There's a Map for That...

I know you have all been dying to hear about my wedding extravaganza and wondering what has taken me so long. I can hear you all now...."What has she been doing??? I mean, for cryin' out loud, it is TUESDAY, almost WEDNESDAY. I can't sleep until I hear everything!!!"
Well, my dears, let me explain.... No, there is too much. Let me sum up:
There was a wedding. I went. There was a reception. I came home. I went to reception #2. I came home. The end.

No? Ok, I'll bite. (Although it really is too much...)
Wednesday I drove to Cincy to stay the night with the groom's family. I was riding to DC with them and we were leaving at dark thirty. So I see George spreading papers all over the kitchen table. And I mean ALL OVER. And I, being without pretenses, said, with my natural eloquence, "Holy Crap!" And then I looked closely....they were maps. Lots and lots of maps. His explanation? "This is how we engineers do things."

Well, that worked for me. Thursday at dark thirty on the dot we left for our humongously long trek. Thanks to George, I not only had directions, but a lot of detailed maps! Every leg of the journey was mapped out. This made my job as Navigator of Car #2 very nice. The drive was actually fun, I am still surprised to admit. Amazing what good company [and a little caffiene] can do for roadtrips! We got to DC and all vowed never to enter an automobile again [which, sadly, did not last long], and went to Hotel #1. [There were four that various parties were staying in. I was at #4] Other members of the groom's family arrived, bringing with them the most adorable children ever created [my own niece excepted. she is the most of all. duh.] After a very exciting dinner at a mall, a journey to miraculously find a white shirt someone forgot [I almost got a badge of honor for that one], and a rousing game of musical cars, I got to my hotel at 9:30ish. I think that was the earliest anyone actually got to their places, as a meeting with the bride's parents, a trip to the airport, and yet more musical cars games were going on with other wedding party members.
Friday dawned early. What can I say, I am a female and we pull out all the stops when it matters most. I woke 2 hours before I had to meet anyone. I showered, and waited, then dried my hair, put product in, and waited, then straightened, then waited, then makeup. Maybe I should explain a few things here: my hair is awful. If I blow dry too soon, it will frizz out of control. If I straighten too soon after drying, it won't last. So yes, the waiting was important. And I am not a huge makeup person, but I went all out. Hey, it's a wedding. ANYWAY, then I went to breakfast with the other people in Hotel #4 and we ate [delicately for me...I had my reception dress to think about], then left for the wedding. We didn't have to pick up the people from Hotel #3 as previously planned, so we went straight to the ceremony. The white shirt was delivered, the bride and groom arrived, and still I had no children to watch... Nerves were flying. The group from Hotel #2 HAD to be on time for the ceremony!!! Then I got a call that they were running late and I should meet them with the other sitters in the front. So when a silver van screeched into a parking spot and four beleaguered wedding party members spilled out, waved 'hi' and 'bye' in the same wave, and ran inside, I was ready and jumped in the driver's seat. A nice little jaunt took place, for which there WAS NO MAP, terrifyingly enough, and when all children had woken, we went back and waited.

Me with Child #3. SO CUTE!

Child #2 with her uncle, Brother #5

Child #1, playing hide and seek.

Soon enough, the deed was done, and the picture taking could commence. We'll skip the part about the crappy fit of the tuxes and how only two of the boys had ones that fit [honestly, why take measurements when they aren't going to cut them right, I'll never know]. There was much bribery for keeping smiles and pretending we all still liked each other amidst heat and sweat and blisters, and the children were worse. Luckily, the photographers were efficient and we all got to leave...except for my friends, the bride and groom. Oh, no, they couldn't go. I wonder why I even like weddings....They had the longest, hottest, most tiring day ever! But they were good sports and it got done. Then we had a luncheon....it was fabulous. One of our friends had the good fortune to spill marinara on his only white shirt, and so another run to the mall was made. Lucky it wasn't one of the tuxed guys. Then there was more picture taking at the bride's house and, to quote myself, HOLY CRAP. Never in my whole life have I been to a house I coveted to this extreme. I played with the babies most of this time, and enjoyed it IMMENSELY. Then I made a quick stop [thanks peeps at Hotel #4] to change into my FA-ABULOUS outfit [yes, it fit perfectly!!! no more diet!] for the reception at the Ritz, as seen below. Yes, you read that right. Ritz. As in Carlton. Jealous? I walk in and a waiter with a tray asked me if I wanted sparkling water. Oh, the night was good. It proceeded as most receptions do, the bride and groom came, danced, smiled, looked happy and in love and made the whole room jealous that we were not they...the servers asking if we wanted more beef Wellington or crab cakes...the dessert bar....Ah, receptions are great. Once we had tossed rose petals on the bride and groom as they made their escape for their pre-honeymoon [they didn't leave for Jamaica until today], we ourselves went back to the hotels and slept, our feet throbbing under the bed covers.
Saturday was not as early, but there was a fire alarm at Hotel #4. That was great. Yeah, no. But it was over, there was no fire, so I could check out in peace and get back into the car, far more crowded on this trip than the last, and spend 9 hours entertaining the greatest 3 year old ever. We went through a LOT of DVDs. But we giggled too. Construction traffic slowed us a bit [which was odd, as no construction was occuring] but we DID make it back to Cincy. I was not about to head back home after that, so I bunked out on a couch....after staying up until 2:30 with Lori watching Steel Magnolias and waiting for car #2, whose passengers had done a bit of sight-seeing in DC before leaving.

Sunday I came home...and crashed on the couch, watching Out of Africa and Princess Bride. I slept, fitfully, got up the next morning and worked a bit, then got in the car with Mom and drove BACK to Cincy for the last reception. The food was good, the company better, and my friends, the bride and groom, still looked happy and in love. If after all of this they can manage to do that, I have very high hopes indeed.

I know why I love weddings. It reminds me that even though this world is going to the toilets, love and eternity are still important to us. It's a crazy time making it all work, but at the end of it, when the rose petals are settled, the garters thrown, and the last beef wellington consumed, everything, even those nasty blisters and exhausting roadtrips, everything was worth it.

And I would do it all again in a heartbeat.