Put your boots on and start hiking. My treasured friend, Kathy, got me this sign because she knows…

My beloved cousin Kaysee and her finance Max had planned for over 6 months to have their wedding on our property this year. She had worked tirelessly and very often to the detriment of sleep, to put together a beautiful, unique, outdoor wedding on a farm that holds a huge part of her in its very core. She was doing a mostly DIY wedding with handmade decor and her plan was exquisite, both simple and detailed. She even planned to incorporate Murdock, the magic unicorn with wildflowers in his mane to carry her to the aisle in his little cart. And the farm was ready.

Then, a couple days before the wedding, Flagstaff received a Red Flag Warning, predicting horrendous winds and prime fire conditions. We all knew that an outdoor wedding with our special class of winds was not possible. There were also predictions of heavy smoke in the area due to a nearby wildfire. Kaysee and Max were thrown into a full scale scramble to relocate, replan their entire wedding, to find a place to host almost 100 people in a town popular for weddings and in the wedding month of June. That same day their honeymoon plans were torched to no fault of their own, the contract on the portable bathrooms for the farm wedding fell through, their wedding tent contract was cancelled due to the potential wind, the caterer’s smoker broke down, and we were informed that APS had decided to shut down our power for the 24 hours starting on the day of the wedding.

I hit my knees, not knowing where to turn, how to help them, and somehow in the midst of the (impending) storm, I knew that it would work out. I know I’m at huge risk of sounding simplistic and very possibly naive in this statement, but it’s true. At the end of Saturday, June 27th, those two beloved human beings would be married, and their union would be celebrated by all those people who deeply love them and had come from near and far (many from overseas).

Miraculously, they were able to secure a ballroom at the Weatherford Hotel, an iconic piece of history in Flagstaff. Their total headcount exceeded the acceptable count for that space and yet they were granted favor. They were also allowed to bring in their own catering - dear cousin Kelsey and his team - which reduced some cost. It was an absolutely beautiful celebration, a union of two families and the place was literally brimming with joy, laughter, love and many happy tears. It will be a memory I will hold deep inside of me to treasure always. In every detail it was a reflection of the love of these two beautiful people.

Photo Credit to Krista McCaleb

Upon reflection, the boys and I did feel a bit like we’d run a marathon (preparing the farm for the past 6 months) only to have the finish line taken away just as we approached it, leaving us questioning the purpose of the run. However, we look at the fruit of our labor and like a marathon, we have a lot to show for it even if a finish line wasn’t in our cards. Our property reflects very little of the destruction that once marked it so decidedly. We accomplished a great deal to that end. We were still able to host the rehearsal dinner of over 40 people at our farm, and the weather was beautiful for that evening, so all was as it was meant to be. There is peace and great joy in the knowledge.