Bruderhof celebrations for our 25th wedding anniversary - and wedding (grainy video alert!)

This July, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with family and friends at the Danthonia Bruderhof community here in Australia. Join us as we share some of the highlights from the festivities, and as we look back at our wedding (at Woodcrest Bruderhof, in Rifton NY USA) and the blessings we have received in the intervening years, not by our own merit but by the grace of God and with the amazing support of a vibrant faith community.
Oh, and if drinking games are your thing: have one on us anytime we say "celebrate/celebrating/celebration" in this video. But you'll want to mix in a fair bit of water...
About us: We're the parents of three sons and live at Danthonia Bruderhof, a Christian community in northern New South Wales, Australia, and enjoy discussing our faith, family, food (Norann's an awesome cook!), and the day-to-day adventures of life in "the bush".
More about the Bruderhof community where we live: www.bruderhof.com/danthonia
Follow Norann on Twitter at / norannv and Instagram at / norannvoll
Norann is a contributor to Seasons of Community Living, a group substack providing a window into the daily lives of women in Christian community. seasonsofcommunityliving.subs...
Norann & Chris are both contributing authors for the Bruderhof's publishing house, Plough, and its magazine, Plough Quarterly. www.plough.com/en/authors/v/n...

[@braedynyoutubes3419]

You are a blessing to all that you meet. You & your community are greatly appreciated by me and my family. We're working on 54 years of marriage and your advise is right on. Thanks,Blanche

[@summerlake356]

A beautiful marriage and a great video!

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you so much!

[@eleanor4759]

You guys look SO young! I thought Norann was like 25. I love your channel. Much love from Scotland ❤️

[@DuoDownUnder]

Aw, too kind - thank you!

[@vivianpowell1732]

I appreciate your sharing your experiences as members of the Bruderhof community and consider your generosity in so doing as value added to my own life. I feel blessed to have this fellowship.

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you for saying that, dear Vivian; it means a lot, as does your friendship and encouragement. Have a wonderful day!

[@laineyga]

Congratulations on 25 years and blessings on your future together! Having someone to share life’s journey surely is one of God’s best gifts.

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you - and 'Amen' to what you say!

[@gillianhatters6613]

What a wonderful video, memories for you to cherish forever. I loved listening to your boys sing together, and that painting was amazing. The photos of you all together with Chris’s mom really showed the joy you were all experiencing and sharing with your community. Such a happy time for you both. Keep loving and sharing your love with us. We love being able to share your life ❤️

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you so much, dear Gillian! It makes us happy to be able to share these 'glimpses' into our lives and fellowship.

[@cherylgodding2339]

This is such a beautiful video, full of love and happiness, Thank You, and Congratulations!

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@marcia542]

Love you guys, love your family, love the Bruderhof and the Bruderhof way. What a blessing for the world! And, I foresee a famous future for the fabulous Trio Voll!

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you, dear Peter, and greetings to our 'west coast brother'! And maybe when the Trio hits the bigtime we'll get a gig at the "Craypot" and see you there?! Lol! Wishing you joy and courage for the week ahead.

[@macaireosmont5938]

You are a beautiful couple; you radiate respect for one another and joy in one another. Happy Anniversary.

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you so much. And we thank God for what he's done in our lives - the source of our joy and happiness.

[@andrewdewitt7234]

Congratulations! But more importantly, thanks Chris for your words at the end. It's important (for me) to remember the 101% rule: You can't compare the 1% of a person's life that you see on social media, to the 100% of your own life that you experience all the time, grot included. Love to you both. A x

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you, dear Andrew, for this insight - and for all your encouragement to us. Blessings on you as a new week gets rolling! C&N

[@ElizabethPollardAus]

I love listening to you both chat. Your faith, commitment and wisdom inspire me greatly. As I watched this, tears came to my eyes to see the love you have together. I think you are so blessed to live in your community and may your love and faith sustain you forever. God’s blessings to you both ♥️🙏🏻 with love Elizabeth 🫂😻

[@DuoDownUnder]

You are so right, Elizabeth: we are blessed in many ways. Our challenge is not to take that to ourselves, but to use the gifts we receive undeservedly to be of service to others, and hopefully encourage them along the Way. Thank you for your words, and we send our love back in your direction too! N&C

[@lailja21]

.... and it's always great hearing from you guys! I'm awake cuz my little fur girl doesn't feel well and needed to go outside. It's such a gift to love. It's hard when the feeling isn't there, yet Truth reminds me Grace is always "at the door". I appreciated seeing tid bits of Life's Celebration...the generous and gracious and good ol fun expressed and experienced. It's a marvel how happiness can ensue amidst the drama and the trauma. Felicidades ✨💖🙏

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you, dear friend. Hopefully 'fur girl' has recovered fully and well. Maybe it is precisely the 'drama and trauma' of life that allows us to understand happiness when we experience it. If we never knew sorrow, would joy feel the same?... Thank you for the light you're shining in the world!

[@lailja21]

@@DuoDownUnder she is feeling better... thank you. And yes good points. Thank you for continuing to share yourselves with us 🤗

[@carriekroehler9929]

Happy Anniversary! So lovely to catch a glimpse of your folks 25 years ago and your mom today -- and to see your boys all grown up! Give Nancy my love -- Carrie Kroehler

[@DuoDownUnder]

Hi Carrie - thank you! Glad we could share some of our 'happenings'; and will definitely pass on your love to our mom. Blessings to you too! C&N

[@williamryan4347]

Chris and Norann congratulations on the wedding anniversary and well done moving to your new home in Danthonia I'm very proud of you love Will Ryan ❤

[@williamryan4347]

Thanks Chris and Norann I appreciate it you two are the best friends I love seeing at Danthonia

[@DuoDownUnder]

Hey Will - thank you so much, and we'll see you soon! Hi from Mason and Jordan too! Hope you're having a good week.

[@williamryan4347]

I'm looking forward to seeing you two in the hall tomorrow for lunch because I'm looking forward to it also I think you two are very polite people Danthonia is like my second home and work place

[@williamryan4347]

DuoDownUnder hey Chris and Norann including Jordan it's Will from today i loved telling funny jokes and good stuff also having lunch it was heaps of fun and Chris I'm your best mate when you and Norann do another KZbin video you can talk about me by saying Will Ryan sent us a comment Jordan saw it and we were impressed so anytime we need Will we can see him at inverell 10pin bowling

[@williamryan4347]

Chris and Norann the one thing I love about Danthonia is having fun and having lunch in the big hall because I think you two are nice people also your dog Bear he is nice and he never gets on the wrong side of me he loves it when he sees me because you guys and Jordan love him very much including Mason also everyone at Danthonia

[@suzybausch8587]

Congratulations! It was fun to see those wedding videos.

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you!! 😊

[@donghyunlee1623]

축하합니다!

[@DuoDownUnder]

고마워, 형!

[@natashafoggiato9258]

do you think you could post the lovely poem that your mother read at your wedding & your anniversary

[@DuoDownUnder]

It's titled 'I Love You', by Roy Croft, and is available on a bunch of websites including this one: www.lovemydress.net/blog/wedding-readings/i-love-you-roy-croft. Great poem!

[@vickimarkjones]

Congratulations. God grant you many years. Why did you move ?

[@DuoDownUnder]

Thank you so much, Vicki! Great question too! Norann actually just wrote about our move for her contribution to the "Seasons of Community Living" substack this week. You can check it out at seasonsofcommunityliving.substack.com/i/135690386/norann-in-danthonia-new-south-wales-australia (spoiler alert: in community, we don't personally own property, including our houses; we'll readily move among residences as needs dictate. For us, we moved recently to allow a family with little kids to have the cottage we'd been occupying, as that was best for them. And our new home allows our mom to live right alongside us, where we can be family together. Win win situation. 😊)