Wedding Prep

On Saturday morning, several family members came over to the house were staying out to help us prepare the food for the wedding reception.  I'm so very thankful to have family who would help us out!

Deb teaching Kate how to cut celery.

Mandy washing cutting boards as we wrapped up.  Can you imagine cooking/cleaning with that view every day?

Julie, Aunt Diane, and Grandma Great chopping up fruits and veggies.

Heather pitching in to help out too!

Wedding Weekend

Today was the official start of the wedding weekend, where I whisk Mandy off her feet to a destination wedding on Orcas Island.  Mandy and I have known each other a little less than two years and now we’re going to get married.  We’ve both been somewhere like this before, but of course this time is different, and it is a new experience for Sean and Kate.  I am deeply in love with this woman.  I know I want to marry her, and it is a surreal feeling knowing it is going to happen in a just a few more days.

I have been off work since Tuesday afternoon finishing the last minute details, but the morning was still a mad dash to get everything packed while Sean and Kate were at school.  Mandy borrowed her friend Lynn’s minivan and we managed to pack it to the ceiling leaving little room for little people with all the food, wine, decorations, clothes, sleeping bags, stuffed animals and other paraphernalia necessary for an up and coming family of four and 80 or so party guests.

One of the items we left behind

Mandy and I picked Sean and Kate up at school at around one o’clock and headed for Anacortes.

Sean and Kate packed in the car.

We were hoping to catch the 3:40 p.m. ferry, but it was not to be, at least for me.  Memorial Day travelers backed well up the hill from the ferry dock, so Mandy, Sean and Kate hiked down to meet Mandy’s Dad (Papa Dave to the kids) while I stayed with the car and waited for the 6:30 p.m. ferry.  I used my extra time to make some calls to Chris Hays, my best man, and a few brothers, who were planning on coming up Saturday morning.  Mandy and the kids got to spend their afternoon at the house where the Carrolls, Rydmans, and Mitchells were staying for the weekend.

Kate enjoying a little quiet time 

 Sean and Kate hamming it up for the camera

 Sean, Kate and Mitch on the porch swing

It was approaching dusk when I reached the island and made my way to pick up Mandy and the kids.  The driveway to the house where the Carrolls, Rydmans, and Mitchells were staying was steep and the heavily laden front-wheel-drive minivan would not make it up the hill.  Tired, distracted, or just inept, I managed to back myself too close to a tree.  I was stuck.  Fortunately for me, a plethora of Mandy’s relatives were there to help.  Cyndie and Steve Alto were right behind us with some snow chains, and Dave, Debbie, Bonnie, Joe, Jeff, Mandy and one rather surly (and unrelated) neighbor all helped to empty the minivan and get me towed out.  Yet again, on this night, I am so impressed with how kind Mandy’s family is in any situation.  Up at the house, I ate some dinner sitting next to Kate and talking with Julie, Bonnie, Joe and Jeff.  Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves.  These people will be my family soon, and I’m pretty happy about it.