A Saturday Wedding in Maine

After waiting an entire year, Tonya's wedding day was finally here! I was really excited for this day. I started the morning off with a run through our neighborhood on the lake and then went back to the house to get ready for the day. I had discussed with Tonya that I wanted to plan something for her and the girls to do the week of the wedding and she suggested Candlepin Bowling. I thought it was a GREAT idea! Candlepin bowling is specific to New England and Canada, so it was a fun idea for her wedding week. In Candlepin Bowling, the pins are thinner and taller and the balls are smaller than regular bowling and the rules are slightly different...overall it's much like traditional bowling. All of Tonya's Texas and Kansas friends and family came out that morning and we had a great time! I started off strong, but ended up the biggest loser of the day, but it was still a lot of fun!

Ready to Bowl!

Elizabeth & Jenn happily keeping score

Lisa, Jenn, & I with our tiny balls

I'm serious about my bowling :)

Tonya's baby niece even bowled a few rounds!

The whole crew: Standing, Vickie, Ashley (who went to
Mizzou...go Tigers!!!), Elizabeth, MOM, Lisa, Cim,
Tamara, Me. Sitting, Amy, Jenn, Tonya, and Kylie

After bowling, Elizabeth and I took care of a couple of wedding errands and rushed home to get dressed and ready for the wedding!! We went back to camp and helped around there a bit until it was finally time. The wedding was beautiful...the weather was great and the view was just gorgeous. I had not been nervous at all about my part until I got up to the front to start speaking...I couldn't get the mic attached to my dress because my fingers were shaking!! Ugh! I stumbled over some words, but I do that all the time anyway :) I was happy with how I did and what I ended up saying and think Tonya was too.

Sean's parents escorted by a friend's son Tonya's Mom and Nephew.
I just loved her mom!
The handsome twin nephews!
Sean and his boys arrived by boat
Tamara making her grand entrance
Each of the bridesmaids & groomsmen
added sand to their unity vase thing
Cim making her way to the dock
Little outgoing Ohara got a
bit shy for her entrance!
The ring bearer!
Duke was so cute sitting at
the feet of his new daddy
So beautiful!!

The moms adding sand to the unity vaseThey're married! Love it! Bagpiper!

They departed the ceremony by boat!

And hung out on the lake for
a while enjoying the moment
The Minister of "Rock" and Captain

The wedding party took pictures back up in the neighbors garden and they all looked so great. Tonya's photographers seemed awesome and were with Tonya and Sean most of Friday and ALL DAY Saturday. I think she's going to end up with some fantastic pictures.

Newlyweds! Gorgeous! Tonya's Family....I loved getting to know
them and hang out with them!With the kiddos Tonya and her girls

The Wedding Party Getaway Car!

The reception was fabulous as well.... a very nice sit-down dinner followed by toasts and, OF COURSE, lots of dancing (this was our girl Tonya's wedding)! We had a blast!!

Arriving to the Reception Best Man's Toast Matron of Honor Toast
Sean revealing the honeymoon destination to
Tonya! Hong Kong and Phuket, Thailand! Pretty Cake!
Grooms Cake!Cake Cutting
First Dance! Sean put on a little show before taking off her garter And they said people don't dance at weddings in Maine!
They do when it's Tonya's wedding!
While in Maine, Toby & Lisa celebrated 7
years of marriage - I remember their wedding, too!
Texas Friends Dancing!
Tonya made the Texas girls do the Cotton Eyed Joe
Tonya & her sister gettin' busy
Tonya's girls danced all night Tonya doing The Superman with her nephews

Dancing with her niece
Kylie, Cim, and Tonya

Tamara getting down with Zeno (who was a HUGE

help that weekend...he's like a wedding coordinator!) Tonya's whole family loves to dance and knows

every word to every song. Too bad I

didn't get her mom in this pic, too! With the bride!

My roommates for the weekend!

With Kylie, my partner in crime...we walked

down the aisle together at the wedding.

Jennifer was told she did a good job at the ceremony.

Only, she wasn't in the ceremony. People often

confuse us! I think I can see why in this picture!

Tamara and Elizabeth...by my side all week long!Sparklers to see the happy couple off!

They took a taxi home :) When the cab arrived, I walked over to make sure it was the right one. I said "Do you know who you're here for?" He said he didn't, so I told him, "Well, this is VERY important. You are taking the bride and groom home tonight!" He did a good job driving up through all the sparklers...hopefully their ride home was okay!

During the reception (which got quite hot), Toby mentioned he wanted to go for a late-night swim afterwards. I jumped on board and, amazingly, Elizabeth and Tamara seemed game. The rest of the Texas crew has become quite lame in their old age :) and opted to go back to their house and to bed. So, we took Toby home with us and went swimming. We didn't swim for too long, but it was fun and I even got Tamara to attempt butt-buddies with me...we couldn't get it right, though. Our awesome roommates weren't interested in swimming, but they made snacks for us while we were out...they rocked! We all hung around chatting and eating until Toby got a call from his wife to come home :) So, we took him home. A quick night of sleep led to an early morning and flights back home. I was sad that such a fun weekend was over, but glad it lived up to all the anticipation!

Tamara, freezing in the water! Toby, diving in from the dock!

Friday Festivites in Maine

Friday was the day the official wedding festivities really kicked into high gear. I begged my friends for just a couple of hours in the sun before we headed out for the day. They obliged, but I had to wake up quite early to take advantage of some time at the lake that morning. I attempted to swim, but was too scared when I could see fish swimming around and couldn't see another human being in the entire lake. I don't like to be in lakes or oceans by myself. So, I just layed out on the dock for a while before getting ready. Tamara, Elizabeth, and I had been put in charge of some wedding errands, so we went to an area of town with lots of shopping and got everything done pretty quickly. We then headed downtown so they could show me Stephen King's house...cool & creepy!

He also owns the huge house next door!

We stayed downtown for lunch at Friars Bakeshop...it's a tiny little church with a restaurant in it - very interesting. The Friars serve the food and Tamara had been there earlier that week and they had promised her to have mac & cheese on Friday. They did not disappoint and the mac & cheese was fantastic. Also, they had whoopie pies and I had to try one - wow, best one I've had!!! SO yummy! They are really big though, so I saved half for another day.

Tamara and her delicious pie!

From there, it was on to Tonya's for the big rehearsal. The first run-through seemed a little chaotic, but by the 2nd time through, it began to come together nicely. It was obvious that this was going to be an awesome wedding! I was doing the scripture reading and talking about Tonya, which seemed easy enough and although I didn't run through it at the rehearsal, I was prepared for what I would say.

Tamara practicing her bridesmaid walk!

Amy, Tonya's childhood friend, pulled out

an umbrella when it showered a bit

Ohara, super cute flower girl!
Aiden, Sean's nephew and dog
walker for Duke, the ring bearer
Tonya's sister, Cim

The lovely bride!

The wedding party receiving instructions

After the rehearsal, we walked up to Sean's neighbors garden for the rehearsal dinner. His neighbors basically have a huge compound with multiple buildings and then a beautiful garden...it's even been featured in "Better Homes & Gardens". All their kids & grandkids visit for a month each summer and it looks like they have a blast!

So pretty!

The owner told me the garden is a ton of work,
but it's also her life-long dream come true.

A "senior portrait" was necessary

in such a pretty garden!

The dinner was under a tent in their garden...it was perfect and it did rain cats & dogs during dinner, so thank goodness for the tent! We had lobster and/or steak for dinner and it was excellent!! Whoopie Pies were dessert...my 3rd and final whoopie pie of the trip. I tried the peanut butter version, which was excellent, and the regular pie I tasted from someone else's was also good, but I've got to give the Friars my #1 spot for best whoopie pie. Dinner included good conversation and lots of laughter over the newbies trying to crack open their lobster followed by gifts for the wedding party.

Tonya in her cute apron watching Sean

and his friends do all the cooking

People mingled under the tent until dinner was ready

Everything you need for a lobster dinner, including

a plate with instructions on how to eat it!

Tamara and Amy with their lobster dinners!

The bride & groom digging in

After dinner, there was a cocktail party under the tent for anyone who wanted to come, so a lot of our other friends and Tonya & Sean's co-workers and Maine friends came out for that. It was a fun night.

Tamara and Tonya's brother, Deek,

gave their toasts during the party

Tamara & Elizabeth

Amy and I

Elizabeth, Vickie, Tamara, Jennifer, and I

I got Tamara and then Jennifer to sneak off with me to explore the mini-cotttages on the property that were built for the grandchildren. There is an adorable life-size "doll house" and a music cottage. So fun for those kids!

Outside of the "doll house"

Kitchen inside the "doll house",

complete with running water

Dining Area

Upstairs...can you imagine the slumber parties

the girl cousins must have up there??

Inside the music cottage, complete with a huge

flat screen TV, instruments, Rock Band, etc....