Congratulations Luke and Sammy!

 

How could it be that this kid was getting married? Somehow it didn’t seem right that the little redheaded boy whose diapers I changed, nose I wiped and whose sippy cups I had to hunt for all over the house was taking his bride and starting his own life.

On July 7, Luke Southern married Samantha “Sammy” Owen in a small ceremony at a wedding venue west of Austin. The wedding was on a Tuesday; it was outdoors at 2:30 p.m. and it was 94 degrees out – no sweat! The date was chosen because it was his grandparents’ anniversary. Sandy’s mother gave Luke her old wedding rings when things got serious with Sammy and the date was already engraved, so they went with it.

Even though Luke had been on his own for three years, it still seemed strange to see him tying the knot. He is our third first-born child and is the goofball of the bunch. Sandy and I each had a first-born child from our previous marriages and Luke was our first-born together. His “little” brother Colton is the undisputed baby of the family.

Growing up, Luke was the happy-go-lucky kid who liked to crack jokes and pull pranks. He also tended to be accident-prone and how he made it to adulthood without any disfigurement or dismemberment is still a bit surprising.

None of Luke’s siblings were eager to learn to drive and each waited past 16 to get their license. Not Luke. He wanted his permit and his license just as soon as he could get them, which made us nervous. I couldn’t argue, because I was the same way.

I had many of the same feelings watching him drive away by himself the first time as I did watching him walk down the aisle. Is he ready? Can he handle this? God, please watch over him!

To Luke’s credit, he married a woman who is much smarter and more levelheaded than he is. I think that will be his saving grace and the answer to our prayers. She has one more year to go to get her bachelor’s degree at Texas State University. After a year-long engagement, they decided they did not want to wait another year for her to finish school. They have it all planned out for her to finish her degree on time while Luke continues to work as an auto mechanic.

One of the things that both Sammy’s father and I brought up in our toasts to the happy couple was how it appeared when Luke met her family for the first time. He is four years older. He had wild, shoulder-length hair. He rode in on his motorcycle clad in black leather. He was a mechanic and he lived by himself in an RV. That’s just what every parent wants for their little girl, right?

It turns out that Luke and her father, Jason Owen, bonded over their love of motorcycles and cars. Luke is also a devoted Christian and got to know Sammy as part of a small group for young adults hosted by our mutual friends, Rob and Melinda Ledman. Their leadership and influence are largely responsible for bringing them together. Their three daughters and another friend were Sammy’s bridesmaids.

Luke’s two brothers and two friends from the same small group were the groomsmen. Luke’s uncle, Army chaplain Col. Brandon Moore, officiated.

Getting all of the family together for the wedding was a challenge. The Moore family and one of Sammy’s brothers came from New York. Our oldest son Wesley came from Florida. My parents, brother, and daughter came from Colorado. Colton, who was acting as a camp counselor for the week near Rocksprings, had to race in that morning. It was such a wonderful feeling to have all the family together.

It is comforting to know that Luke has been accepted as a son in the Owen family and we are honored and privileged to have Sammy as a daughter in our family. We look forward to watching them as they grow and mature in their new life together.

And hopefully, someday, they will bless us with grandchildren (hint, hint). Until then, I will still try to wrap my head around the fact that our little baby boy is all grown up and married. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Southern! We love you very much!