Unpacking

I spent quite a bit of time today unpacking from Brett's wedding.  I can never decide if I like packing or unpacking the best.  I think that it depends on which one I am involved with at the moment.  I have started keeping a travel toiletry bag packed and that helps quite a bit.  I used to do that when we lived in Syracuse.  It made traveling to Bloomington a lot easier, especially when I had to pack for more than just myself.  Recently, I also bought duplicates of items that I use on a regular basis to have those ready for traveling as well.  That will really cut down time packing as I plan to travel to Indiana more this fall.

As I was unpacking today, I started thinking about all that we sent with Cameron and Cora to drop off at Brett's apartment.  Besides the wedding gifts, there were at least a half dozen boxes of wedding decorations for them to sort through when they returned from their honeymoon.  I wish that I could be there to help, but hopefully, they will be able to figure out what they want to do with it all.  Meg suggested selling some of it on Facebook Marketplace.  It was a good idea but will have to wait until all of the unpacking from their apartment gets done.  Cameron said that they still had a lot to do, but thankfully they have time.  Karen also works from home most days, so maybe that will help as well.  Either way, it reminded me on why I am in no hurry to move anytime soon.

 

Louisville

Last night after we cleaned up the reception hall and packed everything up from the wedding, Doug and I went back to the hotel with Cora and Cameron to hang out, have a drink and relax. About an hour after we arrived, Cal texted Cameron and asked him to meet them at the Taco Bell near our hotel. He, Maggie, Nick, and Meg had gone out with Dan’s family for drinks in downtown Louisville. Taco Bell was their late night snack and everyone had a lot of fun, especially watching Cal interact with an irate guest.

This morning Doug and I were up early as we wanted to say goodbye to Brett and Karen before they left for mass and then onto their honeymoon in Savannah. They were excited about their trip. We then went to breakfast with Cal and Maggie before they headed back to Chicago. They had decided to stop in Indianapolis to try Swigg, one of our new favorite soda drink spots.

Doug and I spent about an hour packing all of the wedding gifts and decorations into the van. Cameron was going to drop them off in Columbus at Brett’s apartment. We really appreciate it as they had a lot to take back. Once they headed out, Meg, Nick, Doug, and I drove to Louisville. We had several hours to spend before our flight left late this afternoon. We checked out the downtown area that they were in last night and then found a spot for lunch. By chance, we ran into the Budde family who had just toured the Louisville Slugger Museum. They had a flight that left shortly before ours.

After lunch, Meg and Nick told us that they really wanted to tour Churchhill Downs. We had never been but thought it would be fun to check out. The four of us arrived about 10 minutes later as it was really close to downtown. We couldn’t believe that the University of Louisville was directly across the street from the famous racetrack. We spent time in the museum and then did a guided tour of the facility. We even got to see a horse race. It amazed all of us how hard it was to see the entirety of the track. There was a reserved area in the middle of the track that was really just for fun during the Kentucky Derby as the viewing from there was nonexistent. It was a cool experience, and everyone was glad that we tried it.

Our flight was delayed about a half hour, which gave us time to get through security and find a snack before arriving at our gate. The flight was a short one, less than two hours. We had all had a wonderful weekend and were very happy for Brett and Karen, but excited to be back in Florida. It was definitely a wonderful weekend and I was very thankful for my family.

Wedding Day

What a wonderful day celebrating the wedding of Brett and Karen.  There were a few hiccups including forgotten rings at the hotel, button malfunctions on a dress and a cake that barely made it to the reception on time, but overall, those were just minor incidents on an amazing day.  Everyone was at the church on time, dressed and ready for the day.  The photographer did a great job getting all of the pictures finished before the ceremony began.  Our family and the groomsmen had a fun time hanging out before the event.  Brett's friend, Andrew, entertained everyone with hilarious stories and two flasks of scotch.  Norman was also a big hit with our family and was a joy to hang out with before we headed to the church.

The ceremony itself was absolutely beautiful.  Our family appreciated having Father Reginald performing the wedding nuptials.  Jovie was able to livestream the wedding on Facebook which meant a lot to me as my parents could watch and follow along throughout.  I didn't cry at Brett's wedding like I did at Meg's, but I did tear up when Cal hugged Brett as he walked up to the altar and once again at the end when the cantor song "May the Circle Be Unbroken" during the recessional.  

Since all of the pictures were taken ahead of time, we were able to leave for the Knights Hall for the reception after Brett and Karen went through the receiving line.  I was glad to be there early as there were still some things to do before the guests arrived.  The cake was late due to a storm, but the Knights were ready at the bar and the caterer was set up with appetizers for everyone.  The majority of the guests were there by the time that the wedding party was announced a little bit before 5 p.m.  Jovie was able to livestream the reception for Grandma and Grandpa, and I appreciated the butterflies that Meg put at their table to remind of us of their importance in our family.

Dinner was absolutely delicious.  I was very impressed with the caterer.  The speeches were nice.  I especially liked Sean's as it focused on his friendship with Brett and Father Reginald's blessing of the couple.  The first dance songs were perfect, and I was blown away by Jovie's singing.  The rest of the evening was filled with dancing, cake cutting and a lot of great conversations.  I was incredibly thankful that the Budde family, Aunt Jan's family, Parce, Vicky, Phil. Billy and Dan's family were able to join us for Brett's wedding.  It was awesome to be able to visit with them and share this big day.  I also enjoyed dancing, especially during the anniversary dance as Brett chose "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin, one of Grandma's favorites.  I did cry once, when Brett and Karen danced their last song to "Together Forever" by Rick Ashley.  Brett had loved that song since he was in high school.  Watching him dance to it with his new bride, surrounded by all of the friends that he had made since that time period was emotionally overwhelming.  I was so happy for him.  It was the perfect way to end a fantastic day.

Rehearsal Dinner

Today was a little more stressful than I thought it would be.  Brett and Karen were overwhelmed by all that needed to be done, and I made way more decisions regarding their wedding than I had planned. Thankfully, Meg had all of the decorations covered and we were able to get the Knights Hall ready for the reception tomorrow. Karen's aunt and uncle were a big help as well as was the head of the Knights.  I wasn't sure at first that we would be able to get everything finished before the rehearsal, but thankfully we did.  We even got the room for the rehearsal dinner decorated before we headed to the hotel to change.  Meg had done a wonderful job.  Everything looked beautiful and we were able to utilize some of the photos I brought as well as the extra decorations that Karen purchased as well.

It was very nice to see everyone at the rehearsal tonight.  Cal arrived this afternoon in time to go to Floyd County Brewing Company with Doug and Brett.  He also ran to pick up the cookies for dinner tonight and lunch for those of us decorating.  Cameron and Cora made it to the church just before the rehearsal started.  Cora had to work today, so they left after lunch.  Karen and Brett had a wedding coordinator at the church to help with the rehearsal.  She was nice, just a little confusing.  We all practiced several times and learned what we needed to know for tomorrow.  My children were even able to FaceTime Grandma and Grandpa so that they could see what was going on in New Albany.  

On our way to the Knights Hall, Doug and I stopped to pick up the food from "The Chicken House."  It was extremely chaotic at the restaurant, but we did manage to get everything in the car and back to New Albany without too much trouble.  It was nice to relax, visit with everyone and enjoy a meal together.  The food was absolutely delicious.  We had way too much of it, but Cameron and Sean were thankful for all of the leftovers.  The Knights had a bar in the basement stocked with Pabst Blue Ribbon.  There were also pool tables for everyone to enjoy as well.  Although I was completely exhausted, I was very happy that all went well.  I enjoyed a celebratory drink back at the hotel with our family as well as Aunt Jan, Uncle Phil and Evan.  It was the perfect way to end our evening.  

Southern Indiana

Doug arrived in Louisville late last night.  This morning, he had plans to pick up his suit at Men’s Warehouse in Bloomington. That worked out perfectly for me as Cora had to be back in Bloomington for work by lunchtime.  Since we had to leave Syracuse early to make that work, I got up two hours before we left so that I could see my mom before we headed out.  We visited for about an hour while she ate breakfast.  My mom cried when I left, but I waited until I got outside of the nursing home.  I knew that I would be back at the end of July and hoped that she would be home by then.  Either way, it was nice to see her improving.

Meg and Nick planned to drive straight to New Albany.  The rest of us made it to Bloomington without incident.  Cameron dropped me off at Oliver Winery where Doug was already waiting for me.  He headed to Men’s Warehouse while Doug and I enjoyed wine tasting.  Our next stop was Nick’s on Kirkwood where we enjoyed a drink for Doug and “sink the biz fries” for me.  Brett had always wanted us to try the Bear Wallow Distillery in Gnaw Bone, so I suggested we stop there on our two hour drive to New Albany.  Doug really liked it and bought some whiskey to share for the weekend.  

Meg and Nick were already in New Albany when we arrived.  They were at a different Fairfield Inn, so we said that we would meet them for dinner as there was a brewery in their parking lot.  It was a nice place and we had fun with them before heading back to our hotel fifteen minutes away.  Brett arrived later in the evening.  He planned on staying with us tonight.  Karen was already at a friend’s house for the evening.  We enjoyed a few drinks together and talked about the wedding.  It was nice to spend this time together before everything got extremely busy tomorrow.

A Quiet Day

It was a quiet day for me in Indiana, but a really nice one. I got to spend a lot of time with my mom and see how physical therapy was working for her. I also got to see what meals she liked and even watch a few westerns with her. She did tell me that she didn’t think she could make it to Brett’s wedding. I was glad that she said it as I had been worried about how that would work since she would only be allowed to be out of the nursing home for 24 hours. It would have been a really long trip for just one day. I started working with Brett and Karen right away on how we could live stream the event for her. I even talk to my cousin Jeannette to see if she could use Nick‘s iPad to at least get the ceremony videotaped. Everyone said they would work on it and I felt pretty good about it happening. Nancy offered to stay with my mom and watch the wedding with her if my dad wanted to go, but my dad decided to stay with my mom and that made sense to me. The bad part was that my mom had just found a dress for Brett’s wedding. We told her that was OK as she could save it for Cal’s wedding.

Well, I was busy with my parents, Cora and Cameron went to Saugatuck, Michigan for the day. Cora had never been and they had a lot of fun shopping and trying out the different restaurants including pepperoni pinwheels from New Holland Brewing Company. I was glad to hear that she really liked them.

Meg hung out with me for most of the day. She wanted to spend time with her grandma. She did run some errands while she was in Indiana and picked up some groceries for us as well.

Nick arrived late tonight. His flight had landed early in Louisville, so he decided to drive up and hang out with everyone before they headed to New Albany tomorrow. He helped my dad and I move a recliner into the dining room area. so Grandma had a place to sit near the kitchen and restroom when she came home,. Meg cane up with that idea. It worked perfectly as my Mom would be close to the kitchen and the bathroom that way. They all stayed up a lot later than me, but I was ready for bed. This weekend will be exhausting and I wanted to get some rest before we left tomorrow.