Amelie reunited with her Daddy

August 2009
Just before Eleanor’s wedding we all drove up to Estes Park. We had booked the wedding at the Black Canyon Inn and all the guests were to stay in the condominiums that surrounded the wedding venue. The last of the working men arrived and all of Martin’s family and friends. It was clearly going to be a memorable event!
We drove Aspen and Christopher in our Jeep while Bridget went to fetch Mark from home and Nigel from the airport. We exhausted all our nursery rhymes and stories and found we had no suitable music - a very long journey indeed. By the time we had visited the supermarket using a super-wide kart with twin steering wheels we were exhausted. Angie left supper for everyone in the family and we retired to our own peace and quiet for the night. Finally!
A great deal of planning had gone into the wedding itself but it was still an anxious day. The owners and staff at the Black Canyon Inn were just superb and supported us at every point. They accommodated all of our wishes and were full of helpful suggestions. Some of this was unusual for them because the format was that of an English wedding and not an American one. The flowers were wonderful and the string quartet just right for the post-ceremony champagne. Aspen stole the show when she decided to walk alone down to the bridge from the condo sprinkling rose petals from her basket as she went. Aahh!
The backdrop of Rocky Mountains National Park was just spectacular and the rain stayed away just as we had planned. It was not as hot as it could have been and there were no glitches at all. The proud parents of the bride gradually relaxed and settled to the pleasure of it all.

Aspen, Amelie and Christopher
The wedding island at Black Canyon Inn with Chris, Jodi and Leila
Eleanor and Martin with champagne
Eleanor's childhood friend Tamsin looking beautiful as a bridesmade - her family sailed in company with ours for many, many years
Aspen contemplating her flower girl walk to the bridge
Jo as bridesmaid
Bridget as bridesmaid
The wedding ceremony on the island
All our family pose in front of the Rocky Mountains
Martin and Eleanor in front of the ranch and mountains

We had met Martin’s parents last year in the UK and it was now a privilege to meet with the larger family. In the evening we all retired to the Twin Owls Restaurant for a great meal and lots of dancing until late. After all this we collapsed into bed in our condo but rumour has it that the party played on elsewhere until the wee small hours the next day. We can confirm that some looked less than perfect...

The deed done it was packing up time. Our family was coming back to the cabin for a while and others were off to see the sights. All four of our children have had remarkable weddings and each was unique. That part of our job seems completed.

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