Joy

There are moments in life we hope to never forget. Nikki's and John's wedding is one of them. I do not think I have the ability to express the joy our family felt that beautiful day. I believe that my sisters and I are blessed with a special gift-- a bond of sisterhood that the truest of sisters share. As I think about that day, there are special moments that have left an indelible impression upon my heart.

I want to share a few.

I loved looking at my parents. They were glowing. Mom was radiant. The absolute love they have for Nikki was not only visible, but I could also feel it. Mom was stunning as the mother of the bride. Dad was as dapper as always.

During the ceremony, I held hands with my own true love. It seems like yesterday, we were the happy couple. I also held hands with my dear sister, Quincy.  We had hoped for this moment for so long.

After their beautiful ceremony in the Atlanta Temple, I went to the dressing room with Quincy to be with Mom and Nikki. My mom was helping Nikki get into her wedding dress. It laced up the back. It took my mom over 10 minutes to lace her up. As I watched my mom, I was struck with a feeling of gratitude for her. We have a mother who has dedicated her life to us, a mother who daily blesses our lives. It's interesting how simple moments trigger such emotion.

Right before the wedding, Quincy commented to me, "I sure do hope we get to play Blokus today!" I laughed out loud.  I recently came across a quote that expressed sisters are a glimpse of your childhood. It is true.

It was a pleasure getting to meet some of John's family. I spent some time with his Uncle Raoul. He commented that a person also marries their spouse's family. Yes, we do. I thought of my own dear in-laws and sister-in-law who came to celebrate with our family, because they love Nikki so much.

Perhaps my favorite moment of the day was when my dad welcomed our guests at the wedding luncheon. He was kind and gracious. His words were perfect. After he prayed, I looked at my sister and said that I was proud to be his daughter. 


A few days before the wedding, Nikki asked me and Quincy to say a few words. Honestly, I feared that I was going to faint before I spoke. I wrote my words and memorized them. I labored over it. I lost sleep over it. Quincy was nervous too. She was lovely as she spoke from her heart to Nikki and John.

Here are my words to them:

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my sisters. All week I have been thinking about the eternal nature of love, and what a blessing it is to have a family.

 I was almost 14 years old when Nikki was born. I was convinced she was going to be my baby brother. I remember like it was yesterday running home from school to find out the happy news. I burst into the house, and my dad was on the phone saying, “Oh, yes, we are so happy!” I couldn’t believe it, because I finally had my baby brother. I then looked over at the kitchen table only to discover a pink “It’s a girl” card.

I started to cry.

But, when we went to the hospital that evening, I will never forget how I felt when I saw Nikki for the first time.  I can truly say it was love at first sight. She instantly became my baby. Because of our age difference, we didn’t grow up together, but she was 14 when Brad and I were married, and she grown up with us. Brad and I love you dearly.

And we love you, John. We waited a long time for you to get here.

Nikki and John, I’m not going to give you any advice, I couldn’t say anything that you don’t already know, but I do love these words:

“True love ‘beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’ So Christ loved us, and that is how He hoped we would love each other.”

My sincerest hope is that your marriage will always be a reflection of this perfect love.
You are both worthy of it, and you deserve it.
I love you.

Cozette could not take her eyes off of Nikki's dress.

Kayleigh recently said that she could not believe the day has come and gone so quickly. I explained to her that's how it usually is.

The newlyweds are currently vacationing in Spain.

And we get to look forward to them coming home.

Here is a link to some bridal photos of Nikki.


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