Remembering Grandpa

We are in San Diego for the Christmas holiday this year for a myriad of reasons: visiting family unable to attend the wedding, establishing our own family traditions based on/adapted from existing ones, and supporting my grandmother.

This Thursday, we happened to be in town for the final mass in a novena dedicated to the memory of my grandfather.  From conversations with my Aunt Claire and a bit of Googling, I understand a novena to be 9 distinct days of prayer, completed for a variety of reasons.  In this case, it took place on the 21st of each month (my grandfather passed on the 21st of January, 2010), excepting August, and was designed to help his spirit in its journey and ease the distress of those left behind.  The service itself was a traditional Catholic mass, with it's ritual customs and responses.

The masses during the novena were held at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in El Cajon, California.  One of my grandmother's friends made a donation in honor of my grandfather and requested the prayer services.  This is the chapel they were held in.

I must admit, the mass itself was not meaningful due to the fact I am not Catholic, but the symbolic nature of being there with my family for the final service meant a great deal to me.  Below, I've put a photo of a tribute that I'm able to understand on a more personal level.  This little area sits near the dining room table and has a candle which is lit each day.  The photograph on the far right is one I have hanging on my own wall at home.

Grandpa, Granddad, Granddo, or whatever affectionate name you wish to use was a central figure in our family and a special person in my life.  This Christmas, I am grateful for the memories, life lessons, and amazing family he left behind.  I hope everyone was able to take a moment to appreciate the important people in their lives and create memories they can cherish and share for the rest of their lives.

Wishing you great joy and love,
Megan

Hi everyone!

Thanks for sharing this special time in our lives with us.  Having friends and family bolstering our love for each other meant the world to us.  The wedding was memorable and wonderful - we really hope you had as much fun as we did!

Pictures and video from the day are forthcoming.  We'll certainly be putting some links up on the site as soon as they are available.

We spent a few days in Sunriver after the wedding, enjoying activities such as white water rafting, eating amazing Italian food, and learning how to use telescopes.  I also discovered that I will never again pay to climb on the back of horse!

Kelly is working hard at school, just finishing up a course in GTAW(Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) on stainless steel welding and preparing to move on to oxy-acetylene welding.  I haven't been able to find a job for the summer, but I'm busy preparing for the coming school year and getting the house in order.  I found out at the end of school that I was being transferred from Nancy Ryles Elementary to Hiteon Elementary, remaining as a technology teacher, but gaining full-time status.  I truly feel as though this is a gift, and I'm humbled by the opportunity to continue working in this unique field.

We are looking forward to spending time with friends and family over the summer, as well as squeezing in some camping, volunteering, and even a Dave Matthews Band concert!

We have decided to transfer this from an information blog about wedding information to a center for the latest goings-ons of our new family.  We hope this will be an excellent tool to help us keep in touch.

To the future!
Megan

Our Wedding Ceremony

Several people expressed enjoying the ceremony and the vows, so we thought we’d throw them up online.  Feel free to pass them along, link to the site, or grab ideas if you’ve landed here and are looking for vow ideas.

Something we couldn’t share with everyone were the hours of conversations that were behind the vows.  We participated in pre-marital counseling, but even with all the topics that came up and ideas that were shared, a lot of powerful and thoughtful groundwork was laid in the process of writing these.  I’d suggest creating one’s own vows to anyone.

A giant thank you to Michelle Stringham, who wrote this beautiful ceremony.  I’d also like to thank my husband for suggesting the idea of trading vows as though we were having a conversation.

Hello and welcome!

On behalf of Megan and Kelly, I welcome all of you, and am elated that you could join us for this marriage celebration.  We are here today to encourage, celebrate and support the commitment these two people, loved by all of us, now make.  The marriage they are creating here has roots in themselves, and the love, friendship, and guidance each of us has offered them.  They have asked us to be with them here today, because we are a community of loved ones.  We rejoice in the ways life has led them to each other and brought them to the place where they now stand.

As French writer Marcel Proust said, “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

You are the people who make the souls of Megan and Kelly blossom.  We want to acknowledge and thank all of you for your support and participation today.

The candles you see here are in honor of loved ones who cannot be with us today, who the bridge and groom miss very much and who they know are present in spirit.  Let us take a moment of silence to reflect on all of our loved ones and how each has touched our lives.

“A friend’s love says: If you need anything, I’ll be there.  True Love says, “You’ll never need anything, I’ll be there.”

We are gathered together here in the family to celebrate the love which Megan and Kelly have for each other, to give recognition to their decision to commit their lives and accept each other completely, to learn how to help and understand each, and together, to travel through life.

So... If any of you has anything to say that might change their minds... they... don’t want to hear it at this point....

However, they do want to hear from you that you are their village, that you will always be their family, and will always support and encourage them as they discover the commitment and dedication needed to make marriage work.

In this beautiful space we are in today, we are honored to have the shade of this magnificent tree.

Megan and Kelly have chosen this spot with this tree for today.  If I may share their feelings with you:

“Roots: base of the tree, often considered “unglamorous,” but critical to healthy functioning and standing.  (We feel that hard work, communication, and adherence to our core values will serve as the “roots” of our relationship.)

Trunk: conducts nutrients, spine, slightly more visible.  (We think trust and respect are the backbone of our relationship and will serve to keep us “standing straight.”)

Leaves: catch sun, photosynthesize to provide energy, tend to be the most often oohed and ahhed at.  (Love and devotion will energize our marriage and will be the most visible components to others.)”

Marriage must be resilient.  It must weather the challenges of daily life and the passage of time.  And just like this tree that we are standing under, marriage requires constant nurturing and nourishment.  As the universe provides the sun, soil, and water for the tree, Megan and Kelly will provide the encouragement, trust, and love needed on a daily basis to consciously nurture and nourish their connection to each other.

Megan and Kelly please focus your attention on one another.  Now is the time for you to share your vows with each other.

K: I recognize marriage is a choice.
M: I agree to put forth effort to maintain our relationship.

K: I will communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully.
M: I will promptly express my thoughts or feelings, regardless of whether they are positive or negative.

K: I promise to support you in staying true to your own philosophies.
M: I pledge to remain faithful to my moral and ethical values.

K: I will treat you as an equal and value your opinions.
M: I pledge to hold your feelings and integrity in the highest esteem.

K: I agree to think of my family and my partner before choosing a course of action.
M: I promise to conscientiously make decisions based on maintain established trust.

K: I pledge to always hold dear the love that first drew us together.
M: I will work tirelessly to ensure our love shines through every aspect of our lives.

K: I promise to hold the sanctity of our relationship in the highest regard.
M: I will balance devotions to our marriage with other needs.

K: Your family is now my family and my family is now your family.
M: I promise to actively maintain peace within our family.

K: I will look to you as the manager of our household finances.
M: I will consult with you on major decision and priorities, allowing for reasonable expenses.

K: I pledge to work with you in securing the overall health and happiness of the home.
M: I promise to consider our individual strengths and seek a balance between work and rest.

K: I pledge to make our home a place of refuge and happiness.
M: I promise to cultivate a warm, stable atmosphere in our home.

K: I will share selfless values with my community and future generations.
M: I will live my life for the greater good of others and the planet.

K: I will sustain my third for knowledge, greater understanding, and physical well-being.
M: I will pursue these things to support the overall strength of our family.

K: I will show you affection in a variety of ways.
M: I will express how much I care for you on a daily basis.

K: I promise to be true and loyal.
M: I will remain your companion and best friend for life.

Do you understand a reciprocate these vows as spoken?

Now Kelly and Megan will exchange rings to embody the commitments they have made to each other and the world.

The wedding ring is a symbol of unity, a circle unbroken, without beginning or end.  And today they give and receive these rings as confirmations of their vows to join their lives, to work at all times to create a life that is whole and unbroken, and to love each other without end.

May the Universe bless these rings which you give to each other as the sign of your love and fidelity.

Kelly, place the ring on Megan’s finger and repeat after me:
I offer you my hand and my heart as I know they will be safe with you.
All that I am I give to you and all that I have I share with you.

Megan, place the ring on Kelly’s finger and repeat after me:
I offer you my hand and my heart as I know they will be safe with you.
All that I am I give to you and all that I have I share with you.

Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them.  Your rings says that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together.  Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight.  May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today.

Megan and Kelly, may you always need one another, not to fill emptiness, but to help each other know your fullness.  May you want one another, but not out of lack.  May you embrace one another, but not smother one another.  May you succeed in all important ways with each other, and not fall in the little graces.  May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy.  May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another.

By the power vested in my by the State of Oregon, I now pronounce you legally married.

Mr. Happilymarried, you may now kiss your bride.

I am honored to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Kelly and Megan Nace.

Thank you for being here today and please stay for the food and good times.

RSVPs

Hello everyone and thank you for taking the time to come to our website for wedding information. For the RSVP please post a comment or email us (kjnace at gmail dot com -or- farnsworthm at gmail dot com) with who you are, and how many are coming with you. See you in July!

Clackamas Rivershore Hotel

This is the hotel at which we've reserved a block of rooms. We chose it because it has a fantastic view of the Willamette River and had a nice suite of amenities while still remaining affordable.

Facility highlights include:
• Pool and hot tub
• 24 hour exercise facility
• Internet-ready guest computer
• High-speed wireless
• Convenient recycling (What!? Megan’s a Master Recycler…)

Room amenities include:
• Microwave
• Mini-fridge
• Iron & ironing board
• AC
• Balcony

Of course, if you are bringing camping gear, you're welcome to join us in the group camping area and overnight there as well! :)

Where are you registered?

We're getting this question quite a bit, so here's the answer!

REI
Kitchen Kaboodle
Target
Home Depot (The registry is available at the customer service desk. They have no online-linked system.)

Directions to Milo McIver State Park

Here's a Google Maps link to the park. Click on the A pin, choose "Get Directions," then enter your own address.

About the Groom

Kelly is 31 and currently holds a License for Massage Therapy, but is attending Portland Community College as part of their Welding Technology department. Learning to weld has proven to be an excellent meeting of interests for him since it appeals to both his hands on technical side and his science/theory sides. He hopes to use the skills he is developing to gain experience in the pipe-welding/pipe-fitting industries, and to eventually use that experience while moving into a career doing weld inspection and testing.

He is an aspiring bass player, game enthusiast of all varieties, camper/hiker, and soon to be hobbyist corn-snake breeder. While he does not do as many volunteer activities as Megan, he does enjoy the work they have helped to do in Forest Park.

About the Bride

Megan is 26 years old and a Technology Teacher at Nancy Ryles Elementary School in Beaverton. She tries to fill her time with activities she’s passionate about and will leave lasting good long beyond her time on this planet. To this end, she volunteers as a Master Recycler, works with the Oregon State Parks' Let’s Go Camping program, and occasionally does trail work and invasive species removal in Forest Park.

She enjoys reading, camping, hiking, backpacking, and baking. Megan loves attempting to garden, even though the backyard is woefully short of sunlight. Games are also a favorite activity, though they’re most interesting when the rules are more complicated and the premise is more intriguing than that of Monopoly.

Ultimately, she’s still deciding exactly what she wants to be when she grows up. With the requirement of a Master’s Degree within ten years of obtaining a teaching degree to hold on to one’s educator license, she’s weighing her options in regards to specialties. Perhaps she’ll soon be a Speech-Language Pathologist, an environmental educator, a Library/Media Specialist, or a professional rodeo clown(okay, maybe not).