Baby Girl - Beautiful Bride

I know this is a travel blog, but sometimes you have to break your own rules, maybe because you want to show off the ones you love.
Randi, my daughter and fiance, Brian decided to get married within a three week period. I knew I had to have faith that everything would work out and those things that didn't, we would just ignore.
Since I had never been to the place they wanted to get married at, Gig Harbor, Washington, I also wanted to enjoy the area and the place like all my travels take me to. So we planned on going in a few days early to hopefully help with the wedding.
WAITING AT THE AIRPORT: DO YOU THINK SHE IS NERVOUS

Randi wanted to have the wedding where Brian and his family was from, which meant in so many words, "she had no control of it." Since she had a few brief weeks with Brian's mom and I had never met her, we had to hopefully not expect the worst and hope for the best. Believe me, we couldn't have asked for much more than what they had done. With a few hiccups, the wedding went off beautifully. I will ease into the details later, but first about Gig Harbor.
I was corrected that Gig Harbor is not on an island but is on a peninsula in the narrows of Puget Sound. You get there either by ferry or by bridge. Since Brian had his ticket and Randi and I were flying stand bye, we weren't sure if we would be on the same flight as Brian. Luckily we did get on, and then when we arrived we waited for the shuttle that takes you right downtown Gig Harbor for $14/pers., where we picked up a car and headed off to the see the fam.
The Pacific Northwest is a very luscious area, with a lot of greenery and gorgeous flowers and the family's home was exactly that. I thought of Brian growing up in the woods around his family's house and thought this is why he is a hiking, wandering gypsy, his mom probably thought how safe for her children to play all day and enjoy nature.
When they say you don't just marry the man, but the family, the family was just as kind and sweet as Brian is. They made us both feel right at home.
NICE SURPRISES FROM THE FAMILY

We then headed over to Fox Island. Fox Island is an island, [not a peninsula, that definition was for us landlocked people to know,] that is attached to the peninsula by a bridge. Brian's grandmother lives there and has lived there for quite sometime. She and her husband, Bud, were as welcoming as the rest of the family. Driving over there, the area is absolutely gorgeous, especially from a person from Utah.
GORGEOUS

Randi had told me that the area was quite tiny and so small, what a surprise when I realized the traffic and the area was a lot larger than I expected. Brian had explained that until about 10 years ago they only had a two lane bridge coming from Tacoma and then they rebuilt the bridge to a six lane bridge which immediately enhanced the building and increased the property and taxes. Oh well, you build it, they will come.
THE DOCK WHERE THE HAPPY COUPLE ARE GETTING MARRIED ON

After checking out the area where the wedding was going to be at, Randi and I were tired and Brian wanted to play with his nieces and visit with his family so off we went to the house that I rented. The house was off of East Bay Drive and on Sullivan Road. It was an older home that they had renovated. It was perfect, right on the water with again with the word, "gorgeous" views.

Randi and I settled in and died of exhaustion for a nap. After we had to find food. One thing about renting a house, you must supply it for all of those hungry stomachs that are going to show up sooner or later. So we used Randi's GPS to find historic Gig Harbor. We stopped at Anthony's for dinner and devoured everything put in front of us. It was fun just sitting out on the dock and watch the yachts come in and go out.


Then off to the grocery store for food. It was a very fun, but exhausting day.

How Fun Is Kayaking???

The next day I woke up to animals making funny noises outside in the bay, now how can anyone on vacation not wake up to enjoy that. I saw this seal come up while it was eating and a family of 6 otters swimming bye, so of course I had to go down to the beach to check everything out.
After a brief breakfast we all left to pick up things for the wedding, first stop to Connie and Joe's (Brian's Aunt and Uncle) winery. Again gorgeous flowers everywhere and the winery was just recently built. It was fun to enjoy the tasting and the beautiful place. Very gracious people.





Then the three of us went off for errand shopping and then back to the house. I let them continue with their errands and I just totally relaxed at the house. Later that afternoon, they came back and I think Brian felt like he was neglecting me so we went kayaking. I had never gone kayaking and thank goodness the water was extremely calm and warm. We floated around for awhile, played with the jelly fish and came back. You will just have to take my word on me actually being in the kayak since I was holding more on for dear life instead of a camera.
Again they left me to relax and went off on their errands. It was truly a delightful sunny day.

Here Comes The Mist

I woke up again with my neighborhood seal jumping in the water. It was fun for someone that has never been around the ocean too much. This maybe the last time, but my baby came crawling into my bed for a back scratch. That is one thing that was always precious between Randi and I from birth on, she loved crawling in bed with her mom. I will surely miss that. We talked and finally got out of bed to walk the rocky beach to find places for her bridals to be taken later on that afternoon.
Now we don't know who owns this house, but it was two lots down from our rental, so if anyone knows this house don't tell the owners we used their yard and house for the backdrop to Randi's bridals. We tried to get permission, but oh well. The guard house in front was bigger than my garage.

We got word that Gary and Ammie/Baby Gracie had problems getting on the plane to get here. We tried to take it in stride because we knew we were all flying standbye. The day was gloomy and misty, the typical Seattle weather, so Brian stoked up a fire and we laid around reading and watching t.v. This would be the last he would see his bride until the "I dos." We finally got in the car and took off to go grocery shopping for the Bridal party that night. The boys were suppose to go out to dinner.
Going standbye means a lot of praying, especially if you have a deadline to meet. And you always think it is a miracle when something happens extraordinary to allow you to board when there was no hope. I believe it really is the expertise of the airline staff. The fourth plane out, sat on the tarmat for a little while and then returned back to the gate for some unknown reason. A large group of Koreans got off and in turn Gary and Ammie were able to get on. A MIRACLE. Gary and Ammie were suppose to arrive around 10:30 a.m. and at noon they were just getting onto a plane. Our friend the photographer was suppose to arrive around noon, and when I called to see where they were, they were 30 minutes outside of Seattle, so I thought if they stay there waiting an extra hour they could pick up Gary. I took so much for granted because by the time everything happened, her bridal pictures were pushed back 3 hours. Here comes Momzilla out. Between Brian expecting Randi to be somewhere and Randi expecting her bridals to be taken and everyone is still on some freeway, I got or felt a lot of pressure. But my saying for this wedding is "we punt." So we rescheduled a few things and everything turned out just great.
GRANDMA JOY'S REHEARSAL


Everyone arrived safely and Randi had her bridals, we had a really great party with her new in-laws and we were in bed by 10:00. I was happy.
RANDI WHERE ARE YOU GOING THE PARTY JUST STARTED




BRIDALS

Going To The Dock, Going To Get Married...

Wedding Day is here. Overcast and more than the Seattle Drizzle, but it is Randi's Wedding day and it is going to be wonderful no matter what the weather. I had made arrangements for pedicures for Me, Ammie, Val (photographer & friend), Becky (Mom-in-law to be), Brandi (Sister-in-law to be) and Heather (Sister-in-law to be). Randi was going to have the whole thing, massage, pedicure, manicure, and hairdo.

We got out of the day spa a little early so we had plenty of time to get home and put on makeup, take a few pictures and head over to Grandma Joy's. By the time Randi stood in that dress while Brian was running, trying to do things, she was about to loose either her cookies or mind.
One last toast to the bride from all the women in the room and down the aisle or the dock as the Fox Island people would like to say.









A fabulous seafood reception after the ceremony.

The wedding was beautiful and the couple seemed so happy. Tired Mom, but so well worth it all. Congrats to them, Gary and I love you.