It all started back in the summer of 2005. It was my last summer at Camp Gray in Wisconsin (sigh). On staff that year was a goofy guy by the name of Nick Simson. He was silly and humorous and an all around good guy. When I saw him at a college friend's wedding in Flagstaff, a week or two after camp finished, I was caught off guard. Why am I seeing this kid at an event with a whole other circle of friends. It was like my worlds were colliding. I had forgotten: he was a student at NAU and friends with some people I'd known when I had been a student there myself years earlier. Weird, but cool.
I saw him again at my brother and sister's wedding a year later. Less of a surprise but I never imagined I would see him ever again.
Until he asked my sister-in-law's sister, Eleanor Aldrich, to marry him.
If you are playing at home and keeping track, the answer is "yes". The Aldrich sisters are now both married to guys named "Nick". This should make for some confusing conversations later.
Nick and Eleanor (are you keeping up?) live in Tennessee. Their families both live in Arizona. So naturally, they decided to get married right here in Los Alamos, NM where I live, so as to make this a simpler event for me to attend. In reality, the Aldrich family has roots in Los Alamos, so it wasn't that much of a shocker that they chose this as their wedding venue.
On Thursday before the wedding, Leni and I headed down to Albuquerque where the respective Bachelor and Bachelorette parties were hosted by Nick and Claire Porter, the Best Man and Maid of Honor. We headed back very late to Los Alamos that night so that we'd be there in the morning when my parents arrived. There were many wedding-prep projects to do on Friday leading up to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner later that night. Not to mention all the decorating that had to be done the morning of the wedding.
The wedding venue was the rose garden around an old lodge right downtown. Fuller Lodge used to be part of the boys' school that was here in Los Alamos before it was appropriated by the US government so that the lab could be built here (briefly mentioned in a previous post). Now, the lodge, and the surrounding property is an historic landmark of Los Alamos County. My dad officiated. The wedding was held at 11am in an effort to avoid afternoon monsoons. It was beautiful and more importantly, everything was just what the bride wanted. I could have done without the direct, hot sunlight. In fact, here's a tip. If you don't want me at your wedding but feel as if etiquette requires me to have an invitation, make it an outdoor wedding. I'm pretty much done with that. If you do want an outdoor wedding and want me to be there, have it in a pool.
After being at the lodge from 7am-3pm yesterday, I was ready for a nap when I got home. Many congrats to Nick and Eleanor and I hope to see them next time they visit the Southwest to see family!
The fun continues! Currently residing at our house, including regular residents and guests, are 6 people and 8 dogs. I'm thinking of it as revenge on our neighbors who don't control their yappy dog.
Keep It Real!
After being at the lodge from 7am-3pm yesterday, I was ready for a nap when I got home. Many congrats to Nick and Eleanor and I hope to see them next time they visit the Southwest to see family!
The fun continues! Currently residing at our house, including regular residents and guests, are 6 people and 8 dogs. I'm thinking of it as revenge on our neighbors who don't control their yappy dog.
Keep It Real!
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