I was up
before dawn on Sunday morning, mostly because my body was still on a "Central Time Zone" diurnal cycle. Therefore, to keep from waking anyone up, I went down to the lobby to have a quiet time. I was glad there were several Bibles in the floor to ceiling bookshelf beside the fireplace, that could provide words of wisdom for my meditation. I am so thankful that we can learn about the the hope of our salvation in Jesus Christ, through reading the Bible. I have learned that studying the Scripture (and trying to APPLY what I learn!) is the anchor I need to keep my life on course. Seeing God's word there in the hotel lobby, brought to mind one of the memory verses for my First Place 4 Health class (
www.FirstPlace4Health.com ). It simply says "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm, and secure." Hebrews 6:19. On this Sunday morning in Oregon, I was giving thanks to God for the many blessings I had experienced over the past several days, and giving thanks for the anchor His presence has been in my life.
Stepping outside the front doors, the lodge seemed to be quiet and peaceful, and perhaps even "resting" after the merriment of the night before.
Back inside, I
was fascinated by the burl wood that was used to form the stair rail supports. Finding that many posts with burls on them represents considerable time in the forests!
Meanwhile, back on my second story balcony, the sun was just beginning to makes its appearance from behind the tall evergreen trees that surround the lawn.
Even though there was some lingering haze from the large forest fires in nearby counties, the big yellow ball in the sky made its presence known!
The banquet tables had been cleared of their tablecloths, and looked like water lilies, floating on a green pond!
After a while, the wedding guests came down to the patio beside the restaurant, to wake up to a delicious breakfast buffet, and some good Northwest coffee!
The Wiles were whiling away the morning, enjoying the Oregon sunshine!
The Johnson grandparents were looking good, and enjoying their fifty-sixth wedding anniversary that same weekend! Dean and Kaylee were married on August 2, and Jim and Elna were married on August 3! Congratulations are in order for both couples!
The buffet included French toast, and eggs, and potatoes, and meat, oh my!
If the wedding party thought the photographs were finished, they were mistaken!! Still more photos needed to remember this happy occasion!
The
grandmother of the bride was looking especially fashionable in her breakfast attire!
There had been a basket of flip flops on the dance floor the previous evening, for ladies to trade their heels for, and apparently someone forgot to pick up their "party shoes" after the party!
Many of the wedding attendees brought gifts for the couple, and they were nicely arranged adjacent to the breakfast tables. We all enjoyed Dean and Kaylee opening gifts, as we munched on our yummy meal!
(This "Welcome Bikers" photo is a reminder to say that some of the guests even came by "bike"---aka, "motorcycle"! Pastor Ray rode his motorcycle to the Rehearsal Party, as well as to the actual wedding of Grover and Stacy!)
This
family has known the bride since she was an "itty-bitty"! The tall, good-looking, teen-age son in the middle probably does not want to be reminded that the bride used to be his babysitter!
One of the items on the breakfast menu was Oregon Berry Syrup for the French toast.
It reminded me of red finger paint, so I made my own version of Kaylee and Dean's initials that had been on the wedding cake, the coasters, the water bottles, the groom's ties, the honeymoon car, and the welcome baskets! K + D forever!!
The hotel staff (
www.callahanslodge.com ) had put all the table decorations together to speed up the packing process for the wedding party. Those represent lots of work, and a "labor of love" by the friends and family that decorated the venue for the wedding .
The bride's brother, me, and my son wait patiently while the kitchen packed up some leftover wedding cake for us to take home. I forgot to ask Kaylee and Dean if it is still a tradition to have a piece of the wedding cake on the couple's first anniversary!
Friends
had decorated the back of their car with a "Just Married" sign, and also divulged the location of their honeymoon---Hawaii!!
And so it goes, that the numbers "8.2.14" will go down in history as the wedding day for Kaylee Self and Dean Johnson. It was a celebration of love that gave all of us "MILES OF SMILES"!!
