The entrance to Cherokee Ranch and Castle

On September 4, 2004 Marcy and I got married at Cherokee Ranch about 30 minutes south of Denver. We had not been back there since…until yesterday. They now do a Christmas tea and so instead of the Brown Palace this year the family drove down to Sedalia to Cherokee Ranch and Castle.

In the Churchill Room amid the beautiful Christmas decorations

We had a delicious afternoon tea and then were treated to a tour of the Castle, something we did not do 14 years ago. It has an amazing history with more historic objects than most museums. The last owner of the ranch was a very well known and wealthy landowner who was invited to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1952 as well as the inauguration for Ronald Reagan. It has been hosting weddings and functions since after she died in 1999.

The cutest photo of the two kids that we have taken in a long time

We went up to the turret, where we took a bunch of photos 14 years ago. It was a lot colder but the view was still fantastic.

In the turret at the top of the Castle

On our way out we stopped in the courtyard which we found out used to be a pool several decades ago. It was where our ceremony took place.

Standing on the exact spot where we were married in 2004

On to more somber news. Our dear friend Jen Heth passed away on December 9th after a long fight with breast cancer, a disease she faced with amazing courage and grace. Her husband Rick, has been one of my best friends since I arrived in the US in 1991, Rick was in our wedding, and they were an integral part of “food group” our regular dinner party gathering. Her funeral was on Wednesday and it was an amazingly beautiful service. The church, where Rick and Jen have been regulars for a couple of decades, was packed with 600 people. She touched so many people and Marcy and I were blessed to call her a friend.

Jen Heth, with her husband Rick, taken at our engagement party in 2003

Friday night was the annual Briere Christmas Party and it was great that Rick decided to come along. We all had a lovely time and the kids enjoyed the food and of course the movies that are always on show. The kids had their latest night in a long time as we were the second last family to leave just after 10:30pm.