Miss R's Wedding

A few weeks ago was J-Man's 30th birthday.  And like a true grown up that he now is, he unselfishly gave up the weekend for a trip to New Jersey for one of my closest high school friends' wedding. Yeah, he's pretty swell.

The trip started a bit rocky, not gonna lie.  Getting out of DC, even during a government shutdown where traffic was significantly less than usual, is always a nightmare.  Then, 295 adds its own brand of agony.  By the time we'd reached Baltimore it was like we'd been on the road forever.

We couldn't agree on a dinner location, so somewhere outside of Havre de Grace we ended up at a restaurant as the youngest customers by a good 30 years.  On the up side, PDG ran freely through the quiet establishment to the amusement of grandmas and grandpas, the servings were huge, and J-Man and I really did need a chance to decompress before the rest of the trip.

We finally arrived around 11pm, got little man settled into his crib and passed right out.

The next morning we got to see the beautiful bride, whose room was down the hall, our friend FR, also down the hall, and our friends (now engaged!!!) M and N, who somehow got placed on a totally different floor.

The G's were up before everyone else - shocker! - so we had one breakfast, and then later another with the ladies.  I think we even did a good job of not just focusing on old high school stories that bore my poor, patient husband.  We talked and talked and talked while PDG played with crayons and lights - another shocker - until we had just enough time to pretty ourselves for the big afternoon event.

Miss R, the bride, managed to plan a wedding that fit her personality and her relationship with her husband so perfectly.  That might be one of my favorite things about weddings - seeing how the personalities come through in every little selection.

Outside by a lake, as we sat on sheet-covered-hay-bails, Miss R traded vows of love and loyalty with G, in a sweet and short service.  We blew bubbles to celebrate before heading into the lodge for a cozy reception.  Pizza and beer were the appetizers - showing R's true Jersey roots - and let me tell you, that pizza was a-maz-ing.  Tortellini pizza?  Taco pizza?  BBQ chicken pizza?  Oh it was all there, and all so delicious that we forgot to save room for all the other food coming shortly thereafter.

PDG started the dance party immediately, and poked and prodded the speakers that were bigger than he was, trying to figure out just how this music was coming out.  Aside from one balance mishap leading to a little forehead carpet burn, nothing but food kept him from the dance floor all afternoon/evening.  When J-Man and I tired of dancing with him, others took over.  He even started to catch on when the chicken dance came on.

Miss R did her time on the dance floor, but as usual worried about the rest of us having a great time, as she mingled in her beautiful dress and held sweetly to her new husband.  She may not love the spotlight, but she deserved every second.

When it was time to wrap up, everyone pitched in.  Leftovers were divvied into take-home boxes, which served as perfect late night snacks.  Centerpieces were claimed, dishes returned to the kitchen, and the place was nearly cleared by the time we headed out.  Her family knows how to throw a party, and how to work together to clean one up.

Back at the hotel we talked and laughed more in FR's room until, unsurprisingly, I started to fall asleep mid-conversation.  Even though FR had just moved to DC, and M and N live here too, there's something about all being on one hall that felt like camp, or college, and we didn't want to end the socializing before we had to.

But home we came the next morning.  Back with a renewed appreciation of love and vows and marriage and family.  Back to our super cute little duplex with our super cute little toddler.  Back to less than cute jobs and alarm clocks.  But happy to have spent such a great weekend in a truly beautiful area of New Jersey with girls I've known for fifteen years and couldn't be happier to still have in my life.