I don’t like my job. I don’t think I’ll go anymore. — Peter Gibbons, Office Space
I don’t like my job. I don’t think I’ll go anymore.
Week #29 – Water. Do you have any memories of the sea or another body of water? Did you live there or just visit? What did you do there? You can also describe a body of water by which you live or visit in the present day.
When I think of water, I think of Mio. My Mom lived up north in Mio and I visited her most summers. We used to swim a lot at Loon Lake, and float down the Ausable River on intertubes or canoes.
When I got my braces off, the doctor gave me a retainer but I was too cool to wear it most of the time. I lost it in Loon Lake while visiting my mother for the summer. We searched everywhere in the lake that I had been, but we couldn’t find it. I did this also with my glasses one time; I also lost those in Loon Lake. Both of these items, my mother came back and found the next day. How she found them I have no idea, but she did. My retainer, after being salvaged from the bottom of Loon Lake, was soon lost again when it dropped from my pocket while coming home from the Mio Saloon one day. When my mom came home from work she had no way to know that she parked her car on top of it in the driveway. A few days went by, and then she noticed it in the driveway. We later calculated that she had driven over it six or seven times. By this time it was it was a twisted piece of metal with two small pieces of broken pink plastic. I don’t think her or my dad was very happy with me, but when you’re 10 you don’t realize the repercussions of your actions.
Boat Launch at the Ausable River
Floating down the Ausable was always an adventure. It was a few miles from one boat launch to the next. We would get dropped off by a van in Mio and float together for a few hours until the next launch, where a van would be waiting for us to bring us back home. I distinctly remember my sister being scared of the Pike fish in the river because somebody told her they bite! She was afraid one was going to reach up and chomp her in the ass through the intertube. I also remember crashing into the side of the river on multiple occasions, usually into an overhanging tree that would dump spiders on my head. I got sunburned to the extreme floating down the Ausable. We didn’t use sunscreen in those days, or wear hats or sunglasses. Thinking back, the whole thing was mostly stupid and dangerous, but I was just doing what Mom told me to do.
I had an opportunity in middle school to accompany one of my friends, Jennifer Naegele, with her family on a boat out on Lake Michigan. We went out for a few short hours one Saturday and that was more than enough for me. I was terrified of being out on open water in a tiny little boat. The waves made me extremely seasick. I didn’t like that trip at all!
My encounters with water today are basically limited to crossing the Hoover Dam. “Hey look, there’s the water line! Boy is it low.” That’s about as close to water as we get.
In an effort to document my family treasures which cannot be scanned in, I am publishing this series of pictures as part of the Treasure Chest Thursday theme at Geneabloggers. Someday in the future, I hope to shed some light on these treasures for my family who might inherit them. What were they for? Who did they come from? Why were they considered treasures? Let’s find out.
Jessica's Starter Earring
Here it is – my “starter” earring. This gold and sapphire stud was the one I had installed in my ears at Claire’s Boutique in the Saginaw Fashion Square Mall, sometime around 1990. A starter earring is a stud that is thicker than most earrings to help keep your ear hole opened up. They punch it through your ear with a little gun after rubbing alcohol on the ear lobe. You have to keep it in your ear for six weeks, twisting and turning it every day and cleaning the area with peroxide.
Interestingly, I gave the other earring to my high school boyfriend, Corey Sundquist. He used to wear it on the pocket of his flannel shirts while we were dating. I’m guessing it has long since gone into the trash heap since we broke up in 1995 when I went to college.
Week #28 – Summer. What was summer like where and when you grew up? Describe not only the climate, but how the season influenced your activities, food choices, etc.
Summers in my youth were all about heading outside to play. Every day, all day long and into the evening hours, I was outside playing with my friends and wandering around the neighborhood. I can’t imagine my kids doing that today; it’s far too dangerous to be wandering by yourself all over the neighborhood. I’m sure it wasn’t safe then either, but that was the norm. I used to play in the ditch next to the house and tromp through the woods and climb random trees. I would ride my dirt bike through the hills trying not to hit a tree.
I spent the entirety of the summer of 1988 playing with Jennifer Strachan. We roller skated all over the neighborhood and lusted after Ray Huber. We wrote him secret love letters and skated by his house to see if we could catch a glimpse of him. Jennie and I attended All Night Skates, where the roller rink was open overnight for a nonstop party. Half of my class of Bridgeport Middle School was there and dozens of relationships were started and ended in the course of one night. It was the summer of fun!
Some of my summers were spent in Mio at my Mom’s house. I spent most of my time at the Mio Saloon because she was a bartender there, so I shot pool and darts and shuffleboard while she was tending the bar. Weeks at a time, every night from 6pm to 2am I was at the bar hustling drunk guys at pool and darts for money. Really. I won, a lot, too. I often wandered around Mio during the daytime while Mom was at home. I would check out Our Lady of the Woods Shrine, a Catholic shrine that my Mom used to attend when she was a little girl. I would take the money I won the previous night and check out the local antique shops for little knick-knacks to buy, or head over to the ice cream stand to buy some mint chocolate chip in a cone.
The following article contains a detailed life account for Frances May (Green) Fenner, sister of Fred Ozro Green. It was published in the Kalamazoo Gazette in Kalamazoo, Michigan on March 9, 1958.
Life Account for Frances May Fenner Mrs. Fenner, Ill Several Weeks, Dies Mrs. Frances Fenner, 66, wife of Starr F. Fenner, 2202 Parkview Ave., widely known Townsendite and fraternalist, died yesterday at Bronson Hospital after an illness of several weeks. A native of Kendall, Mich., Mrs. Fenner came to Kalamazoo when a young girl and was graduated from Western Michigan University. She taught school until her marriage to Starr Fenner Feb. 24, 1910. She then became active in the fraternal field. Mrs. Fenner was best known for her ardent support of the Townsend Pension Plan and the organization of Townsend Clubs in Kalamazoo and Indiana. She was a past state organizer, past district chairman, and past club president, and devoted many years to delivering addresses on the Townsend Plan. She also was active in the Pythian Sisters in which she was a life member, and was one of the general committee that promoted the Kalamazoo Senior Citizens fund and home. She was known widely as a student of economics and political science. Her husband worked with her in the Townsend movement. Immediate survivors are the husband; four daughters, Mrs. Doris Lennon, Mrs. Theda Allen and Mrs. Bethel Burkam, Kalamazoo, and Mrs. Velma Dale, South Bend, Ind.; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; three brothers, Steve Greene [sic] and Fred Greene [sic], Kendall, and John Greene [sic], Corona Del Mar, Calif.; one step-brother, Francis Forbes, Otsego; one sister, Mrs. Nell Watkins, Kalamazoo; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Joldersma and Klein chapel, with interment in Hillside Cemetery, Plainwell.
Life Account for Frances May Fenner
Mrs. Fenner, Ill Several Weeks, Dies
Mrs. Frances Fenner, 66, wife of Starr F. Fenner, 2202 Parkview Ave., widely known Townsendite and fraternalist, died yesterday at Bronson Hospital after an illness of several weeks.
A native of Kendall, Mich., Mrs. Fenner came to Kalamazoo when a young girl and was graduated from Western Michigan University. She taught school until her marriage to Starr Fenner Feb. 24, 1910. She then became active in the fraternal field.
Mrs. Fenner was best known for her ardent support of the Townsend Pension Plan and the organization of Townsend Clubs in Kalamazoo and Indiana. She was a past state organizer, past district chairman, and past club president, and devoted many years to delivering addresses on the Townsend Plan. She also was active in the Pythian Sisters in which she was a life member, and was one of the general committee that promoted the Kalamazoo Senior Citizens fund and home. She was known widely as a student of economics and political science. Her husband worked with her in the Townsend movement.
Immediate survivors are the husband; four daughters, Mrs. Doris Lennon, Mrs. Theda Allen and Mrs. Bethel Burkam, Kalamazoo, and Mrs. Velma Dale, South Bend, Ind.; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; three brothers, Steve Greene [sic] and Fred Greene [sic], Kendall, and John Greene [sic], Corona Del Mar, Calif.; one step-brother, Francis Forbes, Otsego; one sister, Mrs. Nell Watkins, Kalamazoo; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Joldersma and Klein chapel, with interment in Hillside Cemetery, Plainwell.
This is the obituary for my husband’s great aunt Frances May (Green) Fenner, the sister of Fred Ozro Green. It was published in the Kalamazoo Gazette on March 9, 1958.
Obituary for Frances May Fenner FENNER, Mrs. Frances M., 2202 Parkview Ave.– Passed away noon Saturday in Bronson Hospital. She was born May 23, 1891 in Kendall, Mich., the daughter of Abner and Marion Root Greene [sic]. Mrs. Fenner had resided around Kalamazoo for the past 42 years. She was married to Starr F. Fenner, Feb. 24, 1910 in Plainwell, Michigan. Mrs. Fenner was a 1908 graduate of Western Michigan University, and had been a school teacher in Plainwell. She belonged to Syracuse Temple, Pythian Sisters and Townsend Club, No. 1, in which she held several offices, and was a willing worker in several civic affairs. Surviving are her husband Starr F. Fenner; 4 daughters; Mrs. Walter (Velma) Dale, South Bend, Mrs. William (Doris) Lennon, Mrs. Donald (Theda) Allen, Mrs. William (Bethel) Burkam, all of Kalamazoo; one sister, Mrs. Nell Watkins, Kalamazoo; 3 brothers Fred Greene [sic], Kendall, and John Greene [sic], Corona Del Mar, Calif.; a step-brother, Francis Forbes, Otsego; 10 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews. Friends will be received at the Koldersma and Klein Funeral Home Sunday eve., where services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock. The Dr. Frank Crabb and Rev. Theron Jenne officiating. Interment will be in Hillside Cemetery, Plainwell. Friends may make contributions to the charity or memorial of their choice.
Obituary for Frances May Fenner
FENNER, Mrs. Frances M., 2202 Parkview Ave.–
Passed away noon Saturday in Bronson Hospital. She was born May 23, 1891 in Kendall, Mich., the daughter of Abner and Marion Root Greene [sic]. Mrs. Fenner had resided around Kalamazoo for the past 42 years. She was married to Starr F. Fenner, Feb. 24, 1910 in Plainwell, Michigan. Mrs. Fenner was a 1908 graduate of Western Michigan University, and had been a school teacher in Plainwell. She belonged to Syracuse Temple, Pythian Sisters and Townsend Club, No. 1, in which she held several offices, and was a willing worker in several civic affairs. Surviving are her husband Starr F. Fenner; 4 daughters; Mrs. Walter (Velma) Dale, South Bend, Mrs. William (Doris) Lennon, Mrs. Donald (Theda) Allen, Mrs. William (Bethel) Burkam, all of Kalamazoo; one sister, Mrs. Nell Watkins, Kalamazoo; 3 brothers Fred Greene [sic], Kendall, and John Greene [sic], Corona Del Mar, Calif.; a step-brother, Francis Forbes, Otsego; 10 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews. Friends will be received at the Koldersma and Klein Funeral Home Sunday eve., where services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock. The Dr. Frank Crabb and Rev. Theron Jenne officiating. Interment will be in Hillside Cemetery, Plainwell. Friends may make contributions to the charity or memorial of their choice.
Rose Pin
This pretty red rose brooch pin was given to me during my senior year of High School by my good friend, Deidra (Eickholt, Penny) Moitzheim. It’s about three inches tall and is gold plated.
I tried wearing it a few times but it’s too large and heavy to fit nicely on most sweaters. I’ve kept it in my jewelry box and enjoyed looking at it all these years. It’s a nice reminder of our friendship.
Week #27 – Vacation. Where did your family go on vacation? Did you have a favorite place? Is it still there? If not, how has the area changed?
Jessica at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park
During the summer of 1989, I was invited to join my Grandma and Grandpa Cole with cousin Christopher on a trip “out west” from Indiana. They rotated through the cousins, taking one with Christopher on a road trip each summer. On this trip, we visited Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful, the Continental Divide, the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Badlands National Park, the Grand Tetons, and everything in between.
I was impressed by Mount Rushmore. Its size and scale, coupled by the serenity of the trees, was a very nice place to visit. Yellowstone National Park was huge. I remember us driving circles around Lake Yellowstone trying to find a place to park the RV but we couldn’t, so we had to leave. Old Faithful was an exercise in patience. “Sit here and sometime in the next 15 minutes, this geyser will shoot up for a few seconds.” I remember thinking to myself how hot it was, how bored I was, and what was the point of this thing? At that point in the trip I think being with my grandparents was starting to wear on me.
We also passed by the Continental Divide which was a non-event in my mind. The Black Hills of South Dakota offered me an opportunity to peruse the gift shops and look at all the neat rocks available for sale. I think I bought a few specimens which were lost to the years. I liked the fool’s gold and anything shiny and colorful. The Badlands National Park is what sticks in my mind most about this trip. The hills were so colorful, like rainbows that went on for miles and miles. I loved watching out the window as we drove through the area and counting how many color strips were displayed in a single hill. I was also impressed by the size of the Grand Teton Mountains.
Grandpa Cole owned a huge Winnebago RV camper and insisted that we stay only at KOA Kampgrounds during the entire trip. We drove only during the daytime, and my Grandpa also forced me to eat anything he decided to cook that night, including steak. Yuck! I certainly wasn’t used to that. My parents never made me eat anything. It was quite a rude awakening – as was the time I was using the bathroom and we hit a major bump in the road. I fell into the toilet, and Grandma had to come rescue me. How embarrassing! I sure had fun though! It’s a trip I will never forget.
This is the obituary of my husband’s great aunt, Rachel “Nell” Nellie (Green) Watkins, the sister of Fred Ozro Green. It was published in the Kalamazoo Gazette on July 15, 1973. I must admit, I have never seen so many spelling errors in a single obituary throughout all of my research…
Obituary for Rachel Nell Watkins WATKINS, Mrs. Rachel Nell Formerly of 346 S. Rose– Passed away July 13, 1973. She was born April 16, 1888 in Kendal [sic/Kendall], Michigan, daughter of Abner O. and Marian [sic/Marion] Root Greene [sic/Green]. She was a member of St. Augustine Church. Was the widow of Wortherington [sic/Worthington] G. Watkins who passed away July 15, 1959. She is survived by a step-brother, Francis Fobers [sic/Forbes] of Kalamazoo; one sister-in-law Mrs. John (Qave) Greene [sic/Green] of Yuciapa, Calif; several nieces, nephews and cousins. Friends are being received at Joldersma & Klein Funeral Home. Graveside Services will be held Monday at 10 O’clock at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Rev. Charles Crowley officiating.
Obituary for Rachel Nell Watkins
WATKINS, Mrs. Rachel Nell Formerly of 346 S. Rose–
Passed away July 13, 1973. She was born April 16, 1888 in Kendal [sic/Kendall], Michigan, daughter of Abner O. and Marian [sic/Marion] Root Greene [sic/Green]. She was a member of St. Augustine Church. Was the widow of Wortherington [sic/Worthington] G. Watkins who passed away July 15, 1959. She is survived by a step-brother, Francis Fobers [sic/Forbes] of Kalamazoo; one sister-in-law Mrs. John (Qave) Greene [sic/Green] of Yuciapa, Calif; several nieces, nephews and cousins. Friends are being received at Joldersma & Klein Funeral Home. Graveside Services will be held Monday at 10 O’clock at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Rev. Charles Crowley officiating.
Our Wedding Ceremony (February 2, 2002)
Exchanging Rings (February 2, 2002)
Week 26: Weddings. Tell us about your wedding.
Ten years ago this week, I married my very best friend! Our wedding was incredible. We were married on February 2, 2002 in Oceola County, Florida at the Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge Resort on the Sunrise Terrace balcony. A destination wedding was the perfect choice for us. It was an intimate affair with our closest immediate family in attendance. Andrew’s mother, father and sister came, and my mother, my father and his wife, my sister and her husband joined us. Andrew’s sister Amy was his Best Woman and my sister Kathleen was my Matron of Honor for the ceremony. It was very non-traditional. It was perfect.
I have written extensively about our wedding down to every last detail. Here is an excerpt featuring the wedding day itself and all the exciting things that happened before and after the ceremony.
The alarm went off at 3:30am. Andrew and I were too excited to really make a fuss about the time. We got up almost immediately and started to get ready. He took a shower while I pulled on my underwear for the dress. Allison showed up to do my hair and makeup at 4:00am on the dot! She was all dressed and ready to roll. She got right to work and it took her until about 5:10am to complete my hairstyle. She started in on makeup and it was 5:30am when she finished. Then she touched up a blemish for Andrew and set out all of our touch-up makeup. She helped me into my gown, which she had me step into. I tipped her $20 and she was off to another appointment at 5:45am! Just then, Amy arrived from the fourth floor to help me bustle the gown. She got it all hooked up and we were off to the lobby right at 6:00am. Castle Portrait at Walt Disney World Mike Strickland (our photographer) was waiting in the lobby for us. He loaded us into the white van and we were off. Oops, I forgot my bouquet! Turned around and back, Mike went inside and grabbed it from the front desk. Then we were off again at 6:10am. We first did the shots with the colored castle in the background, because it was still dark. We went up to the right side and took more shots, then onto the front stage. Then it was inside the castle lobby. After a few, we went outside up the stairs and did the posed shots in front of the windows by the turrets. Warning: it’s VERY dirty up there, they don’t appear to clean it often. There were leaves and mud and slimy things everywhere. Then Mike took a few in the rose garden and then we went over to Adventure Land to get some on the Ferry Boat. A few last shots in front of the Presidential building and we were done. It was 7:40am when we finished. Magic Kingdom Portraits Mike dropped us back off at the Wilderness Lodge with my bouquet, and we saw my Mom smoking out front. We kind of passed her off (my apologies Mom!) due to total exhaustion. We came right up to the room and grabbed breakfast from the concierge after removing our wedding garb. Then it was naptime from 8am until 11am. Dana from Carolyn Allen’s showed up at 11am to re-steam my gown and drop off my Mom’s dress. I am SO glad I booked her for two steamings. The gown was a mess when we got to Orlando from storage and the trip. It was also a total wreck when we finished the Magic Kingdom portraits with dirt, grass stains, water stains, and wrinkles galore. Dana got it ALL out and the gown looked perfect again! Amazing, and highly recommended, especially if you do your MK portraits before the wedding. At 12:00pm, Marcia and Irene showed up from Disney Cosmetology to do the girls’ hair. Amy went first, and she got a French twist. My Mom got rollers and then my sister had her hair up just like mine, without the veil of course. Amy’s hair is down past her waist, and Marcia had no problem making it look perfect in a twist! We were all shocked. Irene did Mom’s and Kathleen’s hair in no time flat. Marcia is fairly quiet, and Irene is a total hoot! Marcia said on 02/02 they alone had 10 weddings, with anywhere from two to nine hairstyles each. She said they had 17 cast members doing hairstyles that day. It was a very busy day for weddings at Disney! Walking Down the Aisle with DaD Around 1:45pm, the stylists completed and left. I tipped them each another $10 for their help. Amy went down with my Mom to start getting dressed, and Andrew’s parents showed up and joined Amy to get Jerald (his Dad) ready in his tux. At 2:00pm, Kathleen got dressed and they started dressing me at around 2:10pm. My Dad showed up at about 2:20pm and he quickly got into his tux in our bathroom. At 2:25pm, we went down to the fourth floor where all the action was starting to begin. Brad Crews, our coordinator, showed up around 2:40pm. Rob, our violinist, was there already and was practicing off to the side in the main hallway. All of the furniture was arranged previously somehow, and the candles were placed outside. The florist had already been there and Kathleen went back upstairs to get the bouquet and bout that we forgot in our rented fridge. They were already wilting a bit by the start of the wedding (and were basically dead by the end of photos). They had been done the afternoon before so we could have them for the MK photos. The two videographers (I forget their names!) and our photographer, Mike Strickland, were there too. One of our videographers asked me to say a word to Andrew before the wedding, and then asked Andrew afterwards to do the same for me. I can’t wait to see the videos!! During the Ceremony The time was 2:50 and Brad was asking me lots of questions about logistics. The waiter gave me some water. Then I saw the cake! It was SOOO pretty! We thought it was going to be small from the photos but oh boy, it was HUGE. We didn’t ask for anything special on the cake, just to use our own topper. Disney did a great job, and the cake was totally delicious! The videographer caught my first reaction to the cake and I was so giddy! Reverend Day showed up around 2:55pm. He gave me a great big hug and told us how proud and happy he was to be performing our ceremony for us. It was time to go on stage! I discussed the veil with my Dad and Andrew, and then totally forgot to put it down over my face because the start was so rushed and exciting! First, the mothers walked in. Then Amy (best woman) walked in. Kathleen walked in really slowly and then it was our turn! My Dad took my arm and he went through the door first, then me. We got through the doorway and past the first bench and stood there for a minute while people took photos. Toasting and Cutting the Cake Dad walked me up to the front and confirmed to Reverend Day that he was the one to give me away. We did a triple handshake toe loop backwards forearm freak move with the handoff, but eventually we got the right hands in the right places! I was in Andrew’s hands now! Most of the ceremony is kind of a blur. I remember trying to decipher which parts of the ceremony I had written, and which parts Reverend Day was adding in. At that point I had no idea. He was just telling us what to do and when. Andrew and I both made it through our vows just fine. We even got the rings on perfectly fine. I do remember when I turned toward Andrew and took both of his hands, I thought, “Oh my God, I’m getting married!” When speaking the vows, I was thinking, did I write that? Whatever, I was just going with the flow! Andrew had this smirk grin thing on his face the whole time, and I was so happy I could NOT stop smiling and glowing bright! I’m sure the photos will show how excited I was and how nervous Andrew was. Handmade wedding favors with a custom bound book, programs and Ty Halo II Beanie Babies The Moms lit the tapers and we lit the unity candle. Then we exchanged our first gift, a single ivory presentation rose, and we also presented them to our parents (which was a surprise to them all). We had our first kiss, which was excellent! Then we were pronounced, “Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Jessica Green.” Pictures pictures pictures, everywhere! We walked slowly straight into the video cameras down the aisle and out the door, over to the cake table inside. About five seconds later, Kathleen and Amy came out with Mickey Ears on their heads! They had conspired together and added a little Disney to our non-Disney wedding, unbeknown to us! Ahh well, I’m sure it looks great on camera. The cider was poured for our toast and Amy gave her speech to everyone, which was very nice! It was short and sweet. Kathleen said a few words too, as did Andrew’s father, who really wants me to call him “Dad!” We toasted several times and then we cut the cake together. It was incredible; I really wanted more of it! In fact I think I did eat more of it before we left for pictures. We had our “first dance” in the hallway. Andrew really didn’t want to, but he did it for me anyway. We swung around like one or two times, and then my Dad cut in on cue. I swung around a few times with my Dad, and that was it! Waving From Sunset Point Balcony The entire time, I had no idea what the violinist was playing. I heard him a few times but couldn’t make out what the music was! I don’t know if it was excitement, adrenaline, or just disillusionment, but I’ll have to watch the tape to figure out what happened. One of the videographers took off, and our violinist left too. Kathleen and Amy signed our marriage license, and Reverend Day left quickly after. At around 3:30pm, Brad presented us with our Disney Wedding Certificate, and our special gift. I won’t reveal it per DM unspoken code, but it’s very nice! Brad took care of all of the candles, the cake, the serving set, the toppers (we got to keep the porcelain Mickey and Minnie topper even though we didn’t use it) and everything else. He put them all up in our room, on the bed, and we put it all away later. It was time for photos! I had given Mike a listing of our wish list and he used it to get all of our pictures. We went outside the back of the Wilderness Lodge, next to Silver Falls waterfall, for most of the family photos. The Wedding Party - Amy, Andrew, Jessica and Kathleen Traveling through the lobby and out by the pool was surreal. Everyone stopped to say congratulations, good luck, and a few said “too bad”. We ignored those last folks. I had an entire fan club of children, mostly little girls. The mommies would say, “Look, she just got married, isn’t she pretty?” They would wave to me and stare in amazement. Some little girls came up and gave me a hug, after Mom asked if it was ok. I shook a lot of toddler’s hands and a bazillion folks took my picture! 99% of the attention was focused on me and not Andrew, which I thought was sad but Andrew loved getting away from it all. He wanted me to shine, and he was holding the spotlight so nobody could see HIM behind it! I loved every single second of it. Little kids would be running up to the slide at the pool and stop in their tracks when they saw us getting photos taken. It took us a bit more time than usual to do the photos at WL because so many little wet kids were running in our camera path. Also, in the background of the waterfall is a lookout point, which sometimes tourists would stop on. Mike was so funny! He would wave at them until he got their attention, and asked if they wanted to be on camera (very sarcastically). Our Entire Family Together After most of our photos, we went back through the lobby and outside the front down to the left path on the steps to the parking lots. We got some train shots of my gown and a few more family photos there. Then we called it a wrap! The gown was bustled back up, and we went in to take some candid shots. A man stopped on the path and said that his son had just had a vow renewal and I asked what the last name was! I couldn’t believe it, it was KIM! I begged him to have Kim come and find me, I wanted to meet her so badly! He promised to tell her. Andrew and I went up to the Terrace and all of the camera family members went down to the pool area. They took a bunch of photos of us up on the terrace from below. The people downstairs were clapping at us! We kept smooching for photo opportunities from the balcony. We realized we had not photographed the rings and my beautiful nails (which I spent nine weeks growing and protecting). Kathleen and Mom took photos for us with the bouquet and our new rings. Andrew keeps complaining that there’s something stuck on his finger, and Mom kept telling him he’ll get used to it. Andrew’s Dad came up to get us and said he found Kim! I ran downstairs (well, down the elevator) and Kim was there! I gave her a big hug and we each got pictures for our DM scrapbook. We both had to go so we only had a second to say hi, but I can’t wait to read her recaps! Andrew and I then went back up to our room to drop off some stuff. We went back downstairs and waited at Artist Point for a few minutes until they opened at 5:30pm. We were seating promptly at a long table in the back left corner. I can’t say enough great things about AP, it was unbelievable! The background music was wonderfully soft and pleasant. The seating arrangement was great for twelve people. We had waiters getting our drinks right away, and they took our orders promptly. One nice thing about AP is that they started with the bride, and went clockwise around the table taking all the women’s orders, then took the groom and all the men’s orders. It was subtle but very regal. And They Lived Happily Ever After I went way out of my own league and tried something I never thought I would try: the Mixed Grill! Elk, ostrich and venison meats with purple potatoes ($34)! I actually liked every one of them, especially the venison! Andrew had the grilled buffalo sirloin ($30), which he thought was really good. My Mom and Karen both had the chicken dish, and they both liked it. I don’t think anyone disliked anything about the food or the service! We were all very, very pleased. They cut the cake and brought it out for dessert, which was perfect! Everyone was so stuffed from the meal, it was hard to eat the cake but we couldn’t help it! Total bill for 10 adults and 2 children: $438. We rushed from the restaurant with the extra cake (later given to the concierge staff for them to eat) and quickly got out of our wedding attire. I still had the veil on my head because I didn’t have time to remove it. Our honeymoon coordinator, Matt Titus, threw together a really quick Fireworks cruise with only 4 hours notice. We went out to the loading dock behind the WL at 7:30pm and hopped on a private covered motorboat to go out and watch the fireworks. It was a little chilly but not too bad! We had a great time chatting and looking at all the scenery. We had already seen the fireworks from Narcoossee’s the night before, but we still enjoyed them all from the lake. After the boat docked around 8:30pm, we tipped the driver ($10) and said goodbye to Andrew’s parents and Amy. We said goodbye also to my Dad and Karen after cashing his traveler’s checks wedding gift to us at the front desk. Kathleen, Joe, Ashley and Cole went back to the All Stars Movies resort. Andrew and I went up to see Mom and she gave me all the Polaroid’s she had taken so we can scan them in and send them back to her. She also gave us her wedding gift to us (more cash). Andrew and I went back up to our room on the seventh floor to clean up and remove my veil. It only took us about six minutes to take out the 42 pins in my hair and remove the veil. We had the luggage services come up and take the three tuxedos and my wedding gown down to the bell desk for Carolyn Allen’s to pick up the next morning. After cleaning up the room enough to sleep, we literally crashed at 11pm due to total exhaustion.
The alarm went off at 3:30am. Andrew and I were too excited to really make a fuss about the time. We got up almost immediately and started to get ready. He took a shower while I pulled on my underwear for the dress.
Allison showed up to do my hair and makeup at 4:00am on the dot! She was all dressed and ready to roll. She got right to work and it took her until about 5:10am to complete my hairstyle. She started in on makeup and it was 5:30am when she finished. Then she touched up a blemish for Andrew and set out all of our touch-up makeup. She helped me into my gown, which she had me step into. I tipped her $20 and she was off to another appointment at 5:45am! Just then, Amy arrived from the fourth floor to help me bustle the gown. She got it all hooked up and we were off to the lobby right at 6:00am.
Castle Portrait at Walt Disney World
Mike Strickland (our photographer) was waiting in the lobby for us. He loaded us into the white van and we were off. Oops, I forgot my bouquet! Turned around and back, Mike went inside and grabbed it from the front desk. Then we were off again at 6:10am. We first did the shots with the colored castle in the background, because it was still dark. We went up to the right side and took more shots, then onto the front stage. Then it was inside the castle lobby. After a few, we went outside up the stairs and did the posed shots in front of the windows by the turrets. Warning: it’s VERY dirty up there, they don’t appear to clean it often. There were leaves and mud and slimy things everywhere. Then Mike took a few in the rose garden and then we went over to Adventure Land to get some on the Ferry Boat. A few last shots in front of the Presidential building and we were done. It was 7:40am when we finished.
Magic Kingdom Portraits
Mike dropped us back off at the Wilderness Lodge with my bouquet, and we saw my Mom smoking out front. We kind of passed her off (my apologies Mom!) due to total exhaustion. We came right up to the room and grabbed breakfast from the concierge after removing our wedding garb. Then it was naptime from 8am until 11am. Dana from Carolyn Allen’s showed up at 11am to re-steam my gown and drop off my Mom’s dress. I am SO glad I booked her for two steamings. The gown was a mess when we got to Orlando from storage and the trip. It was also a total wreck when we finished the Magic Kingdom portraits with dirt, grass stains, water stains, and wrinkles galore. Dana got it ALL out and the gown looked perfect again! Amazing, and highly recommended, especially if you do your MK portraits before the wedding.
At 12:00pm, Marcia and Irene showed up from Disney Cosmetology to do the girls’ hair. Amy went first, and she got a French twist. My Mom got rollers and then my sister had her hair up just like mine, without the veil of course. Amy’s hair is down past her waist, and Marcia had no problem making it look perfect in a twist! We were all shocked. Irene did Mom’s and Kathleen’s hair in no time flat. Marcia is fairly quiet, and Irene is a total hoot! Marcia said on 02/02 they alone had 10 weddings, with anywhere from two to nine hairstyles each. She said they had 17 cast members doing hairstyles that day. It was a very busy day for weddings at Disney!
Walking Down the Aisle with DaD
Around 1:45pm, the stylists completed and left. I tipped them each another $10 for their help. Amy went down with my Mom to start getting dressed, and Andrew’s parents showed up and joined Amy to get Jerald (his Dad) ready in his tux. At 2:00pm, Kathleen got dressed and they started dressing me at around 2:10pm. My Dad showed up at about 2:20pm and he quickly got into his tux in our bathroom. At 2:25pm, we went down to the fourth floor where all the action was starting to begin.
Brad Crews, our coordinator, showed up around 2:40pm. Rob, our violinist, was there already and was practicing off to the side in the main hallway. All of the furniture was arranged previously somehow, and the candles were placed outside. The florist had already been there and Kathleen went back upstairs to get the bouquet and bout that we forgot in our rented fridge. They were already wilting a bit by the start of the wedding (and were basically dead by the end of photos). They had been done the afternoon before so we could have them for the MK photos. The two videographers (I forget their names!) and our photographer, Mike Strickland, were there too. One of our videographers asked me to say a word to Andrew before the wedding, and then asked Andrew afterwards to do the same for me. I can’t wait to see the videos!!
During the Ceremony
The time was 2:50 and Brad was asking me lots of questions about logistics. The waiter gave me some water. Then I saw the cake! It was SOOO pretty! We thought it was going to be small from the photos but oh boy, it was HUGE. We didn’t ask for anything special on the cake, just to use our own topper. Disney did a great job, and the cake was totally delicious! The videographer caught my first reaction to the cake and I was so giddy!
Reverend Day showed up around 2:55pm. He gave me a great big hug and told us how proud and happy he was to be performing our ceremony for us. It was time to go on stage! I discussed the veil with my Dad and Andrew, and then totally forgot to put it down over my face because the start was so rushed and exciting! First, the mothers walked in. Then Amy (best woman) walked in. Kathleen walked in really slowly and then it was our turn! My Dad took my arm and he went through the door first, then me. We got through the doorway and past the first bench and stood there for a minute while people took photos.
Toasting and Cutting the Cake
Dad walked me up to the front and confirmed to Reverend Day that he was the one to give me away. We did a triple handshake toe loop backwards forearm freak move with the handoff, but eventually we got the right hands in the right places! I was in Andrew’s hands now!
Most of the ceremony is kind of a blur. I remember trying to decipher which parts of the ceremony I had written, and which parts Reverend Day was adding in. At that point I had no idea. He was just telling us what to do and when. Andrew and I both made it through our vows just fine. We even got the rings on perfectly fine. I do remember when I turned toward Andrew and took both of his hands, I thought, “Oh my God, I’m getting married!” When speaking the vows, I was thinking, did I write that? Whatever, I was just going with the flow! Andrew had this smirk grin thing on his face the whole time, and I was so happy I could NOT stop smiling and glowing bright! I’m sure the photos will show how excited I was and how nervous Andrew was.
Handmade wedding favors with a custom bound book, programs and Ty Halo II Beanie Babies
The Moms lit the tapers and we lit the unity candle. Then we exchanged our first gift, a single ivory presentation rose, and we also presented them to our parents (which was a surprise to them all). We had our first kiss, which was excellent! Then we were pronounced, “Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Jessica Green.” Pictures pictures pictures, everywhere! We walked slowly straight into the video cameras down the aisle and out the door, over to the cake table inside. About five seconds later, Kathleen and Amy came out with Mickey Ears on their heads! They had conspired together and added a little Disney to our non-Disney wedding, unbeknown to us! Ahh well, I’m sure it looks great on camera.
The cider was poured for our toast and Amy gave her speech to everyone, which was very nice! It was short and sweet. Kathleen said a few words too, as did Andrew’s father, who really wants me to call him “Dad!” We toasted several times and then we cut the cake together. It was incredible; I really wanted more of it! In fact I think I did eat more of it before we left for pictures. We had our “first dance” in the hallway. Andrew really didn’t want to, but he did it for me anyway. We swung around like one or two times, and then my Dad cut in on cue. I swung around a few times with my Dad, and that was it!
Waving From Sunset Point Balcony
The entire time, I had no idea what the violinist was playing. I heard him a few times but couldn’t make out what the music was! I don’t know if it was excitement, adrenaline, or just disillusionment, but I’ll have to watch the tape to figure out what happened. One of the videographers took off, and our violinist left too. Kathleen and Amy signed our marriage license, and Reverend Day left quickly after. At around 3:30pm, Brad presented us with our Disney Wedding Certificate, and our special gift. I won’t reveal it per DM unspoken code, but it’s very nice!
Brad took care of all of the candles, the cake, the serving set, the toppers (we got to keep the porcelain Mickey and Minnie topper even though we didn’t use it) and everything else. He put them all up in our room, on the bed, and we put it all away later. It was time for photos! I had given Mike a listing of our wish list and he used it to get all of our pictures. We went outside the back of the Wilderness Lodge, next to Silver Falls waterfall, for most of the family photos.
The Wedding Party - Amy, Andrew, Jessica and Kathleen
Traveling through the lobby and out by the pool was surreal. Everyone stopped to say congratulations, good luck, and a few said “too bad”. We ignored those last folks. I had an entire fan club of children, mostly little girls. The mommies would say, “Look, she just got married, isn’t she pretty?” They would wave to me and stare in amazement. Some little girls came up and gave me a hug, after Mom asked if it was ok. I shook a lot of toddler’s hands and a bazillion folks took my picture! 99% of the attention was focused on me and not Andrew, which I thought was sad but Andrew loved getting away from it all. He wanted me to shine, and he was holding the spotlight so nobody could see HIM behind it! I loved every single second of it.
Little kids would be running up to the slide at the pool and stop in their tracks when they saw us getting photos taken. It took us a bit more time than usual to do the photos at WL because so many little wet kids were running in our camera path. Also, in the background of the waterfall is a lookout point, which sometimes tourists would stop on. Mike was so funny! He would wave at them until he got their attention, and asked if they wanted to be on camera (very sarcastically).
Our Entire Family Together
After most of our photos, we went back through the lobby and outside the front down to the left path on the steps to the parking lots. We got some train shots of my gown and a few more family photos there. Then we called it a wrap! The gown was bustled back up, and we went in to take some candid shots. A man stopped on the path and said that his son had just had a vow renewal and I asked what the last name was! I couldn’t believe it, it was KIM! I begged him to have Kim come and find me, I wanted to meet her so badly! He promised to tell her. Andrew and I went up to the Terrace and all of the camera family members went down to the pool area. They took a bunch of photos of us up on the terrace from below. The people downstairs were clapping at us! We kept smooching for photo opportunities from the balcony.
We realized we had not photographed the rings and my beautiful nails (which I spent nine weeks growing and protecting). Kathleen and Mom took photos for us with the bouquet and our new rings. Andrew keeps complaining that there’s something stuck on his finger, and Mom kept telling him he’ll get used to it.
Andrew’s Dad came up to get us and said he found Kim! I ran downstairs (well, down the elevator) and Kim was there! I gave her a big hug and we each got pictures for our DM scrapbook. We both had to go so we only had a second to say hi, but I can’t wait to read her recaps! Andrew and I then went back up to our room to drop off some stuff.
We went back downstairs and waited at Artist Point for a few minutes until they opened at 5:30pm. We were seating promptly at a long table in the back left corner. I can’t say enough great things about AP, it was unbelievable! The background music was wonderfully soft and pleasant. The seating arrangement was great for twelve people. We had waiters getting our drinks right away, and they took our orders promptly. One nice thing about AP is that they started with the bride, and went clockwise around the table taking all the women’s orders, then took the groom and all the men’s orders. It was subtle but very regal.
And They Lived Happily Ever After
I went way out of my own league and tried something I never thought I would try: the Mixed Grill! Elk, ostrich and venison meats with purple potatoes ($34)! I actually liked every one of them, especially the venison! Andrew had the grilled buffalo sirloin ($30), which he thought was really good. My Mom and Karen both had the chicken dish, and they both liked it. I don’t think anyone disliked anything about the food or the service! We were all very, very pleased. They cut the cake and brought it out for dessert, which was perfect! Everyone was so stuffed from the meal, it was hard to eat the cake but we couldn’t help it! Total bill for 10 adults and 2 children: $438.
We rushed from the restaurant with the extra cake (later given to the concierge staff for them to eat) and quickly got out of our wedding attire. I still had the veil on my head because I didn’t have time to remove it. Our honeymoon coordinator, Matt Titus, threw together a really quick Fireworks cruise with only 4 hours notice. We went out to the loading dock behind the WL at 7:30pm and hopped on a private covered motorboat to go out and watch the fireworks. It was a little chilly but not too bad! We had a great time chatting and looking at all the scenery. We had already seen the fireworks from Narcoossee’s the night before, but we still enjoyed them all from the lake.
After the boat docked around 8:30pm, we tipped the driver ($10) and said goodbye to Andrew’s parents and Amy. We said goodbye also to my Dad and Karen after cashing his traveler’s checks wedding gift to us at the front desk. Kathleen, Joe, Ashley and Cole went back to the All Stars Movies resort. Andrew and I went up to see Mom and she gave me all the Polaroid’s she had taken so we can scan them in and send them back to her. She also gave us her wedding gift to us (more cash).
Andrew and I went back up to our room on the seventh floor to clean up and remove my veil. It only took us about six minutes to take out the 42 pins in my hair and remove the veil. We had the luggage services come up and take the three tuxedos and my wedding gown down to the bell desk for Carolyn Allen’s to pick up the next morning. After cleaning up the room enough to sleep, we literally crashed at 11pm due to total exhaustion.
