Oh We're Sailing Away...

Well, as promised, I am sharing with you the wedding celebration of a lifetime. (Love you A and M!)

I was asked to be a bridesmaid...er...matron?

Bridesmatron? Does that work?

Bridesmaid. We'll go with that. 

Anyway, the lovely Miss A asked me to be her attendant and of course I said YES!

So, once we got to CA, it was a flurry of family and then finishing the preps for the special day.

So much fun!

But the best part was the rehearsal.

See, the wedding was going to be on a steamboat. 

I know. 

Pretty awesome, right?

Anyway, we had to practice our gaits.

Sisters (in-law)

Here's the boat. A gorgeous number it is too!

So we practiced. And practiced.

And in off moments, I took a few shots.

So cute!

 And then a few days later it was time for the bachelorette!

Smile!

But first we had to get our nails done.

Maid of honor with the bride to be

The maid of honor then cryptically went off with a few of the other bridesmaids and told us to keep the bride busy.
Which in my world means one thing: PHOTO SESSION!

I may or may not have made these two sit there for a while waiting for the "right" light.

Then we were off again. To a vineyard.
Yep, you guessed it.
We were taking the bride to be on a wine tasting tour.

 The setting was really pretty.
They even had a "cave" for the wine. (A wine cellar if you will)

And then we were off again to another.
The next one was pretty as well. It's the only one I remember the name of.
Bridlewood.
Doesn't that sound lovely?

And the views were top-notch.

One of the bridesmaids bought a bottle and we all were able to toast on the rooftop tasting area to A and M's marriage the next day.
And if that wasn't fantastic, we had the best weather possible.
(Not too hard when it's CA in summer just north of LA)

But seriously. I loved this vineyard. Not just for the amazing setting, but also because of the bonding with the other gals.

Of course we had to continue and get to one of the last stops.
A cheese tasting at C'est cheese!

Smile!

Miss A loved the event and the cheese was divine.
I haven't had such amazing cheese since our time in France.

And of course, Miss A got some lovely things, befitting a bachelorette party.

The next day was a blur. All I remember was helping to make bouquets.

And the bride's bouquet.

And then we got ready.

I just love the bride's hair. Absolutely gorgeous.

I'd say the bride was happy too.

And then the bridesmaids were ready.

Here are the Krueger women posing with their beaus.

 Group shot!

And the bride herself!

Then we all went to the boats.

The reveal of Miss A in her dress to M was touching. We all smiled.

Then, horror of horrors, I discovered something terrible- my shoe heels got caught between the wood planks!

Well, you can imagine my shock when I pulled them out and my soles had ripped from their tops. 

Enter crazy search for rubber bands, glue, tacks, anything really that could hold the shoe together. I think there was even a moment where one of the bridesmaids went into a dentist's office...

Thankfully, the photographer had a few rubber bands to spare and we found a glue gun in the back of the waiting room for the bridal party with just enough glue to...hold it together. (ah haha)

And just in time too! No sooner had the glue set then we were beckoned to the boat. 

Waiting before we walked to the front. The boat was a-rocking!

The ceremony was lovely. The vows beautiful, with a mix of Carl Sagan, Jane Austen, and Charlotte Brontë. And all too soon, it was done. The married couple went to the top deck and dolphins jumped in the water while the sun set behind them.
Perfection at its finest.

Father-Daughter dance

First dance

And of course the reception was great!

But we can't forget the best part: Mochi and Trya on the last day were so chill with each other, they shared the same bed.

Awww...

And then it was time to go back to the land of enchantment, NM.
Ah, yes.
Parting is such sweet sorrow...
We were so happy to celebrate with the family.

Congratulations, A and M! May you be blessed richly in your marriage! Love you!

Until next time,
Bisous!

The Canyon that was Grand

Back again!

I think it's time I continue on with our trip to the west and more specifically, the day we saw the Grand Canyon.

This, below, is not Colorado. 

No.

It's Arizona.

I know. It almost fooled me too!

But then we passed the sign.
I have proof.

We got to the park, showed our America the Beautiful park pass and got right in.
Only to stop a little ways up the way.
There were a few cars stopped, and I fired up the camera, as it usually only means one thing.
Wildlife spotted.
In this case, deer. Up close and personal!

Beautiful.

We knew it was going to be a great day.

Got to the visitor's center and chose our path. 

Since we had the pup, only the South Rim was open to us.

But...

We were totally okay with that.

And even though I have a good camera, it still didn't capture all the beauty of the colors in the morning.

The Grand Canyon, South Rim 

We were at Mather Point and a woman complimented us on how well behaved Mochi was. 

And I smiled as if our puppy was always that good. 

She isn't.

Mochi was either taking in the sights and smells too, or she was nervous around all the people, not to mention being a leash with Mr. K at the other end. 

At anyrate, the woman offered to take our picture.

How could I say no?

Zelda, Freddy Hg, and the Mochi-pup

We of course did the same for her.
Fair's fair, you know.

Anyway, these are a few of my favorite shots.

I personally love the black and white version. So timeless.
Classic.

We took the outer rim next and got a nice long walk in.

Again, the vastness of the park was impressive.
Awesome, really, in the full sense of the word.

I loved the shadows on the peaks from the few clouds that were in the sky.

And then Mr. K found this gem.

A flowering Prickly Pear cactus

I thought this was neat, poppies by bleached wood.

Bet it would've been fun in black and white. Oh well! Next time.

These flowers were so pretty too.

Love the vibrant colors out here in the Southwest!

But before we knew it, it was time to head out.
A quick bite to eat at the small stand, then back into the car to cross the Mojave Desert.

And then we were in Camarillo, rearing and ready to celebrate in the marriage of my sister-in-law, A to my now new brother-in-law, M!

Love those guys!

But their wedding is another post.

Until next time,
Bisous!