Guests in the wedding party, as well as close family and friends, arrived on Thursday for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. After the practice round we headed over to a large patio where a spectacular Midwest barbecue kicked off the first night. Later many of us headed to one of the bars in the resort, and then back outdoors to the fire pit. So much celebrating and overall fun.
Early the following morning my niece, Lizzy, led a yoga class under the shade of the trees. She recently got her multi-style certification in yoga after a month of hard work in Bali, no less. Oh, how I wish I had that confident sense of adventure when I was her age.
The rest of Friday was spent poolside, and we mostly gathered at the one that was child friendly. So many cute kids, too many to count, including the four ring bearers and four flower girls. Chairs in the sun and tables in the shade offered something for everyone. There was a little hut where simple fare was available as well as cold drinks. Sitting with my feet in the water and sipping a Corona with lime was true indulgence. Most of the guys, and maybe a few ladies--not sure, hit the golf course for eighteen holes. Here's Abby, the bride to be with my granddaughter, Elsie.
Here's a shot of daughter Emily, Mike, and that little cutie, Madelyn. Have I mentioned that their baby girl due in November will be named Lucy? I just love that name.
Dinner Friday night was outside one of the inn's restaurants. A sweet family shot. We had friends from Louisville, Canada, and England make the trek to see Abby and Tom marry. And there is Papa on the far right. The highlight of the three days was seeing him have a dance with Abby at the reception. We all stood around clapping, and Papa even got a little fancy with a some twirling!
On Saturday morning we met in the bridal suite to have our hair and makeup professionally done. Abby had gifted me, my sister in law Megan (who was the ceremony minister), and the eight bridesmaids with monogrammed pajama sets and robes. A huge breakfast was brought in which included eggs, ham, potatoes, bagels and cream cheese, and fresh cut fruit. A mimosa bar was set up on a dresser. It's so great to feel pampered like that, and of course, bond with all the ladies.
Abby received a beautiful gift of jewelry from her Godfather, Jack, who came all the way from Vancouver. So much family love all around.
Some candid shots just prior to the ceremony. Here is son, Kevin, with his two precious girls, Elsie and Patsy. I really need to update my sidebar with more recent pics.
And this is my grandson Brooks; son, Jeff, and his wife Deidre's little guy. He and Madelyn look like they are up to mischief, or at least doing that terribly shocking thing of showing what they've eaten, in this case, veggie straws. Jeff and Deeds are expecting another baby in December. Our family is growing at an astonishing rate.
Pics from the ceremony were shared in my last post. I love this photo of my girls, Emily and Abigail. They are as beautiful inside as out. I'm beyond happy and blessed to have them and that they have found really wonderful people to marry.
My brother and his wife, Mary Jane, came up from Louisville. They made a little wrong turn and ended up driving through downtown Chicago during rush hour. This made their trip over eight+ hours. Like the troopers they are, once they arrived we took a long walk, had cocktails and dinner, and then mingled. They got to see some my grandchildren which they had only seen in pictures, and met some of the super nice people in Tom's family. My brother is a retired high school teacher and coach. He taught sociology for just over 45 years and coached baseball and football. He's in the Indiana Hall of Fame for leading his baseball teams to an insane amount of championships. So it's a happy coincidence that Tom is in high school education and a football coach as well. It's hard to believe John and MJ are in their early seventies. No way, right? They have a tons more energy than me, that's for sure.
So this is it. Again, if you missed Part I of the wedding, go here.
I can't believe that I've been such a lazy bum and I haven't written about this pretty great summer I've had (so far). I'll share some of that in my next post, and some very exciting news!
Take care,
Jane x
