Celebration Sunday

The week before the Celebration Sunday new tables and chairs arrived for Fellowship Hall.  The room looks so much lighter and friendlier with the new tables.

New tables and chairs arrived!

While Brandon was in recovery mode I finished all the decorating in my classroom and the nurseries and finished the reorganization of everything in the storage closet.

Everything back in its happy little spot!

The morning of the Celebration service we learned about Samuel hearing God's voice and obeying.  We made such a fun craft.  We all look silly, but we were able to laugh together. I have a big crew this year.  We are missing several kiddos in the picture below, but I am still so thankful for this picture of many of them.

We are listening!

The Celebration service was beautiful.  It was such a joy to have so many people who were so special to the project there with us on that Sunday.  There were interviews with construction people and architects. There were three videos that Charissa made, wonderful music, and so many joyful people.   Brandon was able to be face down for the service and Sunday School time.  He actually led a class looking facedown.  He told them that he wouldn't know if they got up while he was talking and left him in an empty room haha.

After the service we had a ribbon cutting ceremony which was really just a ribbon taped between two posts, but it was of course significant. Brandon called his Dr. and got permission to look up every now and then so that he could be a part of the ribbon cutting and actually look at the camera.

Ready to make the cut!

Here he goes!

Action shot!

Open for business. 

After the ceremony we had cake and fellowship time.  Brandon did a lot more looking up that he probably should have, but it was just so much fun to chat with people and to hear and see their joy for everything finally coming together.

We didn't get home from church until about 2:00.  M went to a Y to play Basketball with friends and I think T went to S's house.  Charissa and I went for a walk.  What a lovely Sunday.

T: I gave Daddy an afternoon massage...

T:  And then he gave one to me... and I couldn't stop laughing. 

I have to admit that writing this now it is a bit sad. I am so thankful we had these memories and this special time, but it is bittersweet to think about this completed building sitting empty.  I am thankful that we serve a faithful God and that the Church is not a building.