A personalized ceremony at Turtle Pond

When a pharmacist and nurse meet, we ought not to be surprised if they find lots in common. Our groom and bride – a pharmacist and nurse – encountered each other through real estate. Gregg’s parents own a home across the street from Pat’s vacation home in Deposit. Luck works in mysterious ways: a devastating flood paved the way for this pair to meet and fall in love. Five feet of filthy river water crashed through the home of Gregg’s parents and badly damaged Pat’s place. With the flood effecting five towns, help was scarce. Pat and Gregg’s parents had to rely on themselves to navigate the mess.

After over ten hours of cleaning up with a snow shovel and garden hose, Pat was rudely interrupted by a guy with a goofy grin in a blue SUV who shouted: “Hey nursie.” She retorted with a “hey” and walked away. A few days later, though, the guy stopped by for a more civilized conversation. As the clean-up continued in the following days and weeks, Gregg and Pat chatted casually and waved with smiles. A year later, Gregg departed from Buffalo to live with his parents. One day, he noticed Pat erecting scaffolding to paint her huge barn with red paint and a paintbrush. While perhaps pondering why she did not use a sprayer, he walked over to help. Pat happily accepted his offer, which came with homemade pie. Just a few days later, while pulling weeds, Pat spied Gregg across the street looking painfully handsome in a beautiful Irish linen shirt. She warned herself: “please don’t let him ask anything important; he is too handsome to resist.” Apparently, Gregg could not resist Pat either. He asked her out to dinner. And their adventures as friends and then a couple began officially.

Pat and Gregg have more in common than romance and attraction. They share high standard for polite manners. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” is a mantra held with great regard. They are generous with showering kindness to others. Throughout years of highs and lows, they remain loyal to their friends. Through patience, understanding, and forgiveness, they seek the truth. Above all material concerns, they emphasize the importance of nurturing strong family ties.

Since they first met about five years ago, challenges have confronted them. Nonetheless, they have worked on halving each other’s burdens and enhancing each other’s joys. They know that communication is important, but action arguably even more so.

They feel especially honored to have the blessings of Elisabeth and Nathan. While it is true that they are responsible for educating Elisabeth and Nathan to the best of their abilities in all ways, the two also teach their Poppy and Pookey much as well. With her appreciation of nature and desire to fish, hike, camp, ride the 4-wheeler, write plays, engage crafts, and learn, Elisabeth reminds them to use life’s adventures to become more caring and loving towards everything is our often crazy and hectic world. Nathan’s inquisitiveness is quickly revealing a studious, if stubborn, personality on a quest for the underlying logic of the world; he is also willing to take risks to grow more responsible. As a result, Nathan compels Poppy and Pookey to constantly refine their wit and sense of humor.

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The Milk Family Wedding