loi and marshall got married in our backyard under the old oak climbing tree last month.

i love that old tree. cliff and i would climb the tree and sit in the branches talking and dreaming. we taught our girls to climb the tree and buried our old faithful pets under it's branches. the old tree used to be so much more majestic before charlie and francis and all the other hurricanes came barreling through doing their destructive damage. but through it all, it persevered and held strong refusing to fall over.




carrying the battle scars, the old oak leans over now, windblown and disheveled and like a balding old man, precious few leaves are left on it's branches. but the limbs stretch out
low and wide
still inviting anyone that comes along to climb up and sit a spell. to dream. to pray. to be still.







but on the day of the wedding the beautiful blue skies framed the old tree as it lovingly came back to life. the branches wrapped in little white lights held the cream tulle that gracefully draped like a giant scarf caught by the wind. the old tree looked majestic once again. holy and blessed and a vision of God's glory.









underneath the old oak's giant and gnarled branches, we watched loi and marshall pledge their love to each other.



their heads bowed together they celebrated holy communion as husband and wife for the first time.
God was in this place.
cliff and i sat holding hands under the tree, smiling.