a fall wedding in Taos (and a couple of other things)

Last weekend, we headed up to Taos to celebrate the wedding of Howard's cousin. We were so happy to celebrate the happy day with Meredith and Carlos! They both looked gorgeous and were beaming with joy.

Look how happy they are! Just beautiful!

Congratulations Meredith and Carlos! We wish you a long and happy future together!

It's a lovely time to be in Taos. The air is crisp in the morning and the aspens are spectacular.


We made the most of the opportunity and headed up in the mountains to take Paloma for her first grouse hunt. I think she quite enjoyed sitting in the back of Grandaddy's truck with Dave (the pink bear) - she didn't even flinch when the gun went off!


The gun went off three times, and we came home with a full bag of grouse. For those of you wondering what grouse looks like, they're kind of a pretty chicken. Like this:


Thanks, little grouse. Howard is looking forward to grouse enchiladas with green chile.

We went hunting quite close to the place we went camping in July. Remember I mentioned the beaver dam last time? Well, this time I got some photos so that you Australians can see what I'm talking about.

Here is the actual dam. It looks simple, just piles of logs.


But that pile of logs really makes a difference! No wonder beavers are considered ecosystem engineers! They really change things in the creek. (Can anyone guess that we are aquatic biologists??)

Here you can see the reservoir of water behind the dam (the dam is actually farther off to the right, outside of the photo).


Finally, we spent some time in the orchard where we were married to harvest some apples with the Adkison family.

Paloma enjoyed the long grass and lolling around in the sun....

... and quite enjoyed her first taste of Taos apples!

YUM!

our trip to Australia

As I had mentioned, we recently flew to Australia. Why? you may be wondering. Actually, you probably already know - we went for Kristin and Simon's wedding (hooray!). It was a beautiful day - Kristin looked every bit the beaming bride and Simon looked rather chuffed too. It made us all very happy to see them getting hitched, especially knowing how happy we are to be hitched. The wedding and reception was held at Narrapumelap (where our Wicky wedding reception was held last year). It was fun to re-visit, this time with Paloma on the outside.

I would love to show you some photos of the big day, but we ummmm... forgot the camera. Seriously. In all of the haste of getting out the door, having Paloma in her special dress, making sure that Mum had her corsage pinned on correctly, remembering all of the other little bits and pieces - we forgot our camera. I stole Kristin's camera for the night, so hopefully she will send me some photos soon. Otherwise, go and check out her facebook page. ;)

In lieu of wedding photos, we have some pre-wedding photos. I know it's not quite the same, but it's all part of the occasion. So here they are:

Paloma taking charge of table layout in the reception marquee. (Note that the Shakespeare Festival t-shirt that I am wearing is just as cool today as it was when I first wore it at high school.)

And didn't she do a nice job? Kristin, Simon and Dad all attempted to tie bows, but it was disastrous. Now I know why Dad always wears Blundstones (no shoelaces!).

Simon creatively responded to the fly problem. Howard is amazed and astounded by the sheer number of flies and their persistence.

Thankfully, we did manage to do a few other things while we were Down Under. For the first time, we got to see Paloma hang out without being bundled up. We had never really seen her arms and legs before, except in the bath. She coped pretty well with the heat, and we enjoyed dressing her in cute summer clothes (thanks Abby!).

Of course, being responsible parents, we were very wary of the harsh Aussie sun on new baby skin. Paloma seems to have inherited my fair complexion, so we slathered her in sunscreen. I think she kind of liked it.

The other good part about being in Australia, was meeting more special friends and family. We managed to snap a few pics with some people, but often got caught up in the moment and didn't pull out the camera. So, don't be offended if your photo isn't up here - we were just too busy enjoying your company.

By the way, did anyone manage to get a good photo of Nana T (Big Lois) with Paloma (Little LoLo)? I would love to have it!

Here is Paloma with her good friend Deana, and the very special Yuri. Yuri is very good at giving hugs when you need them. Actually, Deana is too!

Stuey, demonstrating the Bachelor Hold. He came down to visit us for an afternoon on the farm! Great to see you, Stuey-oh.

Stuey also caught up with us in Melbourne, the night before flying out, bringing Dean with him. Paloma really enjoyed getting to know Dean - I think she looks cranky because she wanted to stay and get to know him better. Hopefully, next time our visit will last a bit longer so we can spend some more time with everyone!

Elyjah, making sure that Paloma is sun-smart. This is the morning after the wedding, during breakfast at the footy shed. (Many thanks to Howard for cooking the bacon and eggs!) Elyjah sang at the wedding - wonderful!

Not surprisingly, Auntie Hel was found cuddling with Paloma. She had cuddles on the wedding night too - when I pointed out to her that there was a little bit of baby drool/puke on her shoulder, it made her even happier. Good on ya, Auntie Hel.

Grandma managed to squeeze in a few cuddles with Paloma too, even when busy in the garden. Paloma looks tuckered out - maybe jetlag?

And Grandpa enjoyed spending some time with Paloma too, even when making important business calls. Good multitasking skills, Dad!

Now that I have been through all of our photos, I suddenly realise that there are no photos of Paloma with Auntie Kristin or Uncle Simon. Egad?! How can this be? Can someone please email me some more photos???

FINALLY, did I mention that it was really hot (like, really REALLY hot) and we were all jetlagged for a couple of days?

It was lovely to see everyone, and we can't wait to see you all again! Come and visit, or find us on skype and you can check out Paloma (and the rest of the Brandenburdetts) in real life.

Australia #1 - Wickliffe and Melbourne

As promised, here are a couple of photos from our trip home/to Australia.

Hanging out in Melbourne

A pirate possessed Elyjah. Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh!








George, our official wedding photographer, enjoying the sites in Melbourne (i.e., Cathy and me).








The Brandenburgs in humid Melbourne, the day they all flew in. This photo is taken at Southbank, after a lovely dinner on the banks of the Yarra. We had to run inside to shelter from the late summer thunderstorm.






Wickliffe
Narrapumelap! You can see the marquee in the background where we held our reception. Beautiful.










The view from our bedroom/campervan window the morning before the wedding. Howard loved the fog in the sugargums.








I think Dad is laughing at Howard trying to climb rocks on the side of the hill...








The good ol' Hopkins River.











Howard in action, driving a truck full of hay to feed the sheep.

We're back!

... and Australia was fabulous! We had a great time visiting everyone, getting married again, and going for our honeymoon/outback adventure.

I promise that I will post photos soon, but in the meantime, you can go to George's Constructed Images website and check out his photos.

And if anyone has some photos that you would like to share with us, please please please email them to me (or send me a CD if you have heaps!). We would love to include as many different views as possible in our wedding album.

People keep asking...

People keep asking me about suggestions for a gift. That is always a difficult question to answer.

We really don't need anything more at the moment. We were quite overwhelmed by the generosity of our guests at our Taos wedding.

In light of ourselves feeling so well off, you may consider giving to someone who really does need a gift. We would appreciate donations to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal almost as much as those receiving support from the Red Cross.

But if giving to that charity is not your thing, and you would like to give us something more tangible, we would also appreciate contributions towards a piece of furniture made by my cousin Mark. Then we will have something special to look forward to when we move (back) to Australia. Check out his website: markschair.com.

Another way of giving something tangible is buying online from a US site and having them send it to us. Most items from our Crate and Barrel registry were given to us by guests at our Taos wedding (although there are a couple of goodies left on the list).

If none of these suggestions help - use your imagination! If you have something in mind that you want us to have, then go for it!!

Finally, I know it's difficult to find something that we can take back to Albuquerque with us in our luggage. We may end up leaving a few things in Australia to be picked up on our next visit, or saving them to enjoy when we move back there. It's a way of celebrating our wedding for years to come!

Camping at Wickliffe

Earlier, I had suggested that you could camp at the footy ground at Wickliffe. I didn't mean on the ground, I just meant at the ground. Sorry for the confusion.

Apparently they have just sown new grass on the oval, so camping at the footy oval is not such a good idea anyway. I don't think the shower block will be open for our use either.

So, that leaves us with two options for camping: on the farm or at the Bolac caravan park. Mum and Dad welcome you to come and pitch your tent in the paddock - but be prepared for a queue for the shower in the morning! The caravan park is only a fifteen minute drive away, so that may suit some people better.

Even though we can't camp at the footy ground, we will still be having breakfast there the next morning!

Wedding reminder

The time is approaching! Our Australian wedding is coming up soon, and we're getting very excited about seeing everyone in Wickliffe.

Don't forget to book your accommodation soon. Options are kind of limited in the area and they are filling up. Get in soon!

You can also camp at River Bend (Ayesha's parents' farm). I know a few people have already elected that option. Please let us know if you're thinking about that so we can be prepared.

Finally, if you're staying the night in or around Wickliffe, come back the next day for breakfast at the footy ground! We will have bacon and eggs on the barbie and a game of kick-to-kick on the footy field. Will somebody volunteer to teach Howard how to kick a real football?

Thank you all!

Thank you everybody for being part of our wedding day. We had a beautiful time - it was amazing to see so many friends there with us! We both wish we could have kept the party going for days... it's true that it all goes by so fast and it feels like we didn't get to talk to everyone.

In case you didn't realise, it wasn't just me and Howard who managed to pull this shin-dig together. We had a whole host of people helping us with big and little jobs in the months/weeks/days/hours before the big day.

We would like to send out a few special thank yous to some people who helped enormously with our preparations and celebrations:

Preparations in the months before:

• Howard's Uncle Bill and Aunt Shari, for generously donating the apple orchard and fastidiously tending to it in the months leading up to the wedding;
• Claire, who knows so much about Taos;
  
• Aaron, who hosted Howard's buck's night (and Leslie, for getting out of there for the night - wise move Leslie);
• Shifty, who hosted my bridal shower (much more sophisticated than the buck's night, I think);
• Aimee and Cathy, who organised the bridal shower;
• Paige and Bridg, who spent three days with my trying on wedding dresses in New York;
• Vashti, who helped me make my tiara and continues to give me inspiration to do more fun stuff;
  
• Mum and Dad, who sent stones from Wickliffe to go in our rings;
• Aimee, who kept reminding me to stay sane.
  

Preparations in the days before:

• Aunt Susan, who helped me arrange the flowers for the reception. What a trooper!
• Grandmommy/Frances Joy, Uncle Teddy and Uncle Jon, who organised the candles for the reception;
• Brian and Sarah, who managed transport for Reverend Susan;
• Brian and Greg, who walked our mothers down the aisle;
• Ben, who helped Howard get all the chairs from the fireshed;
• Kristin and Dad, who mowed the orchard and helped to set up the arch;
• Mum and Auntie Hel, who kept me and Susan stocked with wildflowers;
  
• Claire and Jim, who hosted and hosted and hosted.
  

On the day:

• Paige and Matt, who were the amazing DJ combo who kept everyone dancing;
• Bridg, the improptu MC for the evening, who kept everyone organised;
• Cathy, who did everything - picked up flowers, kept Howard sane, managed the liaison between bride an groom when we weren't meant to talk to one another...
• Leslie and Aaron, who made the cake and the figurines (actually, this took months of preparation - we're a bit sad that there won't be any more cakes to 'test');
• Helen and Megan, who decorated the inside of the van;
• Teala, Cathy and Clare, who provided all the vases for the reception;
  
• Auntie Helen and George, who took a million wonderful photos;
• Lee, who left with the best story of the night.
  

At the ceremony:

• The amazing Mr Balistreri and his upright bass, who kept you entertained until the bride and her entourage turned up;
• The fabulous Steve, who was my driver on the day (and so many other times in the past!);
  
• Claire and Bridgid, who chose their own readings and delivered them so beautifully.
  

The day after:

• Oh, you know who you are - thank you to everyone who hung around the San Geronimo and helped us to clean up and/or just chatted with us and made us feel happy!

Always:

• Our parents, who did so much to get the two of us here.
  

Is that everyone? Probably not. Every one of our guests deserves to be thanked - for coming, for writing in the guest book, for having a good time and just for being part of it.

Constructed Images

Earlier, we mentioned that George and Helen are going to be taking lots of photos (and it would be wonderful if everyone did).

George has just told us that he has set up a new business called CONSTRUCTED IMAGES as an outlet for his art. You can go to this website where you can see photos from the wedding and have them printed (for a small fee).

Go and check it out!

rain, hail or shine

September in Taos is an interesting time. Right about the equinox, it can be beautiful and warm, or else it can be rainy and cool.

Howard is determined to go ahead with the ceremony in the orchard, regardless of the conditions (Ayesha thinks that if it's a thunderstorm, we may have to think of Plan B!). Most Taosenos seems to think that it will be fine, but it's probably a good idea to keep an eye on the weather forecast for Taos, and pack an umbrella.

If it does rain on our wedding day, wouldn't that be ironic?

UPDATE! UPDATE!

After a week on the San Juan in drizzly, rainy conditions, Howard has come to the realisation that we really do need an alternative to the apple orchard if it rains.

If it's cloudy, we'll still be in the orchard.

If it's really bad weather, however, we'll move everything to the San Geronimo Lodge.

If we do end up at San Geronimo, the ceremony will start a little later (~4pm) so that we can be sure that we get everyone from the orchard.

blooper #2

Ok, so we're not sure who was in care of quality control on our invitations, but apparently there is another mistake.

Ayesha's hometown was spelt incorrectly on the RSVP card. Yes, there really is only two "i's" in Wickliffe. No, it is not Wickiliffe.

Thanks to Rachael and Becky for pointing this out to us!

Apologies for any confusion...

Say cheese!

Howard and I decided long ago that we didn't want a formal photographer at our wedding. Instead, we have asked a couple of kind and creative people (George, Auntie Hel) to take photos for us. While we have no doubt that they'll do a splendid job, we would like it if they get a chance to take a break and have a dance and let their hair down too.

If you're one of those kind and creative people with a snazzy camera, take lots of pics and send some of them on to us!

Accomodation in Wickliffe - is there any?

Wickliffe is just a tiny town, and accommodation is kind of limited. However, there are plenty of accommodation options in and around town. We've put together a list to help you out.

Wickliffe
There's no real accommodation in Wickliffe, other than the pub or camping. You can camp at the farm or at the footy ground (as soon as we get the nod from the Rec Committee). We're also planning to host the morning-after breakfast at the footy shed.

Lake Bolac
Lake Bolac is just down the road from Wickliffe. There is a lake there where you can fish, ski and swim (if there's enough water!) and this is the town where Ayesha went to high school. It's a bit bigger than Wickliffe, so you can find accommodation here. Try the Lake Bolac Motel, the pub, or the caravan park. Oddly, there are no websites for the pub or caravan park, so here are their details:

Lake Bolac Hotel
Glenelg Hwy
Lake Bolac VIC 3351
Telephone: (03) 5350 2303

Lake Bolac Caravan Park
Frontage Rd P.O. Box 73
Lake Bolac VIC 3351
Telephone: (03) 5350 2329
Rating: **

Other pubs in small towns close by
There is a pub in Willaura where you can find some cheap rooms.

Mac's Hotel in Glenthompson (03 5577 4301) or the Maroona Hotel (03 5354 7580) may have rooms, but they'll be basic. Give them a call if you want to check it out.

Dunkeld
Dunkeld is probably the best option for accommodation, although it is a bit further to drive than Bolac or Willaura. The Royal Mail Hotel has high-quality rooms, and there are several more options in and around Dunkeld. Dunkeld is a jumping-off point to get into the Grampians, so this may be a good place to stay before heading off on the next leg of your journey.

Ararat
Ararat is a major town with a highway passing through it, so there are lots of hotels and motels. We're not going to list them all on the blog - you can look at them here and here. Wickliffe is south of Ararat, so it may be wise to avoid those ones on the far north of town.

Also, it's about a 35-40 minute drive to Wickliffe from Ararat (if Mum's behind the wheel). If there are lots of people staying in Ararat, we can organise a shuttle bus so that there will be no hassles about designated drivers and avoiding roos late at night. Please let us know if you're planning to stay in Ararat so that we have an idea how many people may opt for the shuttle bus.

Ballarat
It takes just over an hour to drive to Ballarat, but it's closer to Melbourne so it may be a good option for accommodation and vacationing plans.

Ballarat is even bigger than Ararat, and has even more hotels and motels. [I think it has the highest density of pubs in any town in Victoria, thanks to the goldminers.] Again, it's not worthwhile listing them all on this blog, but go and look here and here. Try to choose a motel on the west-ish side of town. Feel free to check with us if you're not sure.

Invitations

If you're reading this, then you've probably already received an invitation. Howard made the illustrations of the tree and the apples on the stickers, because we're getting married in an apple orchard in Taos and hopefully under some river red gums in Wickliffe. The tree is depicted as a sapling, but the roots are thick, strong, and deep. The roots are you all, our family and friends that have help to make the two of us who we are. We like to think that we're branching off from those deep supporting roots...

We designed the invitation to minimise the amount of paper we used. You can tear off the bottom portion and send it back to us as the RSVP. [Alternatively, RSVP online for the Taos wedding at our wedding webpage and save some gas/petrol mileage/kilometreage by the postman.]

And one last note - your children and partners are invited to the wedding too! Their names may not be on the front of the envelope, but they are included. Just add them into the "number in party attending" on the RSVP.

Honeymoon plans

After our wedding in Australia, we're planning a tour of outback NSW for a week or two (hopefully two). Details are yet to be determined, but we'll probably hire a van or small bus and borrow a tent and then head north from Wickliffe. We hope to visit Broken Hill and Tibooburra (where Ayesha's grandfather used to travel to pan for gold) - and hopefully catch up with a few old friends along the way.

Any suggestions about where we should go or what we should see?

We know that there is a lot of cool art in Broken Hill and we are already planning a counter meal at the Tibooburra pub...

If anyone is looking for ideas for a wedding gift, we would love some help to pay for our trip! Here are a few ideas of things we might like/need to buy with your gifts:

• petrol to keep our campervan going
• snacks from the service station to keep us going
• a visit to the supermarket before heading outback
• postcards and stamps
• a counter meal in Tibooburra
• a night out in Broken Hill
• lunch at that nice place in the Blue Mountains
• breakfast in Sydney before getting back on the plane
  
• a night in a nice B&B
• a site at a caravan park
• some more songs for our iPod
• a road atlas
• anything else that you think is essential for a long road trip...