Jeff, Jane and Fred left the house at 3AM to catch a 6AM flight to Chicago on American Airlines and then Alaska Airlines flight to Anchorage arriving about noon. We rented a car and drove to Jeanie and Jan's new house. Jeff had a rehearsal scheduled with Beth for 2 to practice with the "harp" lady for their song in the wedding. Meg and Jimmy had arrived on Monday to spend time with Jeanie and Jan hiking and fishing. Jimmy caught a 4-5 foot, 50 pound salmon. He had it processed and mailed to his home in Santa Cruz.
We drove to the Raven Glacier Lodge where the wedding would take place in Girdword about 45 minutes South of Anchorage. We would spend 2 nights there along with the Loudens (Fred's sister Bev's children): Amy, Jen and baby, and Carol; Dave (Fred's brother) and Mary Yarnell; Pat (Fred's Sister) Klos; Bob (Jane's brother) and Barbara Spiller; and Jan's parents: Dave and Gloria Shifflett and Sarah (Jan's sister). Fred and Jane's children: Meg, Jimmy, and Jeff along with Jeanie's friends: Libby Bachuber and Beth (a maid of honor) and Ted Sharpless - stayed at a near-by lodge. Along with the groomsmen all were invited to the rehearsal dinner.
After the rehearsal, wine and beer was served and and then the buffet style dinner at 8:30 of fruit salad: cherries, berries and melon; moose lasagna; salad with peas and safron dressing; BBQ ribs; fried potato slices with skins; and desert of chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and a berry cobler.
After the dinner, we all gathered in an upper room for toasts/roasts. The groomsmen were friends of Jan: Mike Plunkett, Fred McDaniel, and William "Kirk" Kirkland. Ryan Bixby, a friend of Jeanie and Jan's from U of Montana, was the marriage commisioner. In Alaska you can obtain a license specific to one ceremony to leagally perform a marriage. Each groomsmen, Ryan, Jan's parents, and Fred gave a toast. In the end Jan also said something. It was clear during all of this how Jeanie and Jan's love has developed over the years. Two of the men in the party were friends of Jan's since school days - one since the 4th grade. Others were friends from U. of Montana. They all had interesting stories to tell.
