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WEDDING GALLERY

GETTING MARRIED AT SUNSET

The clouds in the horizon were just… right over the tipi… pillowing the sun in color for the last evening beams… the wedding words were there… spoken and lingering… still being heard … memories were born in those moments

Heidi and I are man and wife with instant family ;) Kim and Leonie. We married at the ranch on July 29 of 2006 and were joined by friends and family from homes on both continents. I find it a privilege to boast my prize for life… with love forever. We are so lucky to have so many friends and well wishers from near and far… gifts of thought, love, friendship and care were shared and now exchanged from many corners…

These are parts of the wedding… spoken, seen and felt. We wish to share this and in some way thank all who have been with us in person or in spirit. It has meant so much to us... The boys guided cars to parking with the signs painted on their horses “follow me”. Each person at home helped cook, prepare, clean, decorate etc etc… and they did it in fine fashion… each of them one and all are the reason it looked and went so very perfectly! That’s why we love’em!

This is how I started:

“New moon… new future starting…”
Note: I explain that the new moon over the tipi that evening could be seen from all over the world…. Even tho’ we are far from those other places our hearts are with those people here at the ranch and from all corners of the world. I further mention the many countries I have visited and how special the open doors, arms and hearts have been to me. And more. Starting with the people at home who I love and live with, I explain that many have come and gone but that “this place is home to many… for all time”.

These words are addressed to the crowd:

“…There are many loves in my life. My kids are my first love, then our home here at the ranch and all those that make it a home for us and our animals. I love the people that have visited here from all over the world.

I have known and loved people who have given me gifts of life, experience in feelings and the courage to stand for what I believe in. In each person there was good and bad and I learnt more about my strengths and weaknesses from having known them.

My grandfather and pappy were both men that I truly loved but lost. There are three others I love. Godi (who is in Germany now) fills my heart with feelings I’ve not known before in a man. Gus is a brother to me. His inner strength has helped me through many hard times. Franz has been my healer as well as a guide for both my body and spirit. I ask them each to be with me today as I give my words of love and promise to these two girls and their mother here beside me.

We four have…”…I explain how we all rode to the mountain and sat on a hill while making a pledge to one another... “...promised to be responsible to one another with love and respect. To help each other because we want our happiness and we hope that what we have, can be seen and shared with all who visit our home”.

I then turn to Heidi and say:

“They say a woman worries about the future until she gets a husband… I hope that is true here today.

They also say a man never worries about the future until he gets a wife… that won’t be true. ;)))))))

Today I am seeing all the good there has ever been and I am offering all of it and more to the future that lies in our path.

HEIDI, you are my reason to feel peace inside... if my feelings for u could be a picture… it would pale the beauty of these Pryor mountains we see before us... I love you because of your generous, loving and soft ways… you give me an inner strength I have never known before… and for you and our kids I will give all that I have… to the end of my life. I give you me…what is mine… and what we can build together… and I begin by giving you this ring which shows my love for you.”

The order of it all was a bit different but in the end it was done this way by me and then Heidi had her portion to do… it must be mentioned that I had to read mine and she did it all by heart and it was elegant:

“I know my words would not be able to match yours in any way... so I won’t even try... but what I do want you to know is: that I love you dearly... and that I will do everything to make you and us happy... as a family, together with Kim and Leonie... and as a couple... with many unique moments for all of us. I love you for the smiles that you can conjure up on so many faces... I love you for the understanding that you have for all of us. I love you for your love and your good heart that you show to whomever is ready for it... I love you for so many more reasons that it would take the whole night to get finished naming them... so I will cut that short ...

I’m standing here with two important people in my life too... they represent the two worlds that are in my life now. One – Anette - from Germany... advisor, running partner and special friend for a long time already... and the other one – Lisa – I don’t know her quite that good yet... but I like her already very much and I hope that we’ll be good friends in the future.

It was Anette that told me to go ahead with what I had planned on doing tonight, although the courage for that almost left me... so I want to show you something... it is said, that music can say more than 1,000 words at times... for me this time is one of ‘em... I would like to play something for you on my fiddle... it is just for you and I spent a lot of sweat practicing it... but it is not perfect... Anette said: “ it doesn’t have to be perfect... life is not perfect either … love makes it perfect … and the attitude behind it counts” … so I will do it finally!”

Here we listen intently as she paused to relax and then played “AVE MARIA” on her fiddle. Although premature the bride-to-be was kissed by the groom (me;))) ) then and there… followed by words admonishing me for taking rights I had not yet been given ;))))) We were married by Pedro Hernandez. He delivered words, proclaimed a new beginning and ended by playing on his harmonica to us all.

A very beautiful meal on candle lit tables followed the ceremony, Ribbit’s cake was cut and the band strolled from table to table playing nice western music to all. We talked to old friends, danced and enjoyed the time into the late hours. Just as our Scottish “proposal” trip went perfectly…our wedding was as a dream come true.

Thank you one and all… Tony, Heidi, Kim and Leonie