Wedding Day

Wedding

Maplehurst Farm

Reception

Our Wedding

In 2013, Shannon unexpectedly met the love of her life for the first time.&nbsp; It was something that took time to figure out.&nbsp; It may have been the charm of an older fellow, or maybe just the sparkle of his eye.&nbsp; Either way Shannon felt a little bit different.&nbsp; As the next 3 years went by Shannon grew to know this young man as a dear friend.&nbsp; They spent time looking at the stars while sampling the finer tastings of Dairy Queen.&nbsp; Countless hours discussing life and its many wonders.&nbsp; They even took midnight walks through fields of tall grass in the valleys of Montana. To say the least this friendship was special.&nbsp; Her roommates came to know him as a true friend, who was there for them all. Providing advice about love, sports, passions, and the wonders of the world they lived in.&nbsp; A true friend, something that Shannon had always wanted and finally had.&nbsp;

After three years Shannon began to notice a shifting of the current, a changing of the tides, a moving of the mountains.&nbsp; A new aspect of this young man had opened up, a warming side, a calming side, dare she see a loving side.&nbsp; It was a whole new suspense to the young man she thought of as a true friend.&nbsp; His smile shone brighter than before, his words spoke sweeter than she had heard.&nbsp; He was no longer what she had known him to be.&nbsp; He was no longer just a friend.&nbsp; A whirlwind of events occurred, and in what seemed to be the blink of an eye the friendship turned into a kiss. This was not a simple kiss of the lips or the cheek.&nbsp; This was a kiss on the shoulder that changed Shannon’s world forever, for the better.&nbsp; She searched for what had brought this upon her life, trying to find reason to back what seemed to have been a random surging of change in a relationship she saw as simple, reliable, stable.

 

In 2013, Kendrick saw her for the first time.&nbsp; He had no idea that his world had changed at that moment.&nbsp; Simply put, he had met new friends in a new place that he was to start over in after a change that he had yet to come to terms with.&nbsp; As he ran through his thoughts on all the new people he found one that was intriguing.&nbsp; It was not the loudest thought but the quietest one.&nbsp; It was the one he could not figure out. Who was she? He asked himself.&nbsp; He knew only one way to find the answer, be her friend.&nbsp; Over the next 3 years Kendrick grew more enamored by her presence often taken every touch of the hand as a sign of affection.&nbsp; Making it a priority that she feels as comfortable and safe around him as she did around her family.&nbsp; She was important to him, and even though he didn’t understand what made her different from his other friends, he knew something did.&nbsp; 

 

After 2 and a half years Kendrick felt a little different.&nbsp; There was an opportunity for change, a garden to plant a seed.&nbsp; So he did.&nbsp; He began to change little things in the way he acted around her and the things he said.&nbsp; He began to hug her a little bit tighter and sit a little bit closer.&nbsp; Kendrick was not sure that this would amount to anything more than efforts lost in translation, but with time against him, he wasn’t going leave himself with a lifelong “what if.” 

 

As their time together in Missoula drew to an end, Kendrick had assumed his role in Shannon’s life was simply to be a true friend, but he wanted to give it one last chance.&nbsp; He decided he was going to take a leap, the small hops were not getting there, he had to go bigger.&nbsp; After he had left Missoula and returned home, he knew Shannon would have to head that way to for Christmas break.&nbsp; He saw this is his last shot.&nbsp; Like any athlete, he was going to take it.&nbsp; 

 

Although it is disputed on who sent the first invitation, Shannon and Kendrick ended up going out with a couple of his friends to grab some drinks and hang out. Throughout the night Kendrick was focused on keeping Shannon close, buying her drinks and making her laugh?&nbsp; Shannon’s focused was on staying close.&nbsp; Kendrick noticed his efforts were not changing the way she acted.&nbsp; Eventually, they left the bar and returned to Kendrick’s house.&nbsp; Shannon stayed the night as it was too late to drive, and they were friends, so who cares?&nbsp; 

 

The next morning when Kendrick woke up something felt different.&nbsp; A surge of confidence flew through his mind and his heart when he realized that a kiss from this girl was something he couldn’t live without.&nbsp; So he looked over at her and thought to himself, it is worth the risk. He put his hand on her hip and woke her up with a gentle kiss on the shoulder.

 

The next three and a half years have flown by.&nbsp; Shannon and Kendrick have lived in three different states, held multiple jobs.&nbsp; They saw the life of Kendrick’s dearest friend come to an end in their arms.&nbsp; They have seen youngest old dog scratch all the fur off his feet and smile through the whole experience.&nbsp; They have talked about the past for hours on end, trying to figure out what exactly got them here.&nbsp; They have spent hours on end talking about where they are going and what they will do along the way.&nbsp; They have shared a proposal on the beach and trips to brand new places. They have shared days without moving and the workouts that got them there.&nbsp; Shannon and Kendrick have found the enjoyment of life with each other, they have found the excitement of the future, they have found their forever type of love.&nbsp; The pain and happiness, the tears and laughter, the fear and excitement has all got them here to share a day where they share what they already know with the rest of the world.&nbsp; Shannon and Kendrick are promising to spend the rest of their lives together, and they hope this celebration represents the amazing life they plan on living.

The Story of Us

Our Story

Details

Us. (Click to see more)

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

We have made arrangements for some hotel rooms at a group discount. In both cases you must make your reservation by June 5,&nbsp;2019. Mention you are with the DeBacker-VanAckeren Wedding.&nbsp;The LaConner locations are in a small touristy town about 20 minutes from the venue.&nbsp;14 rooms ranging from $139 to $209

La Conner Channel Lodge and La Conner Country Inn (about a block apart & jointly managed)

GuestHouse Bellingham

There are many VRBO and AirBnB rentals in the area, try putting Bellingham, Chuckanut, Mt. Vernon, La Conner, Anacortes, Mt. Baker, Oak Harbor, Ferndale, Stanwood, Edison, Whatcom, or Skagit in their search box.

<a href="https://www.airbnb.com/s/Washington--United-States/all?refinement_paths%5B%5D=%2Ffor_you">https://www.airbnb.com/s/Washington--United-States/all?refinement_paths%5B%5D=%2Ffor_you</a>

<a href="https://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/washington">https://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/washington</a>

Bellingham has multiple spots, and depending on your choice, you’ll be about 40 to 50 minutes away from Maplehurst Farm.

Mt. Vernon has several motel choices, some linked here, 15 minutes from Maplehurst Farm:

Tulip Inn, near I-5

<a href="http://www.tulipinn.net/">http://www.tulipinn.net/</a>

There are two Best Westerns, College Way Inn and Skagit Valley Inn, both near I-5

<a href="https://www.bestwestern.com/">https://www.bestwestern.com</a>

Holiday Express Inn at the junction of I-5 and Highway 20

<a href="https://www.hiexpress.com/">https://www.hiexpress.com/</a>

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Near the ferry terminal

<a href="https://www.majesticinnandspa.com/">https://www.majesticinnandspa.com/</a>

Nice historic downtown inn

<a href="https://www.majesticinnandspa.com/">https://www.majesticinnandspa.com/</a>&nbsp;Sweet views of Mt Baker across Fidalgo Bay

Other Options

Travel

For those feeling lucky there are 3 casinos, all with good lodging choices, within 15 minutes of Maplehurst Farm:

15minutes south on I-5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://www.angelofthewinds.com/hotel/">https://www.angelofthewinds.com/hotel/</a>

 





15 minutes north on I-5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://www.theskagit.com/hotel/">https://www.theskagit.com/hotel/</a>

 





15 minutes northwest towards Anacortes&nbsp; <a href="https://www.swinomishcasinoandlodge.com/service/accommodations">https://www.swinomishcasinoandlodge.com/service/accommodations</a>

 







There are a number of vineyards and wineries in the area, wine nuts should consider a day trip to Woodinville (2hrs south) to get into all of Washington wine, some of the locals listed here:

 





<a href="https://coachhousecellars.com">https://coachhousecellars.com</a>

 





<a href="https://vewinery.com">https://vewinery.com</a>

 





<a href="https://samsonestates.com">https://samsonestates.com</a>

 





<a href="https://tulipvalley.net">https://tulipvalley.net</a>

 





<a href="https://mtbakerwinery.ranvia.com">https://mtbakerwinery.ranvia.com</a>

 





<a href="https://glacierpeakwines.com/">https://glacierpeakwines.com/</a>

 







One of the greatest challenges of living in the B’ham is finding a brew pub. The Bellingham short tour:

 





<a href="https://bbaybrewery.com">https://bbaybrewery.com</a>

 





<a href="https://aslanbrewing.com">https://aslanbrewing.com</a>

 





<a href="https://stonesthrowbrewco.com">https://stonesthrowbrewco.com</a>

 





<a href="https://gruffbrewing.com">https://gruffbrewing.com</a>

 





<a href="https://structuresbrewing.com">https://structuresbrewing.com</a>

 





<a href="https://wanderbrewing.com">https://wanderbrewing.com</a>

 





<a href="https://menace-industries.com">https://menace-industries.com</a>

 





<a href="https://melvinbrewing.com">https://melvinbrewing.com</a>

 





<a href="https://illuminatibrewing.com">https://illuminatibrewing.com</a>

 





& consider running up Mt. Baker hiway to the North Fork Beer Shrine:

 





<a href="https://northforkbrewery.com">https://northforkbrewery.com</a>

 







The Anacortes/La Conner/Mt. Vernon tour:

 





<a href="https://www.laconnerbrewery.com/">https://www.laconnerbrewery.com/</a>

 





<a href="http://www.skagitbrew.com/">http://www.skagitbrew.com/</a>

 





<a href="http://www.farmstrongbrewing.com/">http://www.farmstrongbrewing.com/</a>

 





<a href="http://www.bastionbrewery.com/">http://www.bastionbrewery.com/</a>

 





<a href="http://www.anacortesrockfish.com/">http://www.anacortesrockfish.com/</a>

 







A nice trip into the North Cascades would be to follow the Skagit River upstream on Highway 20. Mt. Vernon/Burlington to Ross Lake takes about an hour & a half. A drive up to Baker Lake near Concrete would be about 45 minutes from the junction of Highway 20 and I-5 at Burlington. Or, a drive up to Artist Point on Mt. Baker from Bellingham- takes about an hour and a half (there’s a reason they named it Artist Point!).

 





<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/blog-news/exploring-mount-baker-washington">https://www.outdoorproject.com/blog-news/exploring-mount-baker-washington</a>

 





<a href="http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/cascades/Glacier/Glacier.htm">http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/cascades/Glacier/Glacier.htm</a>

 





<a href="https://northwestrevealed.com/2013/09/25/beautiful-remote-company-towns-newhalem-and-diablo-wa/">https://northwestrevealed.com/2013/09/25/beautiful-remote-company-towns-newhalem-and-diablo-wa/</a>

 





<a href="https://www.myscenicdrives.com/drives/washington/north-cascades-highway">https://www.myscenicdrives.com/drives/washington/north-cascades-highway</a>

 







From Lummi, to Lopez, and other ports of call, the San Juan Islands involve hopping on a ferry. Trying to hop onto a ferry with a car on a normal summer weekend is time consuming. Doing so on the 4th&nbsp;of July weekend involves making ferry reservations far, far,&nbsp;in advance and still you have to get in line and wait, and wait, and wait. But! You can walk on the ferry, walk off,&nbsp;and rent a bike, or scooter, or other means of getting about- or just hang about. Lots of people trying to get there, lots to see, lots to do, and another way to get there is a water taxi. You can get an island experience on Samish, Guemes, or Lummi with less effort.

 





<a href="https://www.visitsanjuans.com/transportation/washington-state-ferries">https://www.visitsanjuans.com/transportation/washington-state-ferries</a>

 





<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/5-fun-things-and-thats-about-it-on-laid-back-lummi-island/">https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/5-fun-things-and-thats-about-it-on-laid-back-lummi-island/</a>

 





<a href="http://www.visitskagitvalley.com/daytripping-guemes-island/">http://www.visitskagitvalley.com/daytripping-guemes-island/</a>

 





<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionsNear-g58363-d1758729-Samish_Bay_Cheese-Bow_Washington.html">https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionsNear-g58363-d1758729-Samish_Bay_Cheese-Bow_Washington.html</a>

 





<a href="https://www.islandexpresscharters.com/">https://www.islandexpresscharters.com/</a>

 







A great day trip involves running around Whidbey-Camano but keep in mind the ferries at the south end have the same challenges as the island ferries. But, a car trip out and back is easily done, it just involves winding roads, several state & county parks, historic forts, charming towns, and farm stands.

 





<a href="https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/things-to-do/heritage/history-of-deception-pass-bridge/">https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/things-to-do/heritage/history-of-deception-pass-bridge/</a>

 





<a href="https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ebeys-landing">https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ebeys-landing</a>

 





<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g58643-d4923167-Reviews-Joseph_Whidbey_State_Park-Oak_Harbor_Whidbey_Island_Washington.html">https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g58643-d4923167-Reviews-Joseph_Whidbey_State_Park-Oak_Harbor_Whidbey_Island_Washington.html</a>

 





<a href="https://www.whidbeylifemagazine.org/discover-whidbey-islands-farm-stands-and-stores-with-a-new-local-directory/">https://www.whidbeylifemagazine.org/discover-whidbey-islands-farm-stands-and-stores-with-a-new-local-directory/</a>

 







We can steer you towards lots of activities in the area, just ask!

 





<a href="https://www.fairhavenbicycles.com/">https://www.fairhavenbicycles.com/</a>

 





<a href="http://cyclesanjuan.com/about-us/bicycles/">http://cyclesanjuan.com/about-us/bicycles/</a>

 





<a href="https://canopytoursnw.com/">https://canopytoursnw.com/</a>

 





<a href="https://www.anacorteskayaktours.com/">https://www.anacorteskayaktours.com/</a>

 





<a href="https://www.boatingcenter.org/rentals/">https://www.boatingcenter.org/rentals/</a>

 





<a href="https://birchbaywaterslides.net/">https://birchbaywaterslides.net/</a>

 





<a href="http://riverrider.com/nooksack_river.php">http://riverrider.com/nooksack_river.php</a>

Activites

Things to Do

Shannon & Kendrick

Shannon & Kendrick

Registry

What we really want is all of our friends and family together for our big day, but for the traditional gift-giver out there we are registered at: