5/21/2010 - 5/23/2010 Staley Wedding in Maine

Friday-Sunday
Bryan's friend from the Navy, Jason, invited us to his wedding in Maine. (He was the best man for our wedding.) We decided to make it a get away time for us, and so we decided not to take the kids with us. Instead, Casper and Mircea would spend the weekend with Uncle Steven and Aunt Candy. Our itinerary was very simple: Friday--do a bit of sightseeing and hopefully see Jason and a couple other of Bry's old Navy friends. Saturday--Wedding. Sunday--Sunday Morning meeting, lunch with the meeting, and then off to the airport.

Friday
We arrived In Maine. After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, we went into town (Portland, Maine) and walked around a bit and had lunch.

Our Lunch Stop

Off to go see Fort Williams Park It had a light house and remnants of an old base. It was first purchased in 1872 when they began building the Post. It was fully manned for WWI and WWII. The Fort was closed in 1962 and bought 2 years later by the Town of Cape Elizabeth.
We had a beautiful sunny day, and it was nice to get out after being cramped in an airplane.

a Tugboat and a barge

Bryan with something in his mouth

Fort Gorges on Hog Island Ledge
The government decided to build this Fort after the War of 1812. However, they did not start building until 1857. The Fort was completed in 1865, just as the Civil War was ending--but it was already obsolete do to better ways to blow things up. They started to modernize it in 1869, but lost funding in 1876 causing the Fort to never be completed. The Fort was last used in WWII to store submarine mines.
I thought it was awesome, and wished we could see what it was like on that little "island"

This is called house island. It is thought to have the oldest European house in Casco Bay. People would refer to it as "the island with the old house on it"--hence the name. The government built Fort Scammel on it in 1808 and a quarantine station later on on the other side of the island. Neither were used much.

These rocks were so cool! We brought some home for Mircea for her "collection".

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Bry served in the Navy with these guys: L to R Jason, Bryan, "Ritchie", and Dan.
The stories they had were fun! It was also good to hear what they all have been up to since they left the Navy (Jason is the only one back in the Navy--as an Officer now).

Saturday Wedding Day
The wedding was beautiful. The ceremony was the shortest I have ever seen--but it got the job done, and really, it was just perfect. Jason's bride, Lauren, did a wonderful job planning the day. Everything was gorgeous!

The Lodge the wedding was hosted at

a nervous groom waiting for his bride

Here comes the bride!

A welcome to the marriage

"With this ring, I thee wed!"

You are now married

Kiss your bride

Here are the Mr. and Mrs.!

The first dance as husband and wife

This end of the table hosted Jason's friends, and thankfully his mother who kept them all in check! We had great seats here to see everything from the dancing, cake cutting, toasts, etc.

Jason dancing with his Mom.

Bryan, Jason, "Ritchie", and Dan. They all clean up nicely!

Jason's good friend he made as an officer, James, mixes well with the group

The S'mores were a great idea!

The couple left with sparklers flaring around them!

Congratulations Jason and Lauren!

Sunday
We were lucky, as the 2 ministers for this area were in the little Sunday meeting we attended. What made it more exciting is I have known Anneliese for a long time, it was great to see her!


Meeting, lunch and visiting were great! We had such a lovely time today! It was so neat to meet everyone and finally hear a Maine accent! We felt so welcome! And it was great to find out how many people we knew in common!

Now, just waiting for our plane to load. . .


It was a fun trip. Congratulations to Jason and Lauren!

Treehouses and a Wedding!

We went to a wedding this last weekend. It was a great trip--here is the long drawn out story.

One of my best friends from College, Willy, (or Will as he is now called by people who don't realize that his name is Willy!), sent me an e-mail invitation several months ago. --It ended up in my spam folder; however, for no reason at all, I decided to check my spam folder and found the invite. I responded we were coming. I had not met his bride--but was quite excited too. [I was Willy's first friend at college--he walked in the door of our dorm, I walked up to him and introduced myself, and we have been friends ever since!]
Finally the weekend arrived. . .
The wedding took place just outside of Cave Junction, OR. For those of you who don't know where this is, it is at the bottom of Oregon. Which meant we got to take around an 8 hour drive to get there. No need to feel sorry for us--our kids are GREAT travelers. We left Friday morning, with the plans to get there by 4:30pm. and. . . we made it! The event took place at Out 'N About Treehouse Treesort. It is a quaint place that is made up of several treehouses, that you stay in.
We stayed in the Yurt Treehouse. It was very comfortable. The Treesort provided a yummy breakfast each morning. Tricia's family provided the awesome lunches and dinners. There were activities to partake in, a fire to sit around, bathrooms, showers, fabulous weather, music, gifts for the guests and a wedding as well!
I also got to see Chris and Justin--2 other friends of mine from college! It was fun to catch up with them! Justin and his wife just had their 2nd child (she didn't come--understandably--instead she went to visit her parents with the kids!)
The gift bags were great: For Mircea they gave her a tablet, crayons, playdoh, gummi bears, bubbles; She loved her bag! For us they gave homemade candles, homemade soaps, candies and mix cds(I would let you smell them--but I can't figure out how to do that on a blog! snicker). Did I mention that Willy is marrying Martha Stewert?! Grin--She is one talented woman--Willy is a lucky guy!
Anyway, we arrived there Friday. Saturday was a day of activities and then the wedding/handfasting, dinner, a music, and bedtime. Sunday we left.
We had a wonderful time. Both Willy and Tricia have awesome family members that made us feel very welcome. This was a terrific wedding weekend, and I hope Willy and Tricia enjoyed it too! (I believe they are off on their honeymoon at the moment!)
It was great to see you Chris, Jessica, and Justin! (I have your artwork Justin--it turned out great!)

Traveling to the wedding. . .
Mircea took a picture of her doll--Ashley

Mircea took this picture of me too
Here is a picture of Bryan (look in the mirror and you can see part of his face)

Here is Casper (courtesy of Mircea)
Mircea listening to a cd
At one of the rest stops

The inside of our Yurt Treehouse
The view from our treehouse
a view of the other treehouses from our treehouse
Mircea on one of the many rope swings
She doesn't like it when the "bridge" rocks!
The view off one of the higher decks

Bryan and Cea on a rope bridge
Looking down (our yurt is in the back of the picture)

Casper and Porsche on a bridge
Mircea and Ginger
Bryan getting some of the homemade soda Chris made
Willy, Porsche and Chris (Justin hadn't arrived yet)
We are standing in front of the "kitchen" that is used the by the guests
Casper and Bryan hanging out in the yurt

Casper is a happy boy in the morning
Bryan was actually playing frisbee with a boy named Nick.
They would catch the frisbee with the stick.
Mircea was pretending to do it in the picture.
a treehouse
our Yurt tree house

Porsche and Willy on Saturday morning
Mircea petting a horse.
One of the activities was going on a horse ride.
We did not sign up for it.


Instead, Bryan signed up to go on the zip lines
On our way to the zip lines there is a swing. . .



Willy getting his gear on.

Bry getting help with his gear.
Casper slept the whole morning on my back,
while I ran around taking pictures of Bryan on the zip lines.

Cea making sure Bryan's helmet was solid--knock knock!
The group getting the rest of the gear
Group 1 zip lines
Hiking to the first zip line
a picture of the treesort from the zip line field
Bob Bundy (a neighbor of Willy, when Willy was growing up)
He was the first to go on the zip lines
This was Willy ummm my camera is too slow!
Bry getting ready to "zip"
Zzzzzzzzzzzip!

They had to hike up and then climb a tree,
and then they zipped from one platform to another.
You can't really tell, but Willy is zipping in this picture.
(Look right in the middle of the pic)


This is Bryan zipping between platforms

On a platform ready to zip
There goes Willy!

Bry on a platform!
and he is off!


Willy, the camp counselor, with his chart of where everyone was to be!

I almost didn't get Willy zipping!
There he goes!
This is Bryan

Mircea is standing on her "mountain" watching the zippers!

The advanced group.
They finished the poultry zips, and were heading to the more difficult ones.

Cea playing foosball with Cassie and Nick

There goes Bryan (in between platforms)
landing on a platform--way up high!
Getting ready to leave a platform

Willy and Mircea (he had Mircea duty when I left to get some pics and videos of Bry)
Up high on the tallest treehouse platform
rappelling down the tree

and zipping is now over.
reading a story
the campfire area
Casper on his blanket.
I just missed taking a picture of a bunch of the kids on the blanket playing with Casper.
Justin just arrived--and comes over to see me while I am doing my tile craft.
Mircea is tie-dying a shirt
She picks the colors and the design is a heart.
Justin and our instructor--a local artist
the finished projects. (the instructor is holding up one done by a 4 year old)
Willy's dad Jeff
The Groom, Bob Bundy, the officiant, and the Bride
Willy's brother Jesse is doing a reading
guests
guests
guests
guests
guests
some of the photographers (Jessica and Chris)
Reading their vows
(the green chair is holding a laptop that has Tricia's dad on it through webcam, so he can watch the ceremony.)

The wedding ceremony was also a "handfasting"
Tricia made the cloth for the handfasting.


Putting on the rings
Casper during part of the wedding.
(I actually missed a good portion of the wedding, as he was tired, hungry and crying.)
The big "Smooch!"
Mr and Mrs Willy and Tricia
The inside of a treehouse for kids.
It featured this table, chairs and chalkboard, and a bunkbed.
Climbing on the bunkbed ladder

Justin chatting with Bob and Jeff after the ceremony
A treehouse lit up at night
Casper looking out at our view Sunday morning.


San Francisco -- The Golden Gate Bridge
My Tile Artwork
(I visited Willy several times when he lived in San Francisco--hence the art.)
Us with Willy and Tricia
Cea with Nick (she loved him!) He is 8 years old and was awesome with Cea.
Another picture of the Treesort

Packing up and leaving.


The End