Another Wedding

I had the great honor of seeing one of my best friend's son's get married last month. I have known the boy since he was about 12. Maybe a little older or younger. I just remember him coming to my house when I would watch her kids and he would just hang out and read on the couch. I hardly ever knew he was around!

It was small wedding for a couple of different reasons. They did most of the planning all on their own. But, a couple of weeks before the wedding my friend called me with a lot on her plate and wanting "help" with the rehearsal dinner. It was going to be at the church and they were going to do all the cooking. I immediately told her to relax and that we would make it work.

We had another meeting with another lady from church. We worked on decoration (thanks also to Pintrest) and got together a great serving crew (my kids and two of their friends also from our Life Group) and the dinner was a hit! The food was fab, the decorations were spectacular and everyone had a great time.

Pulled pork, slaw, mac and cheese, old fashion soda pops in a galvanized tub and ice cream in little mason jars. So, so cute! I wish I would have gotten more pictures of the room and all the decor. 

The next day, the wedding was so sweet. The kids loved watching their friend's big brother get married. They enjoyed celebrating and dancing with bride and groom's family and our church family. My friend and her family looked so wonderful all dressed up. 

It really was a special day. Just wish I would have got more pictures . . . 

Part 3, Wedding Prep

The bride wanted EG at the wedding site at 3:30 so she could get ready with the rest of the girls.  They were so sweet and willing to do her hair. She acted like such a big girl!  I think she thought everyone was there for her. 

The photographer was taking pictures the whole time so I tried to get in a get a couple with my phone.

When the bridesmaids saw my other girls, they offered to do their hair as well.  Each girl had a braid somewhere and then the hair was looped in a loose bun.  It was soooo cute on each one of them.  They each got a flower in their hair as well.

EG kept telling me she was ready to get her picture taken.  I kept telling her she needed to wait for the bride!  While we got EG ready for the pictures, Boop hung out with the groomsmen and the big girls went back to the hotel to get dressed.

Boop and the groom.

As I mentioned earlier, Boop had the best time with these guys.  The groom loves my kids and treated them so well.  And so did all his buddies.  Boop had to spend over 3 hours with them getting ready, hanging out and getting pictures done.  Much of the time he was alone with them and they told him stories and asked him all kinds of questions.  They included him in their silly games and tricks.  They even had him go get his sunglasses so he could be part of all of them singing "You Lost That Lovin' Feelin" (Top Gun movie) to the bride.  (Boop ended up bowing out of that at the reception though.)  One guy pinned wings on his shirt during the recpetion.  Just a great, great bunch of guys!

All my people clean up pretty good!!  We had a nice time at the reception.  But, it was about 10:30pm and all the kids looked at us and told us they were ready to go.  It was a long, fun day hanging with family and new friends.  And new family . . . .

How We Spent Our Weekend, Part 1

One of the fun things about having the 4 youngest of 17 cousins is they get to be in the older cousins' weddings.  This is the second one in about a year and a half.  The little guys don't necessarily think it is all that great in the beginning.  But, by the time the festivities start they are all for it.

The wedding this past weekend was a good time had by all.  All of the older peeps in the wedding party were so awesome to EG and Boop.  The rehearsal was really laid back and everyone helped put all the wedding decorations together and decorate the reception area.  My niece made all of the decorations for the wedding.  Everything from the floating candle center pieces to the gigantic Jenga game she made out of wood.  The game was literally 2 1/2 feet tall.  Not sure why I didn't take a picture of it.

Wedding party waiting to be told what to do.  Boop was the ring bearer, EG was the flower girl and the two big girls handed out the programs that doubled as fans.

LM and NG were stand ins for the groomsmen who were not able to make it to the rehearsal.  All the groomsmen but one (and Boop) were Navy pilots.  So cool.  More about that later.

This picture is of hubby as a stand in for the officiator (not sure if that is the right word or even a word).  The groom, who we love (he is so great with kids), is next to him. Also a Navy pilot.  He proposed to my niece while taking her flying in an airplane.

The decorating and the rehearsal didn't take long at all.

The rehearsal dinner was at a local Italian restaurant.  All the girls in the wedding party were given matching, monogrammed dressing robes.  Including EG.  She slept in hers that night!

Because the groom is Navy and my niece has also enlisted, all of the decorations and the theme was in red, white and blue.  More about the weekend later . . .

We Are Here, We Are Here!

The hardest part of this little blog post everyday is keeping it little!! I have so much to say!!  And those who know me are not surprised I am sure!

We arrived safe and sound at wedding central today.  Last night we stayed in Gettysburg and we all slept great last.  I fell asleep and woke up with a few seconds left of the Packer game.  We were winning so I turned the TV off only to find out this AM we actually lost and I watched all the controversy around the horrible ref call.  But I guess I will save all that for another day!

Everyone was up around 8ish and ready for breakfast by 9ish.  It was a fabulous free breakfast with eggs, and sausage and make your own waffles.  We all ate great.  And then we were on our way. To the Outlet Store across the street!  Hubby had left his khakis at home so we were in search of a new pair.  We were successful along with a few new shirts and shorts for the kids.  (Did I mention on Sunday when we left on Sunday we had to go back to the house twice to get things we forgot?)  We also stopped in to a Civil War shop and ended up buying the movie Gettysburg.

Then on to our next shopping expedition, Cabela's.  Our family vacations are not family vacations without a trip to a BassPro Shop or Cabela's.  It is just how we roll.  The stores our really cool and this one was particularly cool because it was situated right in the valley of a couple of smaller mountains.  The view was breathtaking!  The leaves are just beginning to turn so we would see splotches of color.

The stores and houses and towns are built into the sides of smaller mountains and cozily situated in the valleys that we would see whipping down the interstate.  The roads are so high up that when you look down into the valleys and you just see treetops.  Pretty cool!!

We arrived late afternoon at Aunt Reenie's, the mom of the groom.  It was great to see everyone, all the family that we don't hardly every get to see.  We haven't seen them since Thanksgiving, 4 years ago, 10 days after EG was born.  But it seems like yesterday.

When you look out of their front door and it is a big huge mountain in the distance that will turn brilliant colors in just a few weeks.  All the houses in her neighborhood are two story and they just look different then what we have in Florida.  Some of the houses we passed were made out of stone and you could just tell they had been there for a hundred years.  Speaking of things that are different, we did see some Amish people shopping at Cabela's.  You just can't help but notice them.

Anyway, one of our niece's is the same age as the girls.  So they loved hanging out.  And we hope to have her hang out with us tomorrow when we do a little site seeing.

We are now safely ensconced in our adorable lake house.  We got here at dusk and we are somewhere on a lake that we took a bunch of back roads to get to. I don't think we will leave until after sunrise tomorrow!

Over the next couple days, the rest of hubby's family will arrive.  I am sure we will have a great time the next few days enjoying the weather, the family and the festivities . . .