planning

Well, Jon and I are in Maine for the week of Spring Break.

We have appointments pretty much all week, which makes it much less of a Break and more of a busy time. We actually had to forgo our *awesome* plans to drive to Arkansas (visit the Johns on the way) and go digging for diamonds at Diamond Mine State Park. Sigh. Some day.


We drove up on Sat and stayed with Grammie on Sat night. On Sunday, we visited First Parish and had an appointment with Rev. Dr. Richard Knight.

No, he does not have a round table in his office.


It was sort of our first "marriage counseling" session, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It actually made it more real to sit down with the Reverend and talk about marriage and what we hoped and expected. He was really incredibly nice, though slightly soft-spoken. I hate to say it, but he reminded me of the guy in Something About Mary who is the fake cripple. Shrug.

We also got some homework to do. He said he would love to do our marriage counseling and said that in the next session he would probably ask us to come in and have a fight. AWESOME!

I have to admit, Jon and I rarely fight. I am sure it is not because we AGREE with everything... but I think we just know each other well enough now to anticipate the answers, and to be okay with our differences.



Anyway, it went well. We went back to Grammies and hung out with Jon's brothers and sisters and the kids. We hung out with Grammie after they left. She really is remarkable. She is 89, lives alone, and does not act a day over 70. She has been really blessed with great health and a great spirit. Overall, a very special lady.


We slept over Jason and Michelle's and today Jon, Michelle, and I went to see three different reception places.


The first one, Village by the Sea was 1) not within sight of the sea and 2) smelled like diapers. I mean, it was nice enough, I suppose... but I got sort of a white-trashy feel. Tamra, the wedding coordinator, was very pleasant, but the whole thing felt awkward. Let's just say this: if we got married outside, our pictures would include a charming view of Rt. 1.

The second place we stopped at was the Coastal House, a strictly events facility. It was nice also... Cheryl was extremely pleasant and sort of had a been-there seen-it-all attitude. Again, it was very nice... but rather sterile. There was little to no personality, but it WAS a viable option. It just would not have felt very Maine-y.

The last place we visited was Clay Hill Farm. This place is very campy. It is set back in the woods and is a bird sanctuary. Therefore, it is full of flowers and birds and a pond and a barn and all that good stuff. Rachel was wonderful to speak with and we just really liked the place. As I said, it was kind of campy. There are several (well-connected) rooms and decks and the decor is kinda strange and the ceilings low... but it really gave us a sense of family... people who love working there and take pride in their services.


This could be it folks!


It also means though that we may get married Sunday, Sept 21st.

If you can come, great... if not... believe me, we will treat the guests who DO come even better!



Tomorrow we will see Spring Hill Farms and see how that goes. It seems like a cross between Clay Hill (large beautiful grounds) and the Coastal House (big open clean reception area).

We should have a decision by tomorrow afternoon!!!!! YAY!!!




We will let you know....