(Enters Chelsea)

My 5 have become 14.  5 kids + 5 grandkids and now 4 spouses!  We have Mr. and Mrs. Dane!

All the work came to a crescendo finally in a HUGE wedding and it worked out well. Dane got complimented on the nice event, it was fun, the talk was perfect, the couple was gorgeous, there was enough food, and no booze meant less possible problems.  Of course there were glitches - the reception hall kitchen didn't have enough pots or bowls, no napkins were purchased and we ran out of plates before the cake was served.  Those are the kind of things that just add to a wedding, though.  So long as no one was hurt it's all good.  

We had a much needed rehearsal the night before.  Seating of the wedding party was determined and Dian, the officiant, taught us how to walk down the aisle and stop for pictures, etc.  I hear the rehearsal dinner was a hit, we didn't attend, it was late and costly so I opted to eat before rehearsal.

Approximately 4 hours before the wedding we had the photo shoot at Neely Mansion, the perfect backdrop for the beautiful antique-style dress that Chelsea was wearing. The only thing not  perfect about the photo shoot was the COLD!!  It was about 40º but was spitting rain and windy.  Poor Chelsea was freezing in her beautiful gown.  My Dad finally gave her his coat to warm herself in between shots.

The event itself had a slightly late start due to a grandfather of the bride's late arrival.  It was good, though, because the groom also had hard-working family members that arrived late from prepping the reception hall.  But once it got started it went off without a hitch.  

Dian Young, the brother who did the talk, did a fantastic job.  It was simple and sentimental.  One thing he did that I haven't seen done before was revealing what they told him in preparation for the talk.  He asked them each what they loved about the other.  Chelsea said she loved how he cared about her, how he walked 6 miles in the snow to go make sure she was OK.  And Dane said she loved how her smile revealed her true feelings.  It added just enough of the personal touch.  They both got teary on the stage at different times, it was truly tender.  Dian managed to forget to ask who gave the bride away but did a good job of  apologizing for it.

The reception hall was about as packed as we'd expected it to be.  The food got cooked and served, thanks to Rach and Tony, Casey and Angie (Dane's cousin) and about 4 other volunteers.  The cake was spread on the bride and groom's faces sufficiently, the dancing was eventually shared by a large number of young folks.  Chelsea was having so much fun visiting that the only way Dane could get her to leave was to pick her up and RUN!!  From what I understand the DJ managed to throw a quick soundbite in that exaggerated his running footsteps and the crowd yelled!  Woot!  Woot!

The cleanup went without a hitch as far as I can tell also.  Most of the cooking crew stayed to clean as well as a few other willing volunteers.  Tony, who had spent hours at the stove cooking the spaghetti in tiny pots and warming the lasagna and garlic bread in the oven, then spent hours washing the dishes as he seemed to be the only one that knew how to run the commercial dishwasher.  Hopefully it was done well enough that Dane was able to get his large cleaning deposit back.

Last night we finally got a visit from the honeymoon couple.  They got the honeymoon as a gift from Chelsea's parents, a 3 day pass at Disneyland in California.  But they got it kind of last minute so the flight they had to take left at 5AM the day after the wedding.  They had a layover and their seats were not together.  The hotel room wasn't available for 5 hours once they got there. But overall it was a nice honeymoon, all those inconveniences were corrected or dealt with and they had a great time. Disneyland was a perfect choice for a young couple like the newest Vandervilles!

Congratulations kids and welcome to the family Chelsea!

About Me

My photo
After 2 unsuccessful marriages I spent 12 years as a divorcee, only to fall prey to another man's wiles. We had a fun 5 years together and then he decided he wanted more freedom so once again I'm single.

So I'm freshly divorced at 57 and have 5 great kids and now 7 grandkids. My kids are still a major part of my life but I'm busy helping my aging parents on Kauai.

I've lived in California, Hawaii and Oklahoma before finally settling here in Washington. I love Washington and come back to visit family, friends and take care of my garden often but will be temporarily a resident of Kauai.

I've moved 30 times in my life (no, my parents weren't in the service, at least not since I was about 2) and finally planted roots when I got my little house that I've owned since '91.

My family are Jehovah's Witnesses, I've been one since '72.