Did You Hear? Devon Got Married!

It is hard to wrap our minds around it, but it’s true.  Devon married Kristen Discavage on July 27, 2013.  It was a whirlwind week.  The festivities started with the bachelor party in Key Largo.  The guys and Dan spent 2 days in the keys hunting for “bugs”.  It was the lobster “mini-season”, which is basically a 2 day pre-season hunt for lobsters.  They call lobsters “bugs”.

Left to right:  Wes Vrooman, Kyle Vrooman, (roommates and fellow Haiti missionary kids), another childhood friend, Caleb Shoemaker (cousin and roommate), Devon and Dan.







They caught a total of 42 bugs, most of which was caught within 3 hours of the open of the season on the first day.










They grilled one each and divided up the rest.  They had a blast and managed to not get sunburned.  That would have made for a bad start to a honeymoon!







Picking up the tuxes was a fun and a bit chaotic (all the guys, plus Dan and his dad who performed the ceremony were there at the same time and it was the smallest tux place I’ve ever seen) but lunch afterward was nice.
The wedding took place in Kristen’s home area of Deerfield Beach/Ft. Lauderdale in a beautiful country club. 


The girls, L to R, are Dawn, Rachel (Kristen’s roommate), Rachel (Kristen’s younger sister), Michelle (Kristen’s older sister) and Kristen.

The guys, L to R, Devon, the childhood friend, Wes, Caleb and Kyle.

Devon’s grandfather, Herb Shoemaker, performed the ceremony.






The rehearsal dinner was held at a nearby sports café that had a separate back room for special occasions. 
We had special frisbees made for each place setting.  Devon and Kristen met while playing Ultimate Frisbee – that’s the meaning of “The Ultimate Couple” on the frisbee.  The frisbee was used as a charger to hold the plastic plates, which worked great since ribs and the other food was heavy.  It turned out lovely and just the right setting to fit Devon and Kristen.







Devon shared how he asked Kristen to marry him at Christmas time…with the puppy, at a time Christmas tree and filmed with a go-pro camera tied into the tree.








The next day - getting ready for the big event.




































And then, before we knew it, it was time!




























A sampling of the after pics:






















It turned out to be a huge family reunion!  Debbie’s family came…

Dawn and all 4 Cosper girls:
L to R:  Debbie, Carrie, Dawn, Marti and Brandi







Shirley’s (Dan’s mom) family were all together…

L to R: Al and Sandy Fry, Herb and Shirley Shoemaker, Frank and Kay Fry









Dad’s brother and sister-in-law, Les and Pat Shoemaker, were able to come…









     The whole Shoemaker Clan!


There was also a Haiti MK reunion…

L to R:  Dawn, Wes Vrooman, Kyle Vrooman, Devon, a childhood friend, Andrew Vrooman and Sophia Juene

On a hot summer day in south Florida, you can just imagine how hot and humid it was.  Dawn expressed it perfectly.






Here’s the Unity Cross that they used in their ceremony (instead of a candle or sand).  It’s really a cool thing to do at a wedding.  The outer cross represents the man, the inner cross represents the woman, they are put together and become one and held together by 3 pins representing the trinity.  Very special symbolism and something that they can keep for a long time.  (unitycross.com)























Where’s that garter belt?

Oh, there it is!





The bouquet throw, then the garter belt throw, then the lucky fella who caught the garter belt has the privilege of putting it on the leg of the gal who caught the bouquet.
























Dancing the night away!


Hard to believe, but it really did happen!!  Devon and Kristen are married!!

They live about 40 minutes south of us with their dog, Chloe.  Devon works with his business partner repairing high end furniture and Kristen works at Starbucks and is finishing her senior year at the local university.

75 years young

May 3 my mom turned 75.  Thanks to my sisters, I was able to fly to Greenville, SC for a long weekend so I could be there to help her celebrate.  We had a very nice time together, just enjoying each other’s company.

Left to right, Marti, B, Frank (Marti’s husband), my mother Mary Anne, Carrie, Sylas (her son) and Randy (Carrie’s husband).  A very nice family picture.  Wish Dan could have been there to make the picture complete!

We always seem to arrange ourselves in birth order for pictures, but not in this photo.  But here it is….me (in the yellow and purple), Marti (in the red), B (in the orange) and Carrie (in the aqua and brown).  My mom looks pretty good doesn’t she?!

No Cosper gathering is complete without a shopping trip.  We Cosper women love our bling!

It was a memorable time together.

A tragic death in the family

It’s hard to adequately explain how we felt when we got the phone call early April 11 from my sister, Brandi, telling us that our sister, Marti’s, youngest, Jonathan, had unexpectedly died during the night.  He was 27.  We were speechless, stunned, shocked.  J loved life and lived it out loud.  And he was suddenly gone.  An accidental overdose of prescription cough medicine.

Dan and I had returned the night before after a 5 day ministry trip to Jacksonville, FL.  After crying with Marti on the phone, we quickly did our laundry, re-packed, stopped by the office for a few minutes and headed north to be with Marti, Frank and the rest of the family in Columbia, SC.  [Devon had to work and Dawn was in school and also had work.  Neither were able to make it to South Carolina.]

Wordless hugs, crying and laughing at funny memories.  We were there for support and help in any way we could.  We cleaned the house, cleaned the kitchen after meals that were brought in – and only somewhat eaten, and ran errands.  As reality set in they set about putting together a funeral, a time of spiritual comfort, that would minister to the family as well as a time of remembrance and memorial that would show honor and respect of J where he was in life, something that his very large circle of friends would feel free to attend.  It was a delicate balance.  Marti and Frank were able to find that balance with a service that had 2 parts, giving people the freedom to attend one or the other or both.  Almost everyone attended both.

They brought many items from his childhood, his teenage years, as well as things from his house to chronicle his life, his many interests and the many things he did to the funeral home.  People were able to have a good insight into his life and who he was.  It was very well done…and heart wrenching to look at and realize that he was not there anymore. 

There were over 300 people at the funeral.  The chapel had standing room only; they even opened the doors and had people standing outside on the sidewalks listening to the service.  J touched many lives.  We were surprised to hear that he didn’t have any friends – he had best friends.  Many, many best friends.  We didn’t have much of a chance to get to know him because of our living overseas for so long as well as the fact that he lived several states away.  But we got to know him at the service.  Made us even more sad that we hadn’t had the chance to get to know him better in life.

We were there to give comfort with our presence.  I pray that we were able to accomplish that.

This is J (in the red) with his sister Rachel (in the purple), her husband, Rusty, and his oldest sister, Rebecca (in the blue). 

Here is his obituary.

Jonathan “Jonny” Corey Howard Bedell, or simply “J” to his family, age 27, passed away unexpectedly early Thursday morning, April 11, 2013. The celebration of Jonathan’s life will be Sunday, April 14 at Dunbar Funeral Home located at 7600 Woodrow St. Irmo, SC 29063. There will be a worship service beginning at 3:00 pm, followed by an opportunity to share stories and memories at 3:45. Bring your fondest memories of Jonathan to share.  There will also be an opportunity to leave Jonathan with your private written goodbyes. Visitation will take place between 5:00 and 7:00. Please join us for all of these events or any one event that fits your style.

Born in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 18, 1985, Jonathan was the third child born of Frank and Marti Cosper Bedell. J is survived by his sisters, Rebecca Hughes (Tim) of Florida and Rachel McKie (Rusty) of Tennessee.  J loved his niece, Alissa Hughes, and his new nephew, Justus McKie.  Jonny is also survived by his life partner, Amauri Almanza of Columbia, who is also loved by the entire Bedell family. Jonathan comes from a large extended family and will be missed greatly by his many aunts, uncles, cousins, niece and nephew and his grandparents, Cliff and Prue Bedell and Mary Anne Cosper.

Jonny brought joy, love, and friendship to scores of people around the world. An explorer at heart, Jonny was able to study in Scotland for his junior year of college. He loved to hike the Scottish trails, particularly Hadrian’s Wall and, most recently, the Great Glen Way.

Jonny was a runner who ran for many different reasons.  Sometimes he ran to be physically fit, to accompany a friend, or simply for the finisher’s medal.  He ran several half as well as full marathons. He was spontaneous and at times entered these races with little or no preparation, but  he always completed them.

Jonathan was unusually compassionate, both to people, especially the hurting or the underdog, and to animals, the injured and the orphaned. As a young man, he volunteered at Carolina Wildlife, Inc. for many years, later working part time for them until his passing. His work included  the at-home care of preemie squirrels known as “pinkies”. His dedication to these small animals was such that he would stay up all night tending to their needs.  His love for animals was further evident in the special bond he had with his cat Puffy Face, who was his best friend for sixteen years. His unique love for cats continued as he and Amauri took in three cats that needed a home: Alistar, Cotton and Robert, as well as two “porch” cats, Bobbin and Nubin.

Dreaming and planning for the future brought joy to Jonny. He enjoyed traveling immensely - many times overseas - doing projects around the house, and making trips with friends, just to name a few. At the time of his passing, he was eagerly saving all his coins in a large jar labeled “Cruise”.

His friends were  of paramount importance to Jonny. He showed his love for his friends through countless self-giving ways. He loved Facebook, and we all will miss his many informative and humorous posts. It brought Jonny great happiness to cook his favorite Indian dish for his friends and family. He also enjoyed a monthly supper club. It was a delight to Jonny to work at “sbux”, where he made many friends on both sides of the counter. In addition, he was loved by his coworkers at SCDEW.

Jonathan was kind, empathetic, smart, tenacious, passionate, and loved others deeply. He never missed an opportunity to say “I love you”. Since he was a child,  his favorite response to his mom’s “I love you” was “I love you more”.

Cherish and share the good memories forever. Jonathan, J, Jonny- you will always own a piece of our heart.

30 years!

March 26, 1983

March 26, 2013

30 years

We thought that you’d like to see our family through the last 30 years.  To celebrate we took a Caribbean cruise with our close friends, Kim and Barbara Rose.  You can see the pictures HERE.  It was a blast – so much fun.  It’s been a wonderful 30 years.  We’ve lived in 3 places…or 300, depending on if you count all the many places and people we’ve visited over the years.  We always told our kids that home was where the suitcases were.  And those suitcases went many, many places.

We’ve gotten older but hopefully wiser.  And we’d do it all over again.  This time next year we will be able to include an extra member to the family.  Devon and Kristen will be getting married in just 2 months!

God has been good to us.  We are grateful to him for the 30 years we’ve had together, the lives and ministry that we’ve had and our 2 fantastic kids.

What was Alaska like?

Uncharacteristically clear and sunny but freezing cold.  Breathtakingly beautiful.  Completely different culture, but still a part of America.  Since pictures are worth a thousand words, I’ll let these pics speak a bit.

Petersburg Alaska is located on Petersburg Island.  Located in the lower chain of Alaskan islands, it isn’t too far from Vancouver Island.  Since it is only accessible by ferry or by air, that meant quite a few flights, including an overnight layover is Seattle.  The economy is centered around the ocean…fishing, shrimping, crabbing, whatever is in season.  Petersburg is a small town, around 3,000 souls, and of that, about 300 attend Petersburg Bible Church.  It didn’t take long to get a tour of the island and town (since it really is quite small), but since it was unusually clear and sunny, Dan was able to see the mountains and get some amazing pics and testaments to the beauty of God’s creation. 

It was his first trip there and he was able to represent RMI and share of the many changes that are happening in RMI.  He ate every meal at a different home and was able to get to know quite a few people.  They made sure he stayed warm, too.  The weather reverted to it’s usual state by the time he left…it was socked in and blowing snow as he flew out.

Several of the pastoral staff of the church and a couple of their kids took Dan out to pull in some shrimp pots that they’d set out the day before (just for him).  The catch then had to be de-headed, packaged and frozen.  They gave it to him to bring home (knowing that the name “Shoemaker” is synonymous with “loves to eat everything from the sea”).  I like that part!  I got to at least get a little taste of Alaska.  Just about everyone is involved in the fishing industry; many make it a family affair, going out for months at a time, husband, wife and the kids.  Living on a remote island presents quite a few challenges, not the least of which is shopping for supplies.  Frequently they buy in bulk from Costco and have it air freighted in!  I’ll bet not much “retail therapy” happens there.

He then stayed a couple of days in the Seattle area where he had meetings with 2 Sister Churches and had a “Haiti MK” reunion meal with several MK’s that he grew up with who live in that area.  Three days after he got home, he boarded a much different kind of ship and found seafood there also.  But that is another story for another day.

From Petersburg to Petersburg in one week

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” — Tim Cahill      

This is especially true for RMI President, Dan Shoemaker, this week.  If the miles were counted, he would indeed be weary!  4700+ miles between the Petersburgs.  Saturday Dan presented RMI’s ministries to a church missions committee in St. Petersburg, Florida.  It was exciting to see them grasp the concepts of having a long term, in-depth relationship with a Sister Church and realize the potential that it could have for their congregation.  Tuesday Dan then journeys to Seattle where he will stay with friends in a Sister Church there before continuing Wednesday to Petersburg, Alaska.  Though Petersburg Bible Church finds itself in a small fishing village on an island, it is excited to be a Sister Church.  Yes, they travel all the way to Haiti to visit their Sister Church.  Yes, it’s a long, long, very long way, but it is worth it for them to see friends.  They aren’t measuring the miles, they are measuring the friends.

On the way home, Dan will once again stop over in Seattle, visiting friends in 2 Sister Churches as well as long time friends from his early years as a missionary in Haiti.
The world isn’t so big when you measure it in friends!

The tale of the $50 tile repair job

What started out as a $50 tile repair job turned out not to be.  Almost 2 months later, we’ve finally come to end of the journey.  I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

This is what we started with.  We had to put down a pathway of
sheets through the bedroom for the workers to walk on.

There was a lot to rip out - right down to the outside block wall.

A new, proper subwall was put in...the original builders had slapped the tile 
right onto drywall. It was good to see the tile go on.

Toilet in the shower?  That's where it had to sit 
while the floor was being re-done.  

The main floor was re-done.

The loose tiles that needed to be re-applied revealed a MUCH MUCH bigger, blacker problem.  The tiles had been applied to sheet rock instead of shower backer board.  The subsequent moisture turned into black mold throughout the whole shower.  It had to be torn out and taken down to the outside block walls.  Picking out new shower tiles, showerhead, etc. was not how we’d planned on spending our weekend, but there was no choice for it. All of the recommendations we received for a tile store were for the same store, so we went there and within 20 minutes had picked out what we wanted.  Working us into his schedule and working around our schedule meant that the work was done in the evenings and a couple of Saturdays.  And now we are finally done.  What a relief!!  I mean…What. A. Relief!
  

Now I can take a shower in peace, knowing that the black mold monster will not get ahold of me!  And I’ll be able to see what I’m doing. 

P.S. Dan put the shower light in himself!!  YAY Dan!!