WEDDING PICS

We're off to Botswana in the morning, but if you want to see a sneak preview of some great wedding pics by Danielle Pretorius, go to Wedding Angel Photography on Facebook and look for "Rob & Glen".

WE DID IT!

At about 5pm, on Dec 21st, we did it! Glen and I were married!!

Like all weddings, it was not without its drama. My sister, who was also my witness, was due to arrive at 6am the day prior to the wedding. But because Heathrow was closed due to severe weather and other complications too numerous to mention, her trip took four days!! She arrived at 2pm on the day of the wedding-- just in time to shower and change for the 5pm service!

Twenty-six hours prior to the wedding, we still were not sure my sister would arrive in time and if she did would her luggage-- which contained my wedding dress and shoes-- arrive with her. So at 3pm on the eve of the wedding, cousin Alida from Chicago and I, set out to find a new wedding dress (unaware that stores were closing at 6pm!). As you can see from the pic, we were successful! Shoes were purchased in a department store as the lights were flickering to mark closing time. Cousins Alida and Bob were life-savers, stepping to to do all that was necessary as I had stopped sleeping fretting about my sister's whereabouts!

Just as I stepped out the door to be transported to the wedding, the skies opened: lightning, thunder and a downpour. Fortunately, we had a arranged with the restaurant, Roots at Forum Homini, where we were being married, to move the ceremony inside if the weather turned inclement. It certainly made for a dramatic ceremony, but I hardly noticed. My pal, Heather Graham, had kindly reminded me to try to be in the moment and enjoy this life-changing ceremony-- so I simply stayed focused on my beloved.

The Rev, Chris Page, who could not have prepared a more perfect ceremony for us, mentioned that not only was it the Summer Solstice, but it was a full moon and a lunar eclipse-- a most auspicious day for a wedding!

It all turned out beautifully-- dinner, fire at the cabins where we spent two nights and a post-wedding breakfast with the gang. We are off to our honeymoon in Botswana on the 28th! WOO HOO!

WHAT A YEAR IT'S BEEN!

PREVIEW OF OUR WEDDING LOCATION AT THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND


I woke up at 5am this morning and thought, "Next week at this time, I will wake up married for the first time in 28 years!!!!" If that isn't enough to make one's heart stop, I don't know what is!

But it is exactly the right way to end this jam-packed year. One year ago I was packing to return to South Africa to be re-united with Glen after months of separation.

We didn't return to our familiar apartment at Brookwood, but were instead camped out in a tiny bedroom at Craig's, our friend and former landlord's place. Glen's things were stacked in Craig's garage and, as we were only to discover later, becoming a cozy home to the local mice colony.

Then time began to move faster and hasn't stopped! Before we left on our Christmas holidays last year, Glen showed me the Emmarentia house where we were to move in the new year.

In January, we moved and began the process of turning the Emmarentia house into an inhabitable place.
In February, Glen finally got divorced and we began working on the stacks of paperwork required for his Canadian residency.
In March, I returned to Canada to do another tv series and we submitted Glen's application for Canadian residency.
In April, Glen proposed via skype-- appropriate for a romance that began and was kept alive via the internet.
In May, Glen sold the Emmarentia house, left his job of 13 years at the NBI, went freelance as a consultant and I was approved as his Sponsor by Canadian Immigration. I commuted to and from Kitchener, Ontario, for 6 weeks to shoot a tv series.
In June, we planned and booked a South African wedding via internet while I was working in Kitchener.
In July, we booked a honeymoon to Botswana.
In August, Glen arrived in Canada. We were feted at a party given by Gail, Bill & Leslie: attended the Herman Family Reunion; and spent time in the UK with Jonathan, Hayley and Mike.
In September, we found a new place to move and packed up all our belongings while I assembled a mass of paper for my South African Residency. I telecommuted and did some work for a Canadian production company.
In October, we moved and Home Affairs accepted my South African Visa paperwork.
In November, Glen worked like a demon and I got to kick back and join a gym, start pottery classes and write for an e-zine, while keeping wedding plans moving along.
And now, in December, we take care of all the last minute wedding details while awaiting the arrival of our guests from South Africa, the UK and the US.
December 21st we do the deed! December 28th, we head to Botswana and exhale!