The most amazing day of our lives…other than the two kiddos of course 🙂

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect.  The setting was what I had always dreamed about, at my cabin.  Us, the boys, our parents, Aaron, Berit, Boden, Alycia, Ary and Dylan.  Perfect!

We made our way up on Thursday night late to be able to drive at night with the kids.  After Cooper fell asleep, we were able to turn off The Incredibles and Cory plugged in his Zune so that he could play the wedding music for me.  I had asked him to select the music for the ceremony.  He did SUCH an amazing job!  There were 4 or 5 songs that absolutely hit the nail on the head.  Different, beautiful, meaningful and seriously perfect.  I cried for the first time for the weekend, and we weren’t even there yet.

My parents had already been up their the week before cleaning, raking, sweeping and getting everything ready for our big day.  I honestly can’t say thank you enough to them for all of the work and effort they put into making it such an amazing weekend for us!  We were able to spend most of the day Friday just chilling out.  Minister Karen came up mid day Friday, along with Aaron, Berit and Boden.  Karen and I went out to pick up the flowers at the florist in Longville, and of course they weren’t ready, but we did get a sneak peak at the flowers – I was SO pleased, they were gorgeous!  A bit later in the day Ginny, Dave, Alycia, Ary and Dylan checked into The Chase on the Lake in Walker and then came out to the cabin to hang out for a bit.  We had some amazing steaks, great time to just hang out, and some really great time to laugh together.  Then it was time to sleep and gear up for the big day.
Cory and I went to Chase on the Lake with the boys.  It was a great night.  At one point before I went to sleep I looked around, all of my  boys were so darn cute, just snoring away.  I reflected on how we all got here, what an incredible trip.  I sat out on the deck overlooking Leech lake and finished writing my wedding vows.  Yes I am a procrastinator.  But it was the perfect time for me to do it.  Quiet.  Looking through the window at the most important people in my life.  Perfect.

The morning brought the most gorgeous sunrise over the lake.  I was up way too early, but couldn’t sleep a minute more.  Maybe it was excitement, or maybe it was the the 3 month old kid crying and wanting to eat 🙂  Either way, it was a great start.  I made myself some hotel coffee, stepped back out on the deck to start the day out right, reflecting, looking at the amazing view, and envisioning the day that I was going to become Mrs. Wiest.

The guys and girls split from each other and headed opposite ways in Walker.  The girls went to The Beehive to get our hair done, and then back to Ginny and Dave’s room to get dressed.  The guys went fishing, and who knows what else.  I do know that at one point they were close to use as we were walking back to the room because someone spotted them and made me wait around the corner so Cory and I wouldn’t see each other (even though we woke up next to each other a few hours before, silly, but exciting).

When we were nearly ready, Karen and my mom went to pick up the flowers, which were finally done.  The rest of us finished getting ready, and then started heading to the cabin.  The girls got ready in the big cabin, and the guys down in the little cabin.  Cory got Cooper all dressed, and Gamma and the others watched Crosby down by the lake as they waited for things to begin.  Karen and my mom had gotten to the cabin before us and set up all of the vases with Cattails, reeds, candles and birch stumps to complete the scene.

It was time.  Everyone started to line up and take their places as dictated on the little map I gave Karen.  She was so amazing!  I am incredibly grateful that she made the trip to do this for us.  I really have been blessed with Karen.  She is one of those friends that even if we don’t talk for months, when we do finally chat we pick up right where we left off.  She is my touchstone.  I love her so much!  As I got ready to start making my way down to Cory who was patiently waiting down by the beach something was missing.  I went to put my hands together to hold my flowers and it came to me….the flowers!  We never handed out the flowers.  I had ordered boutineers, and bouquets for everyone, and we had left them on the kitchen table…duh.  So our original plan of having the ceremony around 2 was again delayed.  It was hillarious!  And so typical.

After pinning everyone up, and handing all the bouquets out, it was time.  I will never forget peaking out of the screened door at Cory looking up trying to catch a glimpse of me.  My heart was beating like crazy.  Not a nervous bone in my body, just pure excitement and happiness.  I heard the music start.  Such a beautiful song.  And I opened the screened door, made my way down the deck and started down the stairs to meet my new husband.

When I reached the bottom of the steps I was greeted by my mom and dad to my left, and Cory’s mom (holding Crosby) and dad to my right.  As a group we walked forward.  I continued on to stand next to Cory, and immediately grabbed his hand.  Everyone else stood in a circle, with Karen in the middle.  The boys started out in a wagon, but quickly were distributed around.  Coop made his way from Ary to my mom and dad, and Boden hung out with Berit.  Crosby was crashed out in Ginny’s arms.  And then it began.

Karen opened with such a thoughtful introduction, and then brought us through the ceremony in a very well organized, unique, and unforgettable way – only as Karen could do.  Side note:  I was the minister for Karen’s wedding and I didn’t prepare a darn thing.  I even stopped in the middle of everything and realized I was chewing gum, so I took it out of my mouth and chucked it over the bluff.   Sorry Karen:-)

Alycia wrote a speech she had spent an incredible amount of time preparing, and it was spot on.  She made both of us cry.  My brother read lyrics to a Beatles song that fit absolutely perfectly.  And then we exchanged our vows.  Cory had laminated his, no shock there.   Good thing he had though, because that morning they had gone fishing and he had his vows in his backpack that got completely soaked.  My vows, written the night before, were 2 pages front and back, single spaced…also not a shocker.

And then Karen asked us our intentions as we turned to each other and held each others hands.  We were crying.  I was squeezing his hands so tight I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost feeling.  IT WAS AWESOME!  And then she said we could kiss.  So, I kissed my husband for the first time.  The greatest feeling ever!  Everything was perfect, we were finally married!

After hundreds of photos were taken, we heading out on the pontoon for a little cruise around Big Deep.  The sun was out, but it was not too hot.  No bugs.  Barely any wind.  Perfect.  We went slowly down the lake and back.  Had some wine Karen brought from Michael’s winery, had a few snacks, and some great smiles and laughs.  My mom had made a “Just Married” sign for the front of the boat, it was such a cute touch!

After we got back, Cory and I swept off in our minivan 🙂 and heading back to the Chase for a bit before heading to dinner in Walker at The Boulders.  It was great food!  What a way to end the perfect day!  I honestly can’t thank Dave, Ginny enough for setting this up.  My mom had gotten a cake for us, and Cooper helped us cut it.  We all walked out of there stuffed to the gills…or at least I did.  My parents, Aaron and Berit and Karen took the boys back to the cabin for the night to give Cory and I a break.

Seriously…what an unbelievable, and unforgettable day!  Everyone had done so much to help make it so special for us!  Aaron, Berit and Boden traveled 10 hours in the car to be there, Karen flew thousands of miles, my parents did a ton of work to set up and get the place ready, my mom and Karen braved the leeches in the crick to get Cattails and reeds, Alycia picked out the jewelry, and sash components, Ginny made the sashes, and everyone chipped in to watch the boys the whole weekend.  We are truly blessed to be surrounded by people that love us, and want us to be happy.

We may have gone about all of this a little backwards.  But I can without a doubt say that we are just that, blissfully happy.  Lucky, blessed, humbled by all of their love, bound by our love and respect for each other and extremely happy!