Connecticut Visit & Wedding

Welcome to 2011.

Fom 29 December 2010 to 3 January 2011 we had the opportunity to travel to Connecticut to attend the wedding of Jessica and Christopher which we will talk about later in this update.  The trip to Connecticut from Fredericton is about an 8 -10 hour drive particularly at this time of the year with falls of snow which can render the roads inaccessable.  We were fortunate that we had good weather with sun and no snow falls to worry about.

We took the oppportunity to overnight in Freeport, Maine which is rich in history, nature, the arts, and the home to numerous shopping outlets.  For more information on Freeport have a look at http://www.freeportusa.com/ 

From Freeport to Middleton, Connecticut it is a short drive of 3 hours, so after booking in to the Crown Plaza we were off exploring.  As many of you will know Ross has a passion for trains so one of the first areas we visited was Essex Train station which in the summer months conducts combined river and train trips.  When you live in a country that really has a winter with lots of snow many of the activities are seasonal such as river trips. 



Essex is a pretty little town and is located on the coast, the following two photos show what the harbour looks like as it starts to freeze and what a beach looks like with snow on the ground.  This is something that we never see in Australia.

On New Years day we travelled to the Mohegan Sun Casino and donated $30.00 to the Casino's coffers.  The building is amazing and it was well worth paying a visit.  To see more of this Native American casino have a look at  http://www.mohegansun.com/

The reason for the visit to Middleton was to attend the wedding of Jessica and Christopher.  Christopher is the son of our dear friends Regina and Jim Hess whom we visited in Georgia last year.  Justin, their other son is married to Lizzy, the daughter of our great friends Maureen and Dennis who live in San Antonio, Texas.    The wedding service was conducted at St. Pius X Church, Middleton and you will see just how beautifully the church was decorated.  

We donned on our Sunday best for the occassion.

The bride and groom looked outstanding and there was great joy as we wish them every happiness for a long, happy and loving life together. 

The wedding reception was held at The Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate.  This is an amazing old home and to see more of this impressive venue have a look at http://www.wadsworthmansion.com/ . The band that provided music at the reception was called Shaded Soul and was one of the best bands we have ever heard. Their website is worth a look and is at http://www.shadedsoulband.com/
              

In lieu of wedding favours, a donation was made for The Matthew Freeman Project: Pens and Papers for Peace.  The website is http://www.freemanproject.org/ This donation was to honor the memory of their brother in law Captain Matthew Freeman who was married to Theresa, Christopher's sister.  Matthew was

killed in Afganistan in 2010. 

The wedding was a great opportunity to spend quality time with our dear friends Regina, Jim and Justin and some of their extended family.  We also got to meet Jessica's family who were very gracious and made us feel right at home which is the way of our American friends.

Until our next update we wish you a happy new year, may it be filled with good fellowship, good health and laughter.

Love Ross and Bev