Our Journey to Healing: Our Wedding Weekend

Monday, July 14, 2008

Our Wedding Weekend

What a special weekend! Family and Friends came in on Friday for our rehearsal dinner at one of San Antonio's many yummy Mexican food restaurants, La Hacienda. These pictures are not in order, some of the wedding mixed in with the dinner ones the night before. But you can see what a special reunion this weekend was for us. Jim and I talked about how this amazing group of people represented so many loved ones who have journeyed with us through both happy and sad days. We are indeed greatly blessed to be cared for in such a tender way. We both believe it was healing, in a way, to have everyone witness the coming together of our two families. We composed a slide show for the wedding reception of pictures set to music. (We will post te slide show on our next blog) The pictures were special ones of Jim and Andrea and their boys, Troy and I and our kids and then the last ones were pictures of Jim and I and our new combined family. I am pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Before playing the slide show we told everyone it was okay to be happy and sad at the same time. Jim and I have become accustomed to these mixed feelings living in and with us. There has been so much hurting yet so much joy. And as Jim commented, God loved us through it all. It was only appropriate that we ended the wedding service with the entire congregation singing Chris Tomlin's "How Great is our God". Indeed, He is great and greatly to be praised! Enjoy the photos!

Lin and Faye

Sherry, Kathy and Faye

My good friend Doug and Me

Bella and Boppa

Nic and Kate at the Rehearsal dinner

The happy couple

Ginger and Angela, best friends from junior high

Ginger and the Girls,left to right

Amy, Ginger, Cara, Ali, Amy

Ginger and I with her brother Matt and his wife Katherine

Kate Nic, Ginger, Anthony and I at our home

Ginger with her Aunt Sylvia and cousin Julie

Mike Duvall and my sister Maureen

Anthony Kate, and Lori Jo Duvall

Ginger, Her mom and sister in law, Katherine

Ginger and her brother Matt

Maj Gen Lessel his wife Kathy and my sister Maureen

Ginger and I with her parents

Us with all our boys, Nic and Anthony decided to pose as Italian models

Ginger's family

The cake

Me and my Brother Pete

My brothers and Sister Left to right
Pete, Maureen, Me, Neil, John

The Ravellas

Neil and His wife Mary with Ginger's mom Judi

The Boys Boston (left) and Greyson with Ginger's Dad, Jay

1 comment:

AnonymousJuly 23, 2008 at 5:14 PM
Oh those are gorgeous photos! I am sorry I missed it - but happy I got to be at the Phoenix one. I was amidst many boxes and broken items the day of your wedding and would have much rather been in San Antonio partying! You all look GREAT and so happy! Love you all!
Aim
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About Us

This blog began as as an account of Andrea's and my journey though breast cancer and her eventual death. My intention was to chronicle our experiences from sickness to physical healing but God revealed His plan was beyond the mere physical. I have continued to experience healing in my life and now God has opened a door to a new chapter in my life. This journey has not ended but has transformed into a new normal and the hope of a new beginning

My monthly updates, which grew into this blog, reached an Air Force pilot's wife in Jan 2007 who had lost her husband two months prior. Her name is Ginger and her husband's name was Troy. Through this tragic bond developed a friendship. And now, through marriage, God has merged all of our journies to healing. This blog is a compilation of these four lives; two sadly taken and two left behind. In this common grief God has given Ginger and I a desire to journal our experiences as therapy for our pain and a source of encouragement to others who face life's most enormous challenges

Andrea was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in Aug 2003 while we were stationed in Anchorage Alaska. After 6 months of chemo and radiation we moved to Washington DC. In June 2005 we moved again to Seymour Johnson AFB in NC. Two weeks later Andrea was told the pain in her hip was breast cancer that had spread to her bones. Two weeks later we were told the cancer was also in her liver and lungs. July 5th 2005 Andrea began chemo treatment. On Dec 17th 2007 Andrea lost her fight with cancer but won her place in eternity.

Troy was a loving father of 5 children, and like Andrea was a
faithful servant of Christ. Troy was an F-16 pilot who volunteered to serve in Iraq. He deployed in Sept 2006. One day during his tour there he was tasked to provide close air support to a special operations unit who had come under overwhelming enemy fire. In an attempt to limit civilian causalities Troy made two low level passes employing the gun from his F-16. After a successful first pass Troy attempted a second pass to ensure the safety of the American soldiers. It was during this pass that Troy's F-16 impacted the ground. On Nov 27th 2006, Troy lost the fight in Iraq and that day won his place in eternity.

This blog is about our experiences, what God has taught us and most importantly about God's faithfulness. It is about dealing with life with cancer and life after cancer. It is about dealing with the sudden tragic loss of a spouse. It is about death and life and the deep grieving and growing process we are going through. It is about our victories and our struggles. But always it is about God's unfailing love for us.

We write this blog to tell you what the Lord has placed on our hearts or simply our feelings at the moment in hopes that this helps you understand what we are going through as well as give you encouragement as you face trials in your own life.

Some writings will be from Jim, some will be from Ginger, some from both of us. Some are writings that express Andrea and Troy's faith and impact during their short lives on this earth.

With thankfulness to Christ,
Jim and Ginger

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge-
then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

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Monday, July 14, 2008

Our Wedding Weekend

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Psalm 91