Another Saturday Morning Coffee Pondering

Up and at em on a day that I wanted to sleep late.  Something woke me up at 6:00 am (oh yeah, bladder yelling "empty me") and then the coughing began.  Just as I am beginning to doze back off, the cat began his scratching (as much as Cecil can scratch without front claws) on the bedroom door accompanied by "cat"- erwalling.  This is a sure sign that he wants to be fed.  Normally the big dude is sleeping locked in the basement so I can't hear his requests for food (he is so neglected!) that begin at 4:30 am.  But we have house guests (son and daughter-in-law [that's fun to say], daughter, and adopted nephew) so he wasn't able to stay in the basement last night.  And Curtis got home late from a dance and has one tonight so he needs to sleep late this morning.  So I got up with him and at this point all three dogs are awake too.

So here I am sitting at the table, drinking my dark roast french pressed coffee with a splash of milk, freezing my feet off (WHY DIDN'T I GRAB SOCKS?), and pondering my past blog posts.

I then realize that I did not post about the wedding.  I should have done it right away because the post nuptial emotional bliss would have been very inspiring to my prose, but alas, getting caught up on other things (LIFE) took a front seat.  So here goes.........

It was really, really great!  No that is not going to be all...........

The few days leading up to the weekend were very emotional for me.  I was crabby, crying at the drop of a hat, and it didn't help that Curtis and Chris started a photo shop "contest" on Facebook.  This was my favorite.

Baby picture of Christopher in his walker at about 8 months.
Yep - back in the day when it was still legal to use a walker

Part ONE of the wedding:

The whirlwind weekend started pretty calm as things should start.  On Friday we packed up clothes, dresses, suit, shoes, rehearsal dinner supplies that were assigned to me, flower arranging supplies, and OH YEAH -- cookies and away we caravanned with the Dodsons to Chi-town.  We left about 7:30 am and knew the drive in would take awhile.  Arrived at a very beautiful Hilton hotel near O'hare Airport.  Brandon Hansen our wedding planning check him out here at Northwest Iowa Wedding and Event got us a great deal on rooms.  He is amazing and so detail oriented.  If you need an event planned, don't think he just does NW Iowa.  He has done events in Des Moines, now Chicago and all over the place.  It was beautiful, got checked in and then awaited everyone's arrival.  The first event was the bachelor and bachelorette parties.  I decided to skip those events and just grab a bite to eat with the Dodson family and hang at the pool for the night.  Good decision it turned out as it was a raucous night.  Keetah and I offered to drive the girls downtown to the embassy suites as the maid of honor had rented a suite there for the night for the bachelorette party.  I was concerned about the country bumpkins taking the "L" when they weren't familiar with it.  It was a great decision for them, but not for me.  TRAFFIC was AWFUL!

Here they are getting ready to hop aboard the Dean Bus Line

And here we are stuck in traffic trying to get downtown

While I was hauling the girls downtown.  The boys were departing for their adventures with the bachelor party.  Oh Lord........we already had the discussion to NOT call me if they ended up in the Cook County Jail.  Just appear, bond out on own recognizance and get your butt to the rehearsal tomorrow afternoon!

A motley crew indeed!

 A Pirate hat?  Really?

So a big party for both, no arrests, and a few overly drunk attendees but no worse for wear.  The next day Keetah, Brandon and I converged on the event center - The Irish American Heritage Center - to begin the decorating process.  The bridesmaids were going to meet us there to help, but alas - think about the bachelorette party the night before - it was not to be.


The center is an old converted high school.  The room we were in was the "gymnasium".  It is gorgeous with old chandeliers and the BAR!  Beautiful.  Here are a few pictures prior to decorating.

This was the restored bar

The center's "gynasium"

Great chandeliers

So after the decorating was mostly done.  We headed back to the hotel.  The families were off at the "entertainment district" by the hotel checking out places to eat, etc.  We met up for a group picture.  Great job Curtis and your camera timer!

By the time we got everything done, it was time to head to the rehearsal.  There were a few things to tweak decorating-wise and the show could get on the road.

So serious walking his momma down the aisle before the rehearsal begins

After a great quick rehearsal, we descended to Bob and Emily's house for a backyard bash.  They put on a great feed with amazing food, great drink, and awesome company.

The evening culminated in a hotel get together of all the wedding party, family and friends.  Thus making it a very long morning for this mother of the groom.  Part two of the wedding extravaganza will be posted later with wedding photos, tear-filled memories and party pictures.  Check back!!!!!