Today my oldest son John (1971) and his longtime friend Jennifer van den Berg tied the knot. It is John’s first and Jennifer’s second marriage. Her daughters Tabitha and Elizabeth were her bridesmaids. The ceremony and the party were held at home of the bride’s parents high up at 3,500 feet elevation in the foot hills of the San Bernardino mountains.  The above picture was taken by Jennifer’s sister Barby. I took many photo’s but must have left my camera memory card at the parents’ home. We’ll search for it next weekend. Otherwise I’ll post some more pictures from the other guests, later. Jennifer’s father, Tony (Teunis) van den Berg arrived as a 6 year old with his parents Adrianus and mother Anna v/d Berg-Littooij in 1949 from Holland in the USA where the family settled, via North Carolina in Southern California; south of Los Angeles among the Dutch dairy farmers because this was one of the few areas where the family could worship in a Christian Reformed (Gereformeerde) Church.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, by coincidence, in 1829 my great-great grandfather Karel van den Berg married to Maria van Ommen (unrelated to my father). Karel paid for the theological education for his son in law to become a Christian Reformed minister.

My youngest son, Seth, was the best man. He did an outstanding job, he impressed and touched me and the family with his toast. I can highly recommend him in this function but I like weddings and I’d rather make a plug for an opportunity for John to return the favor.

I am (now Monday the 5th, in the meantime) renting a car tomorrow here in San Diego and then making the rounds to see friends here in Southern California and flying “home” the 13th.

additional pictures May 11: This was the first time since my 60th birthday in 1997 that all five of my children were with me in the same location.