we're going to the chapel...

It's Saturday. We're off to a wedding. It's for friends of ours, Josh and Stephanie. They are a part of the young adult group at our church. They also joined the leadership team for the Sr. High work camp a few years ago. They have been busy finished college and getting jobs. We are very excited for them and are happy to be able to drive across America's high five (that's where they grew up) to enjoy the celebration.

Honestly, we vacillated as to whether or not to go. We haven't seen them in awhile, and it's across the state. It's a Saturday in the summer. There are a lot of other things we could be doing. But, in the end, I came to the conclusion that going to a wedding is showing support for all the weddings we've missed. It's also showing our support for those who can't make it. Next time you can't go to a wedding don't feel guilty; think of it that way. Someone else is going to support the couple. Or the next time you can go to a wedding, remember that you're showing support for those who can't.

The things I'll learn...

I'm taking over as Wedding Coordinator at our church.

I have been training all year under Pat, the current Wedding Coordinator.

She has been doing this job for thirty years.

I have big shoes to fill.

I've learned a lot the past few months. I have much more to learn.

Tomorrow is Pat's last wedding. It's official, she said so herself tonight.

I'll be taking over with a wedding in November.

It's going to be interesting.

we feel like we drove through the night

The wedding was very nice.

The bride was beautiful.

The groom was dashing.

The venue was not "white enough" as Bill and my dad put it.

The walls were white, the cathedral ceiling was white but the floor was not white. It should have been according to them.

The reception was in the Garden Pavilion. It was basically a glass atrium style building. The interior was draped with white chiffon-like material. Think "My Best Friend's Wedding" reception and that's what it was like. The floral arrangements were spectacular. The food was good (even if because of Bill we were the last table to get in line and had to wait for the servers to bring fresh trays of everything).

Today we spent most of the day in the car.

We watched one of Skylar's soccer games (50 minutes from Cicero), went to lunch at 99th street. Drove clear across town to the mall so I could buy a silly lanyard for my church keys, drove back to Mom and Dad's and then hopped right back in the car and drove home to GR.

But Skylar won her soccer game. Spencer giggled, played and had fun blowing raspberries at us. Lunch was yummy (Red Robin, yum). And I found the lanyard I wanted and got $5 off!

While it was a long day, it waited and rained at the end, we made it home safely and enjoyed seeing my family.

just another Friday

Today is the wedding of our dear family friends' son, Ethan.

I have known Ethan since he was born.

I talked about him the other day because I bought their wedding gift (the oil & vinegar).

We got the wedding invitation months ago.

I immediately put it on the calendar. Mine, not the Bill's. I have access to his calendar on the iPad but he's a big boy so I didn't [think to] add it.

About six weeks ago Bill walked up to me in the kitchen and proudly shared that he finally got an appointment with that company in Ann Arbor for October 12th.

Um, that's Ethan's wedding, I reminded him.

After a few minutes of, "oh crap what do we do now"; this is the plan we came up with.

I found a salon here in Ann Arbor, while Bill has his meeting (it just started), I got my hair done. He'll come and pick me up and we'll head to Indiana from here. It's a four-hour drive so we'll get to my parents just in time to get dressed and leave for the wedding.

It wasn't at all complicated.

I am using sarcasm.

Now I sit in the fine establishment with free wi-fi and enjoy a bagel while I wait for his meeting to end.

The uncomplicated part happened when I scheduled my hair appointment. In a perfect world, I could have made it for exactly fifteen minutes before his meeting. When I tried to do that, I discovered my high expectations. The salon couldn't get me in at 11am. They could get me in at noon (too late) or 9:30am or 10:00am. Let's go with the 10am. We had to leave the house by 7:30am (yes, we were early, no we didn't hit traffic but had we, we would have been late and neither of us like being late) which meant getting up early. Early for us. I don't know what time Bill got up but it was before his alarm which was set for 5:30am.

I hope you have a happy Friday. I'll tell you about the wedding tomorrow, after Skylar's soccer game.

a day of shopping

I had a lot of errands to run today for various reasons.

One is for a wedding that we have this Friday.

We (my family) have known the groom's family since we moved to Cicero. We spent many Christmas Eves together and I learned a lot from his parents. They helped shape me.

Ethan, the groom, wanted to be a chef when he was ten. In fact there was a period of time that you asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and his reply was a firm, "I want to go to college for hotel management and then go on to culinary school". He was ten!

He ended up going to Purdue and getting a degree in Engineering. Doesn't that make more sense?

I'm guessing (and hoping) that he still enjoys cooking.

If not, this gift is going to be a huge disappointment.

I went to this great new store called the Old World Olive Press. Bill and I had stopped in there on our anniversary. They have delicious oils and vinegars. I knew this would be a great gift for someone who likes to cook.

I went back today. The young woman working knew her oils and vinegars. She had me try a couple combinations and I was sold.

I bought a bottle of each for us to try too. I'm making caramelized onions tomorrow night so I'll let you know how this balsamic works out.

graduates and Hoosiers

For all of our out-of-state [Indiana] friends, this is for you.

Valparaiso, Indiana is home to the university of the same name. One of our (now former) youth will be attending there this fall. While I am wrong about the city being home to Orville Redenbacher (that title belongs to Brazil, Indiana), he and his partner bought a corn farm near there. Hence my confusion. 

Back to Valparaiso. As I listen to my dear friends of Michigan origin pronounce it, "Valpriso" I can't help but teach them how to say it the right way. Ready? It's Val-pa-raise-o. See that? It has the word "raise" in it, minus the "o". Say it with me, "Val-pa-raise-o". Got it?

I knew you could do it. Now you can remember how to say it! 

I drove to my parents house today. Along the way I passed right by Valparaiso. I'm here for the week to help out Cyndi, while she works, with Spencer. It just so happens that the young boy who was our ring bearer in our wedding had the nerve to grow up. Not only did he graduate from the same high school I did, just last night, but he was also the Salutatorian of his class. Congratulations Zach! We are proud of you.

Bill stayed in Grand Rapids to work. You remember, he's the one with the job. He was the family representative at an open house for Lexie.

I have to go now, it's time for popcorn. 

Monday's can be so long...

Well, it still wasn't as chaotic as I expected. Setting up went fast and before I knew it, we were taking photos. It wasn't raining but it was windy. The photographer said he got some good photos, so we'll see! Dayton (Jerry's youngest) stole the show with his impatience. Skylar and Daffney were Cyndi's attendants and Chasiddy and Dayton were Jerry's. They were all very cute. The ceremony lasted about seven minutes, even Grandma made it through the ceremony. I think I got a couple of good pictures, so I'll post those tomorrow.

We had the reception (the cupcakes were from Sam's Club and were amazing!!) and had the place cleaned up by 8:30pm. Jerry had taken his kids back to their mom and wanted to have dinner. After Mom, Dad, Bill and I stopped by their house, we met Cyndi, Jerry and Skylar for a late dinner.

By the time we got back to Mom and Dad's it was time for bed. Today we spent the majority of the day in the car. We left after Bill had a phone meeting, at 11am. We stopped by St. Joe for an office visit and we ate lunch too. When we got home we unloaded the car, then we took our walk. It was partly cloudy here by then and in the high 50's, it felt like spring! I quick planted my Dahlia's (I dug them up last fall and kept them in the basement, they're tubers and that's what you're supposed to do, we'll see if it works and if they grow) and did my yoga. Apparently the sit-ups and push-ups are paying off.

Since we ate way too much food over the weekend, it was popcorn for our supper. Tomorrow I'm making Italian drip beef sandwiches (the beef has to cook all day, ensuring our house is going to smell delicious), more on that tomorrow.

My throat has been sore all day, allergies. blech. I hope it stops. Maybe it's time for bed...

Going to the Chapel...

I mentioned something in my post yesterday about today being chaos. So far, it has not (unless you read Bill's blog and feel his "chaos" - which means he has had to deal with my mom and me and we haven't been kind. It's just our genes) in fact, it's been leisurely. We went to church, we made the potato salad, ate lunch, I curled my hair, Bill wrote his blog, I'm writing mine, and my mom is currently working a Sudoku puzzle. None of us have been rushed or have exerted more energy than getting up to go to the bathroom. If only every wedding could be like this.

We are waiting for a couple of things to happen: for Dad to get home from his meetings at the church, for my Grandma to arrive, and to leave to go start setting everything up. It may get chaotic then (the new blended family has four children: three tweens and a five year old all of whom have more energy than a Broadway musical).

Stay tuned for another post... if I'm not wiped out. There will be pictures too!

Editor's note: I never did post pictures so here they are!