Wedding Week Begins!

Packing for a wedding in Pagosa is a lot different than normal. Hair dryers, clothes steamer, hanging bags with dresses and suits, nice shoes, make-up, 5 different nail polish and manicure kit, two violins,  a box of food we can't get at City Market, and the cardboard cutout of Chris!

Previously we'd send our white dishes and salad dishes, silverware and three strands of bistro lights with Jo Ellen when she drove to Pagosa. And Michael's sister and brother-in-law took out drinks, large metal drink bins, serving trays, charcuterie board, music stands and fireworks.

When Rhonda, Bob and Becca Petersen arrived, their car was filled to the brim with table linens, flower vases, glass pie trays, plate chargers and everything else needed to make gorgeous tables. For all of us, it was a labor of love.

Gram came with us too, so we there were eight of us flying. I was very worried about fitting everything in the plane, so I took over the packing and everything fit... but just.

Dan sat up front with the pilot. His favorite seat.

Hi Chris! He squeezed in easily this trip!

Cute soon-to-be married couple! (And my grocery list.)

More happily married kids!

Arrival!

When we arrived in Pagosa, we didn't all fit in our car and the rental agency is Covid Closed. Dan dropped Marty, Lizzie and I off to do the grocery shopping, then went back to the airport to get the rest of the crew and take them to camp. After opening up, he came back to get us and pick up sandwiches at Pagosa Brewing Company so we could eat right away.

While we were shopping, Nick got started on mowing the lawn. The riding mower was broken so Nick mowed the whole thing with the push mower. He is such a good sport!

It took what seemed like hours and hours to put all the groceries away, but that's a process that I kind of like -- or at least having it all organized and sorted is what I like -- knowing where to find everything makes feeding a crowd so much easier.

And then, I finally sat down and ate lunch.

Eating at the picnic table in this beautiful place that we love so much, with so many happy memories, surrounded by my children, all of them excited about starting a week in Pagosa, is one of my favorite things ever.

One of my other favorite things is Pagosa afternoon rainstorms. It forces you inside to play games or take a nap -- much needed quiet time and also cools everything down. It had hailed earlier while we were in the store, but rained again after lunch. The kids came inside and started the first of many many card games of the week.

The first batch of Petersens (Rhonda, Bob and Becca), arrived after a two-day road trip from Indiana at supper time. Knowing how much we loved them from our time in New York at Thanksgiving made the anticipation of their arrival exciting 

(rather than nerve-wracking if we were about to meet strangers)!

After dinner we drove to the schoolhouse for a picturesque view overlooking the surrounding ranches and the majestic San Juan Mountains. We were there in time for a beautiful sunset and to watch a herd of elk move across the ranch below.

Cute Becca

Of course we ended the night with s'mores and a campfire.

When the moon came up, it lit the sky and we actually had moon shadows! 

Bad for star gazing, but super cool! We also saw the Int'l Space Station.

Chris' cardboard cutout keeps startling everyone -- even when you've just walked past it!

Very life like!