Wedding Weekend

Last weekend I gained another sister.  And I am so happy!  Anne Marie is a great fit for Clark and for the Norton family.  Many people over the weekend mentioned what a strong woman she is...so she fits right in!  

Her family has a house on Orcas Island that her grandfather built from lumber he fished out of the water.  It is a amazing!  We took the ferry over with Maren, Erin & kids.  

 I was super wowed by the amazing views.  This is from the family boat dock area. 

 Libby made a kelp microphone while we were waiting for tho rehearsal to take place. 

 My feet near the Puget Sound.  The sun felt so perfect I didn't want to plunge my feet into the cold. 

 The rehearsal dinner was at the community center/Firehouse.  It was a tailgate theme.  Michigan State and Huskies.  No woman could really fit into the Norton family that wasn't passionate about sports.  Her school does  happen to be a rival of Maren's law school...(see picture below).

Derek's sister had a friend make us these awesome necklaces made from library cards with the Dewey Decimal of something that interests us.  Mine is books on dance! 

This is a moment of triumph for me.  I happened to be walking by as Derek and a few people were trying to remember the name of a Stanford player that trounced the Huskies with an injured ankle a few seasons back.  I don't know where it came from, but as I walked by, I just said, "Bryce Love."  Derek was so surprised and delighted that I had a bit of Husky trivia tucked away that he couldn't recall.  Bam.  He was actually at that game, I was listening to it while I painted the bathroom to surprise him.  

The happy couple

Maren was strictly forbidden to wear Michigan gear.  But she hid a Michigan sock under her boot and secretly crushed a Michigan State cup.  (I guess not so secretly anymore...:)

Sarah made a new best-cousin.  Alexis is a Fehlberg from Colorado.  They were inseparable after Alexis arrived.  They had so much fun hanging out and chatting.  

Meanwhile the other kids didn't stop running around and being crazy.  (And if you're wondering, Ben is wearing Monsters University gear...so he is tailgate themed too.  Derek didn't think this counted, but I let it slide.)

The morning of the wedding, every one but Maren did a short hike at Mount Constitution.  It was breathtaking.  

Maren stayed home and ironed for us.  That was so sweet of her! (Also she is the best ironer I know.)

Proof that I was there too! 

Clark with the boys.  It was really chilly & windy during pictures.  But it all calmed down and was amazing for the ceremony. 

The groomsmen

Great Grammy and Great Grandpa

Derek gave a really sweet speech.  He was the first one that didn't prepare anything in writing.  But he nailed it.  He talked about how he and Clark would fight as kids and Clark would never cry, even when Derek would hit him.  But that day, during the ceremony, Clark had shed real tears because of his love for Anne Marie.  So, this showed just how special Anne Marie was to Clark.  It was lovely.  

Clark texted that with his A+++ job as a ring bearer, Ben almost upstaged the bride.  HA!  Definitely not.  But Ben did a great job and looked awesome.  If only I would have remembered his non-transition lenses!  Darn! 

Mr. & Mrs. (She isn't changing her name, but still Mr. & Mrs. I guess). 

I loved this moment.  Then the dance floor got hot!  Lots of Norton and Eliasen dancing.  The kids even dragged Kaj (and I mean that literally--they tipped his chair over and stole his phone and dragged him physically to the dance floor).  

By the time we got back to the house we rented, we were exhausted and freezing and happy!  It was a really beautiful wedding.  Sunday we relaxed, packed and headed back home.  Traffic made it a long drive home.  Island life is maybe not for me.  But it was fun to be a part of it for the weekend.