After a wonderful, simple wedding at the Covenant Church, officiated by Pastor and good friend, Reuben Rosnau, we drove home to host a lunch for our friends and family members. Not only did we get to eat a lot of great food, but we had a chance to show our homestead to friends who had not been here in quite a while. They were (as we always are) amazed at all we have gotten done in such a short time. I do give Will huge credit for that! It’s amazing how much difference it makes when there are two dedicated people working on the same piece of ground.

Instead of the usual wedding gifts, we had homesteader gifts! Friends Mike and Dar presented us with a cat they knew we wanted. Other friends, Tiffany and Nate Briggs, came bearing a weaner pig in a cat carrier! They have Red Wattle pigs, an old heritage breed. So, not only do we now have the pig we wanted, but it’s a RED WATTLE! How cool! Our veterinarian friends, John and Robin Fisher, presented us with Ivermectin and syringes. Tom, our carpenter friend, brought us solar panels. Carolyn Preseley brought bean seeds she’d grown and harvested as well as hand-carried ripe tomatoes from Tennessee. How wonderful to have so many and such good friends! The list goes on and on: plants, tools, a painting. But the most valuable gift was the friendship of all those great people. And, of course, the gift of our marriage. We are truly blessed!

Oh, after everyone but Tom had left, Lace (our wedding cow) presented us with her gift. She went into labor and produced a huge bull calf. Will and I had to help her out as it was so huge, but all went well and he was standing ten minutes later, nursing. To top it off, Lace is an absolutely wonderful milk cow. I give her feed in a tub and she lets me milk her without even being tied, standing like a rock. No tail swatting, no leg lifting. A dream family milk cow! — Jackie

39 COMMENTS

  1. Congratulations to you both. May G-d bless you both with many happy healthy years together. Love the wedding gifts!

    Sherri
    Atlantic IA

  2. Congrats Jackie!!! I have been following your articles for several years as many others have also. I feel like I know your family..LOL What a wonderful way to celebrate! I think all the gifts sound very fitting, what a wonderful group of friends.

    Wishing your family many Blessings,
    Tammy
    West Virginia :-) friend

  3. Wow, May God bless your new life together as you become one!
    I thought the homesteader gifts idea was great!!! I’m sure I’ll use it in the future for special occasion ideas. Congradulation on your naw “baby”.
    May God continue to bless you.

  4. Wow, May God bless your new life together as you become one!
    I thought the homesteader gifts idea was great!!! I’m sure I’ll use it in the future for special occasion ideas. Congradulation on your naw “baby”.
    May God gontinue to bless you.

  5. A wedding cow sounds like a sensiable wedding present to me, and a cat, a pig, WOW! and all the other great things, people use to give back when I wAS GROWING up, I’m only 88 years old, read your blogs, have your new “Growing and canning your own food” Love it, Yes, I do still do my own canning, Live in city limits, have container garden,but get surplus from my children, still do quilting, by hand like my mother use to do, congrats, on your good man, good cow, good pig The Lord has been good!——-Estes

  7. How awsome and what GREAT gifts….And that was so thoughtful that mommy cow gave you such a wonderful gift. Congrats and have a wonderful life with your new hubby.
    Deborah

  8. Jackie, you are one of my heros. I am so tickeled pink that you have again found happiness and joy in your life. Thank you for posting your wedding pics and the new calf pics. Wishing you many year of happiness. I hope he is good with a hammer. :)

  9. I am very happy for you. I have never seen anything so sweet. May God bless you all always.

  10. Congratulations to you both! May you be blessed with many years of love, laughter and friendship.

  11. This looks like a wonderful start to a new chapter in your lives!
    All the best for you and your families!

  13. Jackie and Will,
    Congratulations to you both and best wishes for a lifetime of God’s blessings. So happy for you both!
    Lisa

  15. Cygnet Brown,

    I’m not sure how my boss wants to handle the blog. In the “world” I’ll be hyphenating so as not to confuse people, yet honor Will by accepting his last name, too. I’m now Jackie Clay-Atkinson.

    Jackie

  16. A BIG congratulations to both you and Will on your wedding. I so enjoy reading your posts. You are my heroes. Those were perfect wedding gifts for the new couple. Bonnie

  17. The photo of ya’ll walking down the aisle with those big smiles on your faces after the ceremony says it all! How wonderful to see your HAPPINESS!!!!!

    And I LOVED LOVED LOVED all the special wedding gifts you received….and even one from your Wedding Cow!!!!

    Congratulations again! We are all sharing in your happiness because all of us, your readers, feel like family!

  18. I too noticed the obvious speed in which Will ‘de-suited’… I knew you had a smart man. Congrats and Many Years to you both.

  19. Well, pass the tissues :). This post actually did make me cry. I am SO very happy for ya’ll. May you enjoy many years together. And how about Lace’s timing – wow!

  20. Congratulations on the wonderful wedding day! WEre those tomatoes by any chance Grainger County tomatoes? Those are famous around here. We are not far from Grainger county and have even looked at land there.

  21. Jackie, I’m so happy for you! What a wonderful circle of friends you must have to shower you with gifts such as those. Many blessings and wishes for a long and happy life with Will.

  22. Congratulations on your wedding! I’m so happy for the both of you. Are you going to be changing your name on the blog?

  27. Jackie & Will, You are an inspiration to us who have followed your blog and articles in Backwoods Home.

    You’ve been thorough so much but never gave up, even on love.

    God Bless you both!!

  28. What a wonderful wedding! I love the gift ideas, so usefully appropriate & even Lace got in on the action! LOL @ Will, guess suits aren’t his thing but he did look quite dashing for the brief time he wore it….Jackie, you looked absolutely beautiful….

    I wish you both many years of happiness and homesteading together…you both have built an amazing life, may all your hard work and effort to continue to reward you for many years to come…..

    And the new little guy is a cutie, too…I guess he didn’t want to miss the party, even if he showed up a little “late”…….

  29. Thanks for sharing your special day.
    God Bless, and best wishes for the future for you both.
    Special mention too, for David, congratulations on your graduation.
    What a wonderful month!

  34. Thanks for sharing the beauty and magic of your big day with us! How wonderful and special that Lace had her calf, too. You and Will are truly blessed…congratulations!

  37. Wow, that was neat. I’m happy for you and will. Congratulations on your wedding. Much happiness and long life to you both. And those would be MY kind of wedding gifts too! Useful things to improve the homestead, not fru-fru stuff.

  39. Was Will a blur as he changed out of the suit? LOL

    Jackie, I just wish you both so much joy and love, peace and harmony, as you start this new journey of married life! You two are perfect or one another, and your wedding day seems to be in every way a reflection of who you are. Nothing better than that.

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