So, just in case anybody is still reading this to find out what's up in my life, here is an entry actually explaining such. I know some of you didn't make it to the wedding, and you missed a rockin party, so it's just your loss. The rest of us who did come had a lot of fun and it went by faster than the hour before your World Thought final. It was a blazingly sunny day, everybody looked great, and the amazing people working behind the scenes made it so I didn't have to worry about and do things on my wedding day. One of the most extraordinary things was the generosity of people, in money, in services, in goods, etc. WIthout what everyone gave, the wedding would not have been possible.
I believe the wedding's claim to fame was the Unity Kool Aid. You see, the Unity Candle deal was disappealing because of the whole having to deal with the flame and it being done by every Christian couple. . .so we talked over a few different options and decided to combine two different colored liquids, blue and yellow (WBC colors!) into a main vessel, signifying the two different people who combined to make a being that was different than both, with both within. (Let me tell you, it's also drastically cheaper than buying candles and hurricane vases.)
All in all, it was beautiful, it was a blast, and I have hundreds of pictures and a videotape to proove it. He he. Then, Kyle and I went on the honeymoon. And from here on, countless details will be omitted.
Our honeymoon wound up being a mini-tour of the lands south and west of Sweet Home, staying in delightful bed and breakfast's and camping. Our first stop was in Glide, a little town inbetween 1-5 and Crater Lake. RIght on the banks of the Umpqua River. We stayed there for a few days and went to Wildlife Safari. Here, Kyle and I discovered the joys of the video recorder. Oh, there was animals too. I almost got eaten by a cheetah, but I was too quick for it.
Next we headed towards the coast. The beautiful, untamed, famous, and all that jazz, Oregon Coast. We went to Gold Beach, where a woman named Bev greeted us at Endicott Garden B&B. She was slightly crazy, very enthusiastic, and very friendly. She gave Kyle tips for a great date in Gold Beach, which included watching the sunset on the beach, and the otters play in the river. We wound up waiting and waiting and waiting on the beach, waiting for the sun to set, then decided to go take a break and get an ice cream at Dairy Queen. As we walked out of DQ, we noticed the sun was suddenly close to setting, so we vrooooommmed back to the beach to watch the sun drop like a stone into the sea. Then we watched the otters, which were actually sea lions, play in the river. One came extrememly close. He totally went, "Pssshhhoooooooooooooooffff!!!" They are very noisy breathers.
The next day we headed down to our next destination, which was to be Hillcrest Inn in a little city called Calistoga, in the heart of Napa Valley, CA. However, after we passed through the not-so-famous town of Ukiah, our car suddenly died while climbing a hill. We got out, kinda freaked out, checked the fluids and all, and upon trying the engine the car started like magic! We praised God and drove about three miles down the road, past the little-known city of Cloverdale. Then, Quillacolla heaved a great last sigh and would drive no furthur. We hauled her to the side of the road and tried the start-up trick again, but this time, no cigar. After making lotsa phone calls and finally walking into the South Cloverdale exit, we finally got a hold of a tow truck.
This was incredibly stressful. I couldn't believe this was happening on my honeymoon. I watched Kyle talk on the phone, his right ear plugged against the noise congestion of Highway 101. I thought we'd be stranded, the honeymoon ruined, and have to take a Greyhound back to Salem.
But I am more blessed than that. I have a husband and a father-in-law who both are level-headed in times of trouble, and wise in many ways. Through many phone calls and praying and tow truck rides, we finally solved the problem. The results were:
1) Kyle and I stayed at a hotel conveniently located next to a Ford Dealership for two days while we were trying to figure this whole deal out. This included talking to many many people about our reservations that Kyle had so carefully made weeks before. Many showed much grace.
2) Quillacolla was towed to Ukiah Ford Dealership after we emptied her of our every posession. We left the title and the keys in the car. We never looked back.
3) Jon & Linda, Josh, Rosa, Joanna, and Sue of England traveled all night long all the way down to Ukiah in the Baker's minivan and a 1996 Ford Escort, from the same dealer as Quillacolla. They delivered the Escort, we had Grand Slams at Denny's and the Baker bunch departed north, planning to enjoy the redwoods.
4) Kyle and I continued on our merry way, two days off track, to the merry land of Calistoga.
That concludes the first half of our honeymoon.
To find out where Kyle had us bound for, tune in next post!
And remember, check out Kyle's new blog: HERE!!!