Kristalyn’s Wedding
My daughter, Kristalyn, got married the day after Thanksgiving on November 29 at the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada about 1 hour outside of Vegas. For various reasons, we ended up driving there. There were 5 of us (me, my husband, my son, and my parents) in a car. The cramped quarters were difficult in the 2 day drive each way. One of the challenges we had was driving on Thanksgiving Day and finding places where we could stop and use the restroom and/or get some food. God bless Denny’s for being open!
Also, we happened to drive through a desert covered with snow in New Mexico when we headed out on the second day. At first I thought it was just frost, but it was a lovely snow. I was surprised that the highway was so clear, considering how much snow was on the land beside it. I guess they know what they’re doing, more so than in Texas, where I live and where we don’t often get snow, so that if we do, we have to be really careful when we’re driving.
On the way out and in Vegas, we stayed in some lovely air B & Bs. Unfortunately, on the way home, I couldn’t book one, so we had to stay in a hotel, but at the continental breakfast when we headed out, we met some really lovely people.
Of course, as with most weddings, we had a few setbacks. We discovered on the morning of the wedding that her dress had fallen off its hanger and was quite wrinkled. Luckily, I found a hand steam in the master closet, Shane spent a couple of hours, layer by layer, getting all of the wrinkles out of it. Also, the groom was running a bit late and didn’t have the directions to the park, but we worked it out, and I assured him that it would all work out for the best.
I was right; we got there right on time. The weather was cold but sunny, and the ceremony was one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen. Their vows to each other were truly touching, and both my father and husband cried. The red desert landscape that was the backdrop for the ceremony was just awe-inspiring.
She is the first of my three to get married, and I couldn’t help but reflect about the time when I realized I was pregnant with her, already having a 6-month-old. Although I was going through a difficult time back then, I had an inner knowing that this baby was going to bring blessings into my life. I figured she could be a good playmate to her older sister, which was true for a while until she realized that she didn’t have do whatever her older sister said. Then the battle was one.
But still, she has overall been such a blessing to me. I enjoyed watching her play soccer and going to her shows. Of course she did have her challenging teen years and made some choices I wasn’t super excited about, but she also taught me so much and helped me realize that my way isn’t always the best way.
I just love Adrian, her husband. He’s a wonderful person who has made Kristalyn better as well. He’s a hard worker with a good head on his shoulders. He also cares about family and is a loving person. I couldn’t have asked for a better individual to be my daughter’s partner. Plus, he loves Kristalyn so much and is so thoughtful.
Overall the tiring drive was worth it to see my daughter so happy. But I think maybe if my other daughter, who lives in California decides to get married, we’ll fly, instead of drive.
Joke: “They kept the wedding casual, so it was a ‘lack tie’ affair” —from https://www.younghipandmarried.com/wedding-puns/
Quote: “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” – Audrey Hepburn
Advice: Don’t worry if your wedding doesn’t go perfectly. It’s more important for your marriage to be great!