Thursday-
After packing up the dogs and dropping them off at doggy daycare, I headed to Montgomery to meet Bradford. We then made the trip down to Mobile. We arrived around lunch time, which excited me, because it meant we could pick up a Lenny's sandwich before going to Julie's.
The house was a buzz with wedding preparations when we made our entrance. Julie and Irvin were working on last minute details around the house, and Valerie and Charlie were preparing themselves for the big day. Our gorgeous little niece Hardin had no idea what was going on around her, but was thankful for the many visitors that flowed in and out of the house. Visitors mean attention. And, this little one loves attention!
She also loves Auntie Crystal, who pretty much gives her whatever she wants -- like a sip of juice for example...or a banana to mash and mush and cram into the mouth (something I unfortunately have no pictures of).Thursday night we had dinner with Charlie's family and friends at Felix's. Between the view, the food, and the company, it couldn't have been better. I ate a ton!
Friday-
Friday morning the preparations continued. Julie, Nana, and I headed out to the Wittendorfer's lovely home for brunch. Afterwards, I accompanied Valerie to the florist and got a sneak peek at her bouquet. Wonderful! I will admit, however, that as much as all of this brought back wonderful memories of Bradford and I's wedding, seeing Valerie write checks and pay balances certainly made me appreciate the fact that our wedding was done.
Friday night Julie hosted a party for Valerie and Charlie at her house. It turned out perfectly, although it took a lot of work from a lot of people to pull it all together (Julie and Irvin especially).
Everyone was having a wonderful time from what I could tell. Things were peaceful and relaxing. Charlie gave a heartfelt thank you toast, which was touching. Then, things started getting a little crazy. Let me just say, New Yorkers don't play around. They are a fun bunch. They started ripping table clothes off tables, filling up pitchers with keg beer, and lining up tables to form the longest "flip cup" competition arena ever known to man (exaggerating only a little). Flip cup, for those of you who don't know, is a drinking game which is quite entertaining for spectators. Cups were flying, people were drunk, and Val was commenting on what a high class event this was turning out to be. She was right. Check out the bride and the keg haha.
I turned in early, but, from what I was told, the party raged on until 1:30 am. Wowza.
Saturday-
Even though I turned in early, the next morning came quickly. Hardin woke up at 6:45 am. Aunt Crystal had primary caregiver responsibility. It was fun. Bradford and I enjoyed spending time with the little bean.
When we arrived at the church we were blown away by the beauty of it all. Everything was perfect, especially the bride.
The ceremony made me cry, which shouldn't be surprising. It was touching. It reminded me of what a great thing family can be and how amazing love can be. It is difficult to love someone, but it is also intensely gratifying.
The reception made me laugh...a lot. The location was prime. The setup was whimsical. The food was fabulous. The people were entertaining, to say the least. Everyone partied the night away. There was a lot of dancing and even more drinking. I ended up going home quite early (compared to everyone else). It was a wonderful event.
Sunday came too soon. Bradford and I headed home to Birmingham after having a wonderful weekend. Thanks to Valerie and Charlie for getting married and including us in it. I think those two are going to be very very happy in their life together.
It was so good to spend time with family and friends. A great weekend to say the least.
Not only did we come home with many happy memories, but we also scored some loot for BB. Michael and Allison gave us the sweetest bib and burp cloth set. Thank you!! What an adorable gift. It was so good to see Michael and Allison. We can't wait until they get to meet BB.
The Omage family also gave BB a gift - a cute "Libra" onesie. Here's to hoping this kid doesn't come too soon, or too late!! This is, of course, in addition to all of the other things the Omage family has given us for BB, including the cute little blue and cream animal blanket which can be seen in the pictures below.
As you can see, BB is accumulating stuff. The bright colored toy/teether you see was a gift from my mother (who has taken to spoiling BB already!).
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