Weekend of 10-19-07

Our weekends are jam-packed anymore and it’s downright exhausting. Thank you again for all your thoughts, prayers, and generous offers to help with Doug. Jim’s mom spent Thursday and Friday with us to have the opportunity to sleep in a real bed instead of a hospital room. While we were at work she spent hours helping us with the house – breaking down boxes, loading bookshelves in the office, vacuuming every crack of hardwood for drywall dust in the downstairs. Whew!

Though we would have liked to have spent more time with her, this weekend was also full of wedding excitement for my brother and his fiancé Lindsay whom most of you know. Friday was the rehearsal dinner which went without a hitch. Dinner was at the White House Inn where my father gave an exceptional (though Jim said it was too long) toast to the couple and their family. The meal was great, but the dessert was a highlight- baked Alaska that they had flaming to the ceiling at several points that eventually set off the fire alarms!!

Saturday was an EARLY day after so much excitement the night before. I was up and at ‘em at 6:30am as it was my first full day of teaching. Things went fine there- about 20 min shorter than I had planned- but that worked out well as I skipped out for lunch and to get my hair done for the wedding. Three words: Midwest Wedding Hair. I need say no more about how I looked or how it was fixed.

The wedding itself was really nice. Nicole was being cared for by my aunt and she got a little fussy before falling asleep so I saw them travel to the children’s room twice. Lindsay looked beautiful and Mike was as he always is, laid back. I have pictures that I’ll post tonight. I did take what I consider a kind of big deal because it was at my brother’s wedding- I didn’t receive communion. I’d taken the bread before at Catholic events but I'm to the point that I don’t want to be hypocritical- critical of the church and then accept its greatest sacrament. Anyway, yes, it was a bit surreal to look at the couple saying their vows and realize that your little brother is all grown up. I think I’ll lose it when Greg gets married.

The reception was full-out rockin’. Mike and Linds had about 275 people in attendance including a large smattering of their friends. Greg gave one of the best best-man speeches I've ever heard and though he said he was nervous, it didn't show at all. They did all the traditional dances with the bridal party and parents, and had a special family dance with Ryann too. The beer and wine flowed, there was dancing on the tables, they turned on the lights to end the party and about 50 people lingered on for another 40 minutes! Perhaps the most creative element of the reception was the groom’s cake- more on that when the picture goes up!

I spent a lot of the reception toting Nicole around to see people. I wanted to make sure that folks who had sent her a gift got to hold her. While this was the “right” thing to do it meant that I only danced to a few songs; conversely I did get to talk to a lot of people by spending my time this way. She was exceptionally well-behaved but stayed up until about 11:30 before she hit the sack. Jim was very concerned about the volume of the DJ and her developing ears. While noise is part of the package with a reception, I had a new appreciation for really how loud it was. We attempted to keep her outside or away from the action towards the end of the night.

Our whole family slept in on Sunday as we were WORN OUT. The day was spent cleaning the new house and plotting how we’ll ever get to the old house to tidy up. We capped the night off with a 4/4 bowling record (Special Props to Dave P for his 699 series! 1 pin away from a pin!).

Doug’s triple-bypass surgery is this morning, going on as of 3 minutes ago. Please keep him in mind and heart. The new plan is that perhaps they will go to Vickie’s sister Connie’s up in Van Wert as they know more people there in that town and would have access to a car. More on that when details are shored up.