Mike's brother Aaron married his soul mate, Tina, in a beautiful ranch in Stanly, Idaho in late August. The drive from Washington was long, but it was definitely worth it! We stayed in a newish two-bedroom condo equipped with everything you need and extra - a breathtaking view of the Sawtooth mountain range. Sean and Mike slept together in one bedroom, Noah and I slept in the other room (so that I can keep an eye on him all night), and the girls slept together in a sofa bed in the living room. They were so excited to sleep on a couch and thought that was extra fancy.
We arrived very late the first night, so we settled in and went to bed. Noah was being difficult during the night, wanting to get up and explore the condo and bring him back to bed constantly was tough. Mike let me sleep in a little while all the children including Noah woke up early to start the day. They couldn't wait to see the family at the ranch and see their uncle get married to auntie Tina. Since Noah was being a bit tough since he didn't get much sleep, Mike decided to go with the other three kids to meet the family. I stayed back with Noah at the condo since I was just a walking zombie myself. It was getting stormy out there and the beautiful mountains were all covered up with thick dark clouds. My thought was with the bride and groom. We all wish for a sunny day for the special occasion. But it somehow always works out at the end. If they only knew the sun will peek out during the ceremony the next day!
I finally got to meet the family at the ranch during the family barbecue dinner that evening. We decided to a leash on Noah the entire time he was there. There was a pond in the yard which I knew he would gladly jump in and he would disappear into the sunset the first opportunity he gets. We may have looked strange, but the safety comes first. Besides, grandma Marie told me grandpa was on a leash too at some point in his life :-). The ranch looked like it came out of a magazine! It was a rustic log house with warm colors and western style decorations. I loved everything about the house, especially the living room and the kitchen. Kids enjoyed playing catch with auntie Tina's dog, Trooper, and uncle Kirk's dog, Pax. They had a nice yard with a creek and the mountains laid across the tranquil pond. It was gorgeous. I felt lucky to see the scenery with my own eyes.
The family looked good, in particular, grandma Marie. She is going to be 94 this November, but she is sweet, witty and stylish. Tina was glowing with bridal bliss and Aaron looked extra sharp. Mike and I took turns watching Noah and I felt like I was with him more than Mike but I didn't mind. Noah preferred to stay upstairs in one of the bedrooms and I was sitting with him looking out the window, admiring the view. I came down occasionally since Noah wanted to grab something from downstairs and that allowed me to chat with people a bit. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and my children looked so happy interacting with their aunts, uncle and grandparents. I felt happy just watching them being little grandchildren, nephews and nieces.
The wedding day was cloudy with rains on and off. We all wish for the bright sun and blue sky on the wedding day and I am sure Tina was anxious about it. I was confident though that the sun is going to come out for her. And it did! As the time for the ceremony approached, we started seeing blue sky and the mountains emerged from the clouds. It was like verything was smiling and celebrating their matrimony. Even the birds chirped happily as if to say you two are meant to be. The wedding officiant was their close friend and performed a personal and touching ceremony. The guests sat in circle around the couple and a group of children including mine sat close to the center to see the ceremony up close. One of them got up and made faces when Aaron and Tina kissed. I am positive that the ceremony was exactly how they wanted and more. I was trying to take some photos for them, but I had Noah on my lap who was squirming around. I was holding my camera with one hand and snapping as best as I could and I wished I could position myself better than taking them above Noah's head. I think the pictures turned out OK though.
During the celebration afterwards, we saw some amazing displays of nature. It rained as soon as the ceremony ended, but the sun was shining still. Then a dark storm rolled out from the mountain and we saw foggy mist descending from the sky through the godly looking beams of light. It was like a photo on a magazine but 1000% more beautiful since my naked eyes saw it. Then when the sun went down behind the mountains but still lighting up the clouds in purple, orange and pink, Sean and a little boy he met at the wedding decided to get on a flat wooden raft, sort of like the one you imagine Huckleberry Finn used, to retrieve a football they lost on the pond. Sean got on willingly but I could tell he regretted it a bit when the raft started to drift away from the shore. "It's gonna sink!", he was shouting but actually coordinated very well with the other boy to make sure the raft stayed leveled. I was a bit worried it might sink since some part of the raft was submerged in the water, but it stayed afloat. The boys successfully retrieved the ball and safely landed to the shore. I was amazed how collected they both were and achieved what they wanted. And... I took some amazing photos of them on the raft. It's one of the best photos I have ever taken in fact! I might have to print them out on canvas and hang it over the fireplace.
We had a great time in Stanley. I had my doubts about going since I was so nervous about Noah getting lost and even had a dream about him missing in Idaho wilderness. But, it all turned out well for all of us. Noah had a blast! He enjoyed throwing a ball to the dogs to fetch, he did go into the pond a couple of times but we had a change of clothes for him, and got to enjoy exploring the beautiful cabin which had many interesting things for him to feel and look at. I benefited greatly from this trip because; 1) I needed a vacation, 2) the beauty of the wedding and the surrounding woke the photographer in me once again, and 3) gave me the major confidence to take Noah out to family outings. Ever since we came back, we have been taking Noah out as much as we can.
We are very happy for Aaron and Tina. They are a great couple and we are so happy they found each other. It reminded me of our own wedding and how special it is to have a partner whom I love and respect in my life. My cousin's wedding is next! Love is in the air for certain!!
No comments:
Post a Comment