What we did over summer vacation
| Laura Kathleen Stavoe and John Robert Westover married on June 21, 2006 The Garden of Infinite Compassion Sawtooth Botanical Gardens Ketchum, Idaho |
Before the wedding the family camped near Ketchum, and we hiked up to
the Pioneer Cabin (9,000 ft). Those are the Pioneer Mountains in the
background. The models out front are Guy, Gabe, and Dylan.
the Pioneer Cabin (9,000 ft). Those are the Pioneer Mountains in the
background. The models out front are Guy, Gabe, and Dylan.
Our family (counter clockwise from top): Adam Kimball, Karris Westover,
Jay Blackhurst, Amy Westover, Gabe Harm, Marcy Westover, Guy Midnight,
Dylan Harm, Laura Stavoe, and John Westover.
Jay Blackhurst, Amy Westover, Gabe Harm, Marcy Westover, Guy Midnight,
Dylan Harm, Laura Stavoe, and John Westover.
A prayer wheel in the garden contains a million blessings,
written and placed inside the wheel by Tibetan monks (we
figured we could use all the help we could get), and was
blessed by the Dalai Lama on his visit to Sun Valley. It is said
that turning the wheel clockwise releases the prayers. If you
ever visit Sun Valley, the Sawtooth Botanical Gardens is well
worth a stop. I was told by Colleen, head gardener, that she
likes to go around three times: once for compassion towards
yourself, once for compassion for your circle of family and
friends, and once for compassion for the world. It was
something we incorporated into our ceremony.
written and placed inside the wheel by Tibetan monks (we
figured we could use all the help we could get), and was
blessed by the Dalai Lama on his visit to Sun Valley. It is said
that turning the wheel clockwise releases the prayers. If you
ever visit Sun Valley, the Sawtooth Botanical Gardens is well
worth a stop. I was told by Colleen, head gardener, that she
likes to go around three times: once for compassion towards
yourself, once for compassion for your circle of family and
friends, and once for compassion for the world. It was
something we incorporated into our ceremony.
For our honeymoon, John and I took a 225 mile journey down the Colorado
River through the Grand Canyon. We hiked, paddled, rowed, swam (both on
purpose and by accident), ate (boy did we eat) and slept under brilliant stars
framed by canyon ledges. Our outfitted group had the rare privilege of
traveling with a world class string quartet. Steve Bryant, Ron Patterson, Sue
Jane Bryant and Tanya Prochazka (pictured, left to right) played their hearts
out for the river and for all of us. We hiked to spectacular side canyon
concert halls, selected for their acoustics. Nature often chimed in, in the form
of trickling water, phoebes, or canyon wrens. Ron even played a violin solo in
honor of our being newly wed. John and I were on the river fifteen days which
made for quite the blissful beginning to our marriage.
River through the Grand Canyon. We hiked, paddled, rowed, swam (both on
purpose and by accident), ate (boy did we eat) and slept under brilliant stars
framed by canyon ledges. Our outfitted group had the rare privilege of
traveling with a world class string quartet. Steve Bryant, Ron Patterson, Sue
Jane Bryant and Tanya Prochazka (pictured, left to right) played their hearts
out for the river and for all of us. We hiked to spectacular side canyon
concert halls, selected for their acoustics. Nature often chimed in, in the form
of trickling water, phoebes, or canyon wrens. Ron even played a violin solo in
honor of our being newly wed. John and I were on the river fifteen days which
made for quite the blissful beginning to our marriage.