The Weekend… and its Aftermath

We had a very nice, if hectic, weekend. We did get to soccer on Saturday, and JediBoy has three friends on his team so he is thrilled. He’s glad to be playing soccer again - he didn’t do spring soccer this year so we’ve been soccer-less since March.

After soccer we did lunch and then drove down for the wedding weekend - swapping JediBoy out for Em, who wanted to ride down with BabyGirl. I’m sure we got the better end of that deal as BabyGirl slept most of the way while Em watched Hannah Montana on her DS, then after BabyGirl woke up, Em entertained her by chatting about what we saw along the way. The two boys, riding in the back of the other van, kept up a constant stream of chatter for two and a half hours!

That afternoon we spent time with the wedding party at the hotel, and then I had a very nice treat when Leigh offered to keep ALL FIVE KIDS in ONE HOTEL ROOM for THREE HOURS while PisecoDad and I went out to the pre-wedding dinner. It was the first time we’d been out as a couple without kids since becoming a family of four just over nine months ago, so it was a great occasion. Jer even brought me a Long Island Iced Tea to celebrate. (And I don’t usually drink alcohol, so it was a very unusual evening for us all!)

Sunday was a day full of hurry-up-and-wait for the bridal party, but we stayed cheerful and rehearsed and posed for pictures as directed. The ceremony itself was short and very sweet. The rabbi included the wonderful story of how Aunt R and Uncle J met once… then were reintroduced five years later and finally started dating. She tied it in to the traditional idea of fate/destiny/soulmate and said that if they hadn’t gotten together when they did, God would have pushed them together in another way, since after they started dating they realized that his father and her uncle had been good friends for many years.

There was a slight hiccup in the ceremony when Aunt T, who happened to be at the end of the row of bridesmaids, fainted. She was just overcome by the heat, and she revived immediately and was more embarrassed than hurt. She was taken care of by a rush of people (including two gentlemen I didn’t know, me, Uncle M, PisecoDad, etc.). The rabbi paused in the service and then said that it was very telling how she could see that the concern in Aunt R and Uncle J’s eyes, even in the middle of this sacred ceremony, was more for their friend than for the service.

We all bounced back and had a wonderful time at the reception, where there was much dancing and laughing.

Here we are, just as we are about to go our separate ways:

That’s me on the left with JediBoy, BabyGirl and PisecoDad. Next is the lucky couple: Aunt R and Uncle J. The other Uncle J - that is, Jer -is in the back with the hat. Aunt T is holding Cousin C with Uncle M behind, then Leigh with Dave, and Emily, Nate and Anna in front.

It’s no surprise that a big, fancy wedding with a dinner the night before and a noisy reception that afternoon aren’t really my style. But I was so glad to be there, to meet Aunt R and Uncle J’s other friends and family, and to be a part of seeing one of my dearest friend’s dearest wishes come true. I was honored to be a part of it and we had a fantastic time, and R - because I know you’re reading this - we love you so much.

JediBoy had bounced back well enough from his illness to make the trip, but I think the traveling wore him out. He was a little feverish again today, and at five-thirty, we found him asleep. I don’t get to take many pictures of my six-year-old sleeping, so it touched my heart to get this shot: