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Rick Sitte, Joel's father, remarked that he'd never been to a wedding where the bride and groom grinned at each other through the whole ceremony. The wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Joel Sitte went nearly flawlessly. (Alas, someone did forget the guest book.) My part was simple enough. Prepare and print the program, help with the table decorations, pick up three cakes from COSTCO in Covington, manage the two video cameras, escort the bride to the alter, and dance the father-daughter dance to Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl. I also prepared the PowerPoint of the couple which ran on two large monitors. (I got myself a 43" LG TV out of the process for my basement office!) The link to it is in January's Bits and Pieces. |
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I discovered I have both size 38S and 40S tuxedo jackets but would need a 44S to be able to button it closed. Joel and Jean selected Rev. Doug Ranney to officiate the wedding. They have been in a couples group led by the Ranney's for much of the past year. He did an excellent and efficient job of the ceremony. The venue at Lake Wilderness Lodge in Maple Valley was beautiful, and especially delighted the out of town visitors from Massachusetts. The promised rain held off the entire day and the sun even managed to peek through the clouds at the very climax of the ceremony. Jean recruited Annie to serve as Master of Ceremonies, leaving me to move from group to group, taking more photos during the reception, and welcoming the many special guests. Aunt Laurie said that when five-year-old Zack looked up to see Jean slowly descend the circular stairway, he whispered to her, "It's a Princess!" |
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The caterer arrived on time but the time between the ceremony and their arrival seemed long. It all worked out, especially when members of the Sitte clan declared the clam chowder the best they'd had, which must be high praise, coming as it was from Massachusetts natives. There were so many friends and family to acknowledge. Julie Adams and Alicia Pastrick took pictures of as many guests as their cameras would allow before their batteries died. And, since a picture is worth a thousand words, these photos write a tome about the happy reception. Unlike Annie's wedding, when Nancy was up for three days straight, this time she was only up for two days straight. It's best to just stay out of her way. The musical ensemble led by Susan, with cousin
Lance Ellis on French Horn was wonderful. See the program.
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On Thursday the 13th, families and friends of Jean and Joel, especially those in the wedding program, met at the River Rock Grill in Maple Valley and then proceeded to the Lake Wilderness Lodge I sat with Rick Sitte and many from the Massachusetts contingent, and discovered much of what I have in common with Joel's dad.
In talking with Rick Sitte, we found common ground on faith and firearms, computers and Scouting.
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Jean and Joel shared their wedding shower as a
February birthday party for Randy and me. There were shower games and building anticipation for the wedding, but still, I spent most of the early evening on the 1st with the grandchildren. Nathanael's first haircut of Jonathan was a big surprise, but it could not disguise his cuteness. David and Heidi James, Steve and Sheri White (both of whom will retire in June), Julie Adams, Randy, Don and Judy, Susan, and Norwegian friend Helga Brink, joined all our children and grandchildren. |
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Much of my free time continues to be claimed by Charis, freeing Thomas or Annie or both from childcare duties.
I marvel that my attitude toward my grandchildren seems so
different from that of my own grandfather Annie and Nancy made an exceptional effort to clean and decorate the Sitte apartment while they were away on their honeymoon to Vancouver, Victoria, and points north on Vancouver Island. Joel and Jean reported their week in Canada as a wonderful first week of marriage. |
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Annie at 33 Annie and Nancy went to a play on her birthday on the 28th, so we had her party on the 29th. When Nancy and I drove down Susan's driveway, the last to arrive, we were greeted by four deer enjoying Susan's St. John's Wort. Susan, Randy, Julie Adams, the Auburn Sleight's, the Disher's, the Sitte's, and the Pastrick's were all there. With regard to the Pastrick family, I came to the realization this month that Nancy and I have become surrogate grandparents to Rowan (five days younger than Charis), and Corvin (born last September). Certainly, we play that role when our now "extended" family gathers. The Pastrick parents are comfortable thinking of us as de facto grandparents to their kids. Richard and Alicia Pastrick are having their new home built in Lake Stevens, not far from Randy's duplex. Their address will be 3306 104th Avenue NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258. Charis' word for "grandpa" is "Ba." She hasn't mastered the "p" sound yet. This helps to explain why she struggles to toot her harmonica, despite my regular demonstrations. Nathanael paid his March and April morgage because he expects them to be especially busy with the arrival of son #2 in early April. |
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Bits and Pieces
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