where i spent an hour or two in tears at the changes that were going on. it wasn't until a week or two later that i really started to understand what was happening...and this blog post summed it up. i was so grateful to share in that day with them.
in the snow, down at pt. defiance
january 2007
my most favorite photo of them, taken the day after their wedding
august 2006
one of my most favorite things about her? early on, whenever we got off the phone, she would always tell me she loved me. always. even if we were in a hurry. always, "i love you sister!"
thank you, kristine, for opening your heart to not only mike, but to our family, and to jonathan. we are so blessed by you, and i can't wait for what the future holds. i love you too!
2 comments:
Kristine- what a beautiful beautiful beautiful woman! You are already an awesome mom~ I wish you all the best.
Oh, wow. This is such a beautiful post. I almost cried. Sister (in-law or otherwise) are such a special blessing. I know God has built a special gift in that relationship. And sister number one or number six or anywhere in between are all as amazing!
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