The Wedding of Cynthia Eby and Nathanael Sleight, Saturday, December 17, 2016, in Beaverton, Oregon

On Wednesday, December 14, Nate drove me down to Beaverton, Oregon.  Our original plan was to be away from Bellevue around 9:00 AM, but we didn't leave Nathanael's apartment in Renton until 1:00 in the afternoon.  Alas, this was the afternoon when a snow storm hit northern Oregon just before the start of the Portland rush hour.

We first hit light snow at Castle Rock then we plunged into the storm front at Kelso.  Our speed slowed through Vancouver, but once in Portland, on Interstate 5, we hit a nightmare backup.  When we decided to abandon the freeway, it was another hour before we could even exit at the first exit we came to.  I gassed us up and bought a Portland map, and Nathanael expertly installed his chains.  A call to Cynthia got us directions on surface streets that avoided freeways.  Now up to a breathtaking 15 miles per hour, we weaved our way across west Portland and got to our motel around 10:00 PM (after a celebratory stop at McDonalds.)  Our three-hour trip had turned into a nine hour ordeal. 

The next day, Thursday, Nathanael drove over to be with Cynthia and I happily stayed at the Pepper Tree Motel to watch the Seahawks clinch the NFC Western Division championship with a 24-3 win over the L. A. Rams.  After the game, Nate and I drove to the Portland airport and picked up Nathan Hawkins, Nate's best man.  Nathan had been one of Nate's roommates, and also stayed at our house for three months in autumn 2012. 

On Friday, we three went Christmas shopping, had lunch at Subway, and then met the rest of the wedding party at St. Cecilia's Roman Catholic Church at 5:00 for the wedding rehearsal, followed by a light supper at the Eby home a few miles further west in Aloha.

Annie's husband, Thomas Disher, moved in with the guys in our motel.  The night clerk had not asked us for anything when we added Nathan, so we didn't bother them when we added a fourth.  After breakfast the next morning, we killed time watching Ghostbusters 2.  The only snafu I experienced related to the wedding was forgetting my tux coat at the motel.  When I took off my overcoat, I was wearing just the tux vest.  Fortunately, the motel was just eight minutes away.  I drove back to get my coat and took that opportunity to also gas up the car so the newlyweds would not have to bother with that task.

The wedding itself went relatively smoothly.  And the denominational distinctives of a Roman Catholic service were not significant.  Jesus was rightly honored. 

"A marriage is like a three-ring circus.  First comes the engagement ring, then the wedding ring, and then the suffer-ring . . ."

Ice and the cold temperatures forced the reception to be moved from a private estate to the activity center (gym) of the church.  This move certainly made the post-ceremony time both less formal and much more convenient. 

The ceremony was not heavily attended, but a small congregation was both expected and welcomed by the couple.  Family friends Steve, Sheri, and Andrew White drove down as did Tim and Lynette Cuff.  Cousin David Cautley, a Portland resident, was there and Don, Judy, and Randy came together from the Sleight side along with Susan and Ginger, Annie and Thomas.  The Eby's included a few friends and neighbors and uncles and aunts from Los Angeles and Chicago.  But the bride's side of the church was not significantly more populated than the groom's.

I had fun chatting with the wedding photographer, a Nikon man, and by doing so, missed the Nathanael and Cynthia's departure to their honeymoon in Seaside, OR.  Some of these photos are his or mine, with the one at the left taken by Annie.

The reception in the gym allowed us to touch base with everyone, take more pictures, and still conclude the event much sooner than had we been at the estate as earlier planned. 

Nancy joined me at the motel (where we watched Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back).  But before that, being without a car, we walked the half mile or so to a Taco Time and Nancy's spirits were set-to-rights by the walk in the snow and the Nachos Grande and Chili.  We were still all dressed up and she'd wanted a nice dinner out.  She is always at her best when rested and well fed.

A text from Nathanael said they got to their Seaside condo, so all was well on that front, the snowy weather having not ended in that part of Oregon.

On Sunday, Susan picked us up at 10:00 AM and we were home by 1:00 PM.  Susan drove the first half of the trip and Jeannie Beth did a great job driving the second half.  Annie and Thomas continued south to spend Christmas in Dallas, OR with Bob and Kim Disher.

Now that the event of the year has passed, we have one week to get ready for Christmas! 

Christmas 2016

Christmas began after the wedding.  These photos of Ginger were taken at the annual family Christmas party at Don and Judy's on the 23rd.

 Jean chopped down the True Fir "Charlie Brown" tree from our yard (pictured below), and my shopping, modest this year, concluded on the 24th.  

With church on the 25th, Christmas presents waited until the evening.  We had a family lunch at Susan's in the afternoon.  Susan cooked the ham and Jean, Nancy, and I prepared the rest and drove it up. 

On the 26th, Nancy and I drove down to a family reunion in Albany of Cynthia's Mennonite relatives, including her grandmother Hazel.  The return drive in pouring rain made for a long day.

 We stopped for lunch at the Red Robin in Salem with Annie and Thomas, his brother Tim and his bride Grace (both in Ph.D. programs in Florida), and parents Bob and Kim Disher.

Santa 'brought' Randy's stocking to our house and we delivered it to him at Susan's.

Here's our tiny tree chopped down and decorated on the 24th, and Nancy posing with Susan's tree.