mazal tov!

The deed is done, the "I wills" have been said and my voice mail greeting now trumpets "You have reached the phone of Abby Kirkbride...Rasmussen!" Our wedding was last Sunday, and what an event it was. Community friends and college buddies were at the wedding site at 8 a.m. helping to string lights and Chinese lanterns, set out the forks and spoons and line bamboo platters with banana leaves. Everyone was an enormous help, and by 3 p.m. the airy but vanilla room was transformed into an elegant and warm dining area. The wedding was set to start at 5 p.m., but during wedding party pictures on the miniature golf course the rain began to fall, and by 4:30 p.m. it looked like the ceremony would be driven inside by the weather. I held up pretty well under the stress until the mariachi band struck up for another set next door (not joking), as the conclusion of the Mexican Fiesta was also delayed by the rain. Fortunately, the rain stopped just in time, and a troupe of type-A personality men and women from the wedding party compromised with the Parks and Recreation staff to turn the music down 25-decibels. It was a fearsome sight to see, a dozen women in cocktail dresses and high heels striding with vengeance towards the sound booth. The rest of the night turned out well as we dined on Filipino cuisine and dessert specialties from the women in my family and church. Ben and I were even lucky enough to get to spend some time after the reception with our best friends who had come from all over the country for the event, drinking champagne and processing the day. We were walked to our room in style, with much cheering, singing and even some guitar playing. We are now back at home for a few days until leaving for our honeymoon in Greece. It's odd to be in Chugwater, living quietly with my family, feeling all the world that hardly anything has changed. *photos by Tracie Faust