Or at least is feels like it is far away from home. In reality I suppose that it is not really so far, only about 18 hours of driving and still within the United States of America. And since this cotenant is really only a small part of the world and our world is only a small part of our solar system which is only a minuscule part of the universe which must still be infinitely smaller than God then I suppose that New England is actually rather close to Tennessee. In any case, this is the promised post that contains a little bit about our honeymoon. Perhaps if you continue to check out this page from time to time you will be fortunate enough to see some photos of Vermont sometime in the next couple of weeks. But enough about that… at least for now.

The last post was about our wedding. We left the reception in exceptionally good spirits and even drove around the block and then headed out a different direction so that is would look like we made a wrong turn the first time while in reality it did not matter which way we turned there since we could get to our next stop by turning either direction. Hopefully our little antic succeeded in putting a smile on the faces of some of our friends and family . We had decided not to travel far on our wedding day so we made arrangements to stay someplace about an hour away in Cookville, TN. We left Cookville on Monday after a delightful stay and began journeying northeast. We had reservations at a nice little motel in PA Monday night and then drove the rest of the way to Twin Mountain New Hampshire the next day.  We had rented a cabin for the rest of the week and spent the week around there sightseeing, spending time together, hiking, cooking, and in general having a good time. We did enjoy not having a schedule and not having any pressure of having to be at some particular place at a particular time.

 Tuesday evening we went for a walk on the property where the cabin was. We saw a beaver swimming around, found deer tracks, and were eaten alive by mosquitoes! 

Okay, so the mosquitoes only tried to eat us, they actually only succeeded in sucking our blood and leaving us with itchy little welts that lasted for several days. On the way back to the cabin we came across a turtle laying her eggs. It was fascinating to watch her laying them one by one, then arranging them with her  feet and finally carefully packing the dirt around them. We left her alone just  before she finished covering up the spot. I don’t think she ever noticed that we were there, or if she did then it did not seem to bother her.

 

Wednesday we went out for a drive just enjoying the area that we were staying in. We came across a little lake with clear water and some lovely mountains in the background. There was a short trail there in the woods around the lake. We enjoyed seeing some ferns growing there, looking at a small stream, walking along the edge of the lake and watching a butterfly, and it was also delightful to just look at the blue sky and white clouds while breathing  in the clean air.   We also stopped and saw a few waterfalls and enjoyed the view from a scenic overlook where we could see down the valley.

Thursday morning we were a little bit lazy taking our time about getting up and going. We noticed that it was a very clear day and so we decided to head over to Mt. Washington. On the way to Mt. Washington we stopped at the Cog Mountain Railway which is a railroad that climbs to the top of Mt. Washington (which is the highest peak in New England). The railroad is so steep that the train would slide backward on the tracks so they have installed a gear  system in the center of the track that the train uses to climb the mountain and again to slow its descent.  After leaving the railroad station and museum we traveled for about an hour over to the other side of  Mt. Washington where the auto road is just to find  out that there was a special event going on and only motorcycles were allowed that day. They did give us a coupon for a discount the next day which was nice. Friday was nice and clear also, with just a few fluffy white clouds. We did drive to the top of Mt. Washington and enjoyed listening to the history of the mountain as we traveled the 8 miles of winding road to a height of 6,288 feet (actually we walked and climbed the last 100 feet or so). The temperature dropped quite a bit (around 20 degrees) during the  ascent to the upper 40s and lower 50s which we are  told is rather warm and balmy for them at the top. The weather station at the top has record extremely  cold temperatures and strong winds (over 200 mph) and holds a record high of around 60 degrees!

Saturday we took a trip through the countryside to Burlington, VT where we planned to spend the next 6 weeks. It rained part of the day but we did pass through some beautiful countryside. Sunday we left New Hampshire, stopped at the Flume (named for the flume on a mill – the channel that water passes  through to get to the wheel) where there is a narrow gorge with water flowing through it. It is a beautiful area with multiple waterfalls and two covered bridges, nature trails and creeks, rocks and trees, benches to sit on, picnic areas, and just in general very lovely. At the Flume we spent some time reading the scriptures and worshiping the Lord. It was a beautiful  place to sit and meditate and worship! Surely God had made wondrous things that should inspire our hearts to give Him praise and glory! He is worthy of all that we can give to Him! And what a loving Father He is! After leaving the Flume we traveled the rest of the way to Burlington, VT where we will be spending  the summer. Hopefully this little update has accomplished two things: 1) given you a glimpse into a week in our lives, and 2) made you at least a little curious about the next chapter in the life of Philip and  Bethany Sutherland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philip and  Bethany Sutherland. Yes, you did read that correctly. It does say Philip and Bethany Sutherland.  So for some of you this is old news, indeed, just over three weeks old to be exact. Perhaps you have been checking my site almost impatiently every few days – has he updated it yet? How long until he will FINALLY get an update on here? Doesn’t he know that it is important news?

The answer is yes, I do know that it is important news, in fact, next to the influence that Christ has had on my life I expect that marrying Bethany will impact me more than anything else, even  medical school. But in my defense to this late posting, when one gets married then one would like a little time with the dearly beloved new spouse without even having a thought of updating web sites and sending emails and making extra phone calls. By the way, in case you are wondering, we did have a wonderful honeymoon (perhaps that will be the subject of the next post… 🙂 wait and see).   Currently we are in Burlington Vermont where I am taking a summer class at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. We are enjoying our stay here but will be very glad to return home when the class is completed in another 4 weeks.

So a little about the wedding if you would be pleased to read further through this rambling section of online text that has a few pictures placed in such a way that they may distract you slightly and perhaps help you to see a little of the joy that we are shareing as we begin our new lives together. I can say honestly that the song “A New Walk In Life” (see below) is the testimony of both my testimony and  Bethany’s. Perhaps you would enjoy a word or two about each of the pictures… Well, I don’t have access to most of the wedding pictures yet, so it is possible that I might post more later but here are three to tease you a little.

In the first picture Bethany and I are walking back into the sanctuary to usher out our guests. We decided to do that so that we could have a moment to speak to each of our guests and to shake their hands. I really enjoyed that time with each of them and I am grateful to them for honoring me with their presence. In the second picture we are holding our marraige certificate (given to us by Bethany’s Dad who officiated at the wedding). And in the final picture I hope you can see a little bit of the joy we expireinced as we celebrated the joining of our lives together. We do believe that the Lord led our steps together and we are very much enjoying our new life together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Walk In Life

I’ve walked this life thus far alone,
Yet not alone for God was guiding me.
Now He says, “My child I’m planning,
A new walk in life for thee”.

I sought the Lord His will to know,
Who will walk this way by my side?
Sharing in life’s joys and sorrows,
Forever with me to abide.

He led my thoughts and steps to you,
To live together now as man and wife.
The gift of God Oh thought so precious,
A richer and a fuller life.

We’ve now begun in this new walk,
Down the corridor of time.
We’ll need your prayers and help from heaven,
To walk this way of life sublime.

(Chorus)
Together we’ll walk (together we’ll walk)
Together we’ll talk (together we’ll talk)
Together we’ll pray (together we’ll pray)
Together we’ll say (together we’ll say)
Not twain but one, Thy will be done.
Lead us now on till life is run.
Together we’ll pray, together we’ll stay
Till life is done (till life is done).