Got hitched

I am a few days late in updating my bog. What is that you said…..I am a few months late in updating my blog…..well you might be right but we don’t judge around these here parts. My cousin Alexander got hitched to one of the most precious, loving, giving, and amazing women I know. For any of you that are unaware, Alexander and Mary met while in Switzerland. Alexander was studying abroad through a program at Pepperdine and Mary was working with the studying abroad program, and on May 5 after dating for nearly 2.5 years family and friends gathered at the ranch for the wedding of this perfect couple. After much anticipation, through the pasture we saw a glimpse of the bride…..and groom riding to the ceremony on horseback, very fitting for this ranch wedding.

As Alexander led his horse to the hitching post...

and proceeded to the alter where he meet his groomsmen....

Mary galloped to the back of the aisle.

Where she met her father and Alexander's father

In preperation to walk down the aisle.

To meet her best friend, her love, her future husband.

As the pastor provided laughter, tears, and melting hearts with stories of Alexander and Mary’s fairy-tale, the bride and groom loving looked into each other eyes.

I Alexander, take you, Mary, to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. With this ring I thee wed.

I Mary, take you, Alexander, to be my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. With this ring I thee wed.

I now pronounce you man and wife!

You may kiss your bride.

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Drummond!!

I have attended many weddings, many beautiful weddings and I am not sure if it is my age, my desire to get married, or the fact Alexander is family, but I really think this might have been the most stunning wedding I have been blessed to attend. Alexander and Mary, thank you so much for inviting me to part of your special day, I truly felt blessed and honored. I wish you unending love, laughter, blessings, and success in your new titles of bride and groom, husband and wife, and all the other titles you will gain through your years. Love you!!

The meaning of my being

As mentioned yesterday I set out on an adventure last week, an adventure to learn how to snowboard. I have been skiing for what seems like forever it is the meaning of my being, so snowboarding should not be that difficult for me to catch on to, right?
After getting fitted for snowboarding boats and making sure I knew how to buckle myself into Katie's board Maddy and I hopped onto the gondola.

Not only had the mountains been my home away from home for so many years and Maddy is a regular snowboard instructor at BC and I was using a board of a veteran snowboarder, I was confident this was going to be a snitch.
Once we exited the gondola and I met a super hot lifty, Maddy and I ventured over to the bunny hill. I should probably point out that the bunny hill at Beaver Creek is not like most, it is about 50 yards in length and the slope is about a 10% grade, no kidding!
As I road up the magic carpet to the top of the 'bunny hill' I figured a few times down this little hill and I will be ready for the chair lift.

After 3 hours on the bunny I may or may not have had a nervous breakdown, I may or may not have ever gotten the hang of riding heal side, I may or may not have flirted with the lifty named Darren who I am sure was beyond impressed with by my snowboarding skills, I may or may not have tossed in the towel and chosen to put my skies on and head to the top of the mountain. But I will admit I did get the hang of riding toe side, it just happens that when riding toe side I am heading down the hill backwards, I am not sure that is very safe for the rest of the individuals on the mountain. Darren told me it is just like drive, however as I mentioned to him I tend to not drive backwards a lot.

So, I will buckle back into a snowboard next season and try it again. I am determined to get this skill under my belt. Wish me luck!!

Fresh mountain air.

For all of those that may be thinking I fell off a mountain being it has been some time since I have written, rest assure I still have my feet firmly planted on the Colorado soil. Last week however, I nearly firmly planted my bottom in the mountain snow and taken what I would have considered the easier route down the hill at Beaver Creek. For you see I took my very first snowboarding lesson. After skiing for nearly 20 years I thought what better adventure than that of snowboarding for the first time at age 33. An adventure it was, but that story will have to wait.

I headed to Beaver Creek to spend a few days with my dear friend Maddy. She requested that my camera come to one of her soccer games in order to take pictures, and as fate might have it, I needed to accompany my camera.



After the melee of the bumblebees on the soccer field, Maddy and I made a beeline for the fire pit at Beaver Creek resort to make s'mores. I am a bit remiss for not taking a picture of the marshmallows we purchased for this s'mores outing. They were jumbo sized, in fact they were not the easiest things to roast we held them in the fire until we were nearly on fire and the oooy gooy marshmallows were not so oooy gooy. For what it is worth, if you should find yourself in the grocery store collecting s'mores making supplies, just stand in awe of how large the jumbo marshmallows are and settle for the regular s'mores marshmallows.



We had an extraordinary evening in the fresh mountain rain which may or may not have made us smell like a campfire.

Where I have been, where I am, & where I am going

This will come as an epic shock to you all I am sure, but over the past few months I have spent a lot of time thinking about life. After all I had to do a lot of talking, reflecting, and writing about my life, the twists and turns, the ups and downs, the extraordinary people and the....challenging people who's paths have crossed mine.

I have never been one to like the word 'regret'. I have always tried to live my life with the absence of the word, which might be one reason I lived my life so cautiously and why when I picked up my entire life and moved it to Colorado I did not only shock others but I shocked myself. Have there been situation that I at times wish would have gone differently.....you bet! However, the more I have reflected the more I am able to embrace the ups and downs life has so graciously allowed me to experience.

In life we do things, some we wish we had never done, some we wish we could replay a million times in our heads. But they all make us who we are, and in the end they shape every detail about us. If we were to reverse any of them we wouldn't be the person we are. So just live, make mistakes, have wonderful memories, but never ever second guess who you are, where you have been, and most importantly where it is you're going.

Live life my friends!!

I Believe

I believe everything happens for a reason!
People change so you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right.
You believe lies so that you will eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

-Marilyn Monroe

Bucket List

Marry my best friend
Watch the sunset at the beach
Spend a holiday with my family somewhere exotic
Ski the Swiss Alps
Be a great parent
Watch the sunrise at the beach
Visit Virginia in the fall
Spend a few weeks in Greece
Have a child
Run in the Marine Corps Marathon
Go to Hawaii
Become fluent in a another language
Grow old with someone I love

Never Alone

During this most recent journey I found myself on I encountered many extraordinary people, people who have changed my life for the better, people who will remain in my life and my heart always. One of these extraordinary individuals shared this song with all of us as she was leaving and heading back home. Many tears were shed when we began to I listen to these beautiful lyrics and I feel as though the message is so poinent as we all began this new year. A year filled with new beginnings, friends worht having, more smiles than grumbles, and above all for us to always remember we are never alone!!

Never Alone by Lady Antebellum

Enjoy & Happy New Year!!