The Wedding Weekend

First I have to tell you about this picture. As I said, trying to get back into a routine after Jane had left. I went for a fast walk in the neighborhood. 40-50 minutes make me feel good. I had to stop at one neighbor's house though when I saw this raccoon climbing around on the bird feeder. I wasn't fast enough with the camera to get him there, but this is not a bad picture either.

Friday May 2nd
Packing for Nashville, packing for the wedding, getting the house ready for our German visitors who come back with me from Nashville, taking care of "loose ends" etc etc. too early to eat lunch before we leave so I put the stew in the freezer and make sandwiches for the road.
We reach the Hampton Inn Hotel in Dublin at 3pm. Rehearsal dinner tonight. James and I will babysit Caleb at Nana's house, his great-grandmother. Sarah gives us the address and time 4:15 to be there.
I apologize not having done a better job with this picture but I did it too hurriedly. You can tell though how much his Nana loves him.

Caleb's great-aunt Leslie was staying at the house too and loved playing with him too until they all had to leave.

It was such a lovely day and Sarah had also left the stroller. Ha-ha, you think opening a stroller can't be that difficult. James tried, I tried, Andrew tried. Everybody said that there must be a latch or button somewhere ... I suggested to James to google on his smart phone. Love the gadgets! A U-tube video told us where the latch was hidden.

Sarah had brought the blow-up travel crib and we put him to bed around 7:30. He was asleep in about 90 seconds. Sarah came back about 10:45 pm. Out of the sleeping suit and into the car seat. He did not mind at all. Just looked at us with big eyes wondering what was happening. Sarah said next morning that he was asleep in the crib again in 30 minutes.

Saturday

Breakfast is included at the hotel and since we usually don't eat much breakfast we had way too much. There were other wedding guests which of course was fun.

Well, what to do until the wedding time? We decided to go for a walk/hike. The New River Trail was recommended in the goody bag we had received. The New River Trail is a 57-mile linear park that follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way. Ha- ha, we couldn't go all those miles but we went to the trail head in Pulaski and walked towards Draper as long as we could in the time we had knowing we needed the same time to walk back.

It is a very nice trail ... with some remnants of its previous purpose.

Soon we came to this sculpture.
"Ghost Train (2003 by Harry McDaniel): consists of five sign-like pieces and two telescopes placed at 25' intervals along the trail that runs through the New River Trail State Park. As park visitors pass by they see abstract shapes in the signs. When they stop to look through the telescopes they see the silhouette of a locomotive from one end and the silhouette of a caboose from the other end." (I googled this)

I actually could take this photo through the telescope. Rather proud of it.

Walking along. So pretty.

Passing some abandoned houses on the way. I love this picture. The huge tree. The overgrown old car.

On our way back we had to go over the Peak Creek Trestle again.

I asked James to step onto the little "balcony" to enhance the picture.

When I came closer he motioned me to take a look at what he had seen. I expected to see something like a birds nest.

Not!
Do you see it?

My phone has a pedometer app. Did I mention I like gadgets?

A salad at Wendy's and back to the hotel for a shower.
A big bus picked us all up from the two hotels (across the street from each other) at 3:45 pm and brought us to Christ Episcopal Church. Sarah had communicated with me that I was to take care of Caleb during the ceremony since she was asked to do one of the readings. And since she and Wade were close family they were sitting in the choir stalls. She was stressing that Caleb might get restless, unhappy etc. or fill his diaper just then. So I didn't take a picture of the lovely decorated church from the outside. Here is one I took in March at Caleb's baptism.

The ceremony was lovely. The bride was beautiful, the groom was beaming. The organ music was very special and the officiating Rector Vickie gave a wonderful message. Oh, and everybody else ... and Caleb was good too. Good thing he distracted me a little because at times like this I can get quite teary eyed ... happy tears.
After the service the official photos. Most guests were taken to The Barn at Rockwood Manor for the reception. James and I stayed behind to help Sarah.

The photo: our Sarah and Caleb on the left and her husband Wade on the right, the bride Katie is Wade's sister and groom Tim, Wade and Katie's parents Kathy and Mike, Caleb's great-grandmother Becky (known as Nana).

Sarah brought Caleb to Wade's parents house. Unfortunately the arranged babysitter was one hour late. Sarah pointed out the "still life" of her rehearsal veil (which she had brought in case Katie wanted to use it) on the wooden giraffe. Cute!

The "Barn" was great and things were in full swing when we arrived. James and I tried to talk with lots of the other guests which had been at Sarah's wedding to Wade almost three years ago. As parents of the bride then we were recognized. We had a great time. Everybody is so nice and loving. The food on the dinner buffet was incredible, drinks were plentiful, the band made nice music, lovely decorations.
So sorry I didn't take many pictures ... at least not good ones, sigh.

Sarah and Wade have a good group of friends.

Sarah is dancing with Uncle Dennis. The man has so much energy, I would break my neck.

Sarah shared this photo with me. Evidence that we were dancing too. But not as "lively" as Uncle Dennis.

The wedding cake with a very special top. They had bought it on the family vacation when Tim had proposed one morning at the sunrise.

Apologize again. The cake cutting. What was I doing?

Yes, they really did cut it.

But the cupcakes are what we ate. They were so good, I mean incredible special, that I had two. Ups, may be I shouldn't tell?

The send-off! Ah, I wish the new couple the married happiness I know!

And then the big bus brings us back to the hotels. The schedule said: departing Rockwood at 11:15 pm. Nice not to have to worry about driving!

Ah, what a day!

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