Well, here I am. Sitting in my bed the night before my first daughter gets married. All four of my daughters are here together. I can hear them laughing in the other room. This is the last night they will have together where they will still have their maiden names.

Julie comes from a big family. Her mother is one of seven sisters. Over the years, I have seen how difficult it is to get them all together in the same place. One of them has gone on to be with Jesus. It will be a long time before they are all together again. The bigger the family, the harder it will be to get everyone together with any regularity. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just how things go.

It’s been a long couple of weeks leading up to tomorrow. Everyone is tired. It’s a good kind of tired. We have all worked hard. It has taken some special work due to the fact we are doing this in the middle of a pandemic. That’s no small task. Thankfully, we only had to adjust the wedding date once. It will be a smaller crowd, but I believe this will be special. We didn’t let he uncertainty of the world around us keep us from having a special day for Jessika and Nate.

I’m very thankful tonight. I’m thankful I have four amazing daughters. They all love each other, and their parents deeply. I’m thankful my two oldest daughters are marrying good men. Men who treat them well, and love them for who they are. I’m thankful for Nate. He is so kind and respectful. I know he will make a good husband. I’m thankful for J.J. who will marry Lydia in just 60 days. He too is a good man, who will love Lydia deeply.

But most of all, I am thankful for my amazing wife, Julie. She has poured herself out into two weddings this year. She has spent countless hours creating many of the decorations we will use tomorrow and in August. She is without question the most selfless person I have ever met. Our two weddings this year will be successful and beautiful because of all her work.

Julie, you are incredible. You are unlike anyone I have ever met.

Thank you.