Ola and Nick’s Wedding...

The following day we picked up our rental car and checked into a hotel with an aqua park not too far from the wedding site, which was about an hour east of Warsaw. Ola had generously arranged for a car to pick us up so we could party. Our wedding gift to them was that I’d take photos and Jimmy would shoot video of the ceremony.

It was great to be able to see Ola as she was finishing getting ready in her bedroom (she lived in the historic wooden cottage from when she was 14 until 20). Her beautiful dress was made by an American hasher that lives in Germany.

Ola and Nick actually eloped in Copenhagen nine months earlier, but had another ceremony for the benefit of family and friends.

The ceremony itself was mostly for the benefit of hash friends as they had written their own vows which were truly hilarious. 

The wedding site  was quite the fairy tale setting; the beautiful grounds of Ola’s father’s home were formerly an apple orchard.

Ola and Nick drove up from Germany many times over the months to prep for their big day and they pulled off everything perfectly. The tables were lovingly set with fresh herbs, bamboo plates and cutlery, and Polish honey for each guest. More importantly, there was a bottle of bubbly, white wine, red wine and vodka on each table. 

Warsaw’s Old Town...

Sadly, the German Army destroyed Old Town during World War II, but today it is very colorful and vibrant.

We enjoyed having a beer flight at a place that specialized in craft beers and then later meeting some hashers for beers. 

Off to Warsaw...

Early the morning after the ball, Jimmy and I boarded a plane to Poland to attend Ola and Nick’s wedding. We spent our first night in Warsaw, where we saw nuns sitting on steps with a bunch of kids...

 ...and people sitting inside a fountain. 

We were quite impressed with the really nice mall next to central station. I especially enjoyed the design of part of the roof...

 ...and the escalators.

2018 Graduation Ball at Madurodam...

Marina’s house was so close that we walked over to Madurodam, the venue for the Year 13 Graduation Ball. As in previous years, the parents were invited for a reception at the start of the evening. We were willing to take photos as in past years, but were off the hook as the school hired a professional who took these photos of us as we entered.

It had been many years since we had attended a Marine Corps Ball at Madurodam, but some things never change such as the entrance down the big staircase.

Max usually looks happier than this, but I think he was nervous about the speech he would be making with Mish...

...who didn’t look nervous at all.

We were free to walk around the miniatures park, where ironically these tulips are clearly not miniature.

Ashlynn’s favorite part was pretending to be a DJ.

After the parents left, the graduates had a buffet dinner and then danced until midnight. Ashlynn was skeptical about the entire evening, but had a great time. Afterwards she went back to Marina’s for a late night party and sleepover.

Our Lovely Princess...

On June 28, we went with Ashlynn to Marina’s house for a gathering of her gang and their parents before the Year 13 Graduation Ball. 

As you can see, I was already dressed up, but she waited to get dressed with the other girls at Marina’s.

She looked lovely in the dress that Ann bought her when we visited last summer. While I had been surprised at the time that she picked such a conservative dress, it fit her perfectly in both size and style.

Marina’s home is quite incredible with a beautiful garden that made for a nice backdrop for lots of photos.

I took photos of just about every combination of the girls with each other and the girls with their parents. Here’s Ashlynn with her best friend Sophie...

...and here’s the whole gang: Josie, Sara, Marina, Sophie, Ashlynn and Sarah.

She Graduated!

It is a Dutch tradition for high school graduates to hang their backpacks on flagpoles to let everyone know that they’ve passed their exams.

Technically, Ashlynn wouldn’t know for sure that she’d passed until nearly two months after her last exam, but she was confident enough that she was willing to take the chance.

As it turned out, she was right to feel confident as she totally kicked ass and made her parents very proud.

She earned an A* in Biology, A* in Geography and an A in Math, which meant that she easily secured her place at the University of Plymouth to study Marine Biology starting in September 2019 (after a gap year to try to model full time).

The following evening she had her friends around for drinks and to enjoy some sunshine on our terrace before heading to a party. 

Last Day of School...

On June 25, Ashlynn took her final high school exam. 

I wasn’t there to see her go off to school on her last day of her final year, but I was there to take plenty of photos on her final day.