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Casual Sundays with Mr Curry
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Bill and Jen's Wedding
This entry was posted on 8/27/2011 9:29 AM and is filed under blather, Family Fun, Kids.
I'm not as sore as I thought I'd be.
Last night was Bill and Jen's wedding. Bill's the last of my eight siblings to get married. The entire first tier made it back for the occasion which hasn't happened in a while. When there are so many of us, it's difficult to find a time when every one can make it. Not only the first tier, but the vast majority of second tier kids were here, too. Of my parents 25 (now 27) grand kids, only a half dozen were missing, due to school, work or being too young.
And we were all dressed up and looking good.
One of these days I have to figure out how to size these things. Oh well.
The festivities actually began last Saturday when JP flew into town. JP used to come home every Christmas and for several weeks every summer. Then he got a job and wrecked everything. On the other hand, he married Royana, so when we get JP we get her too so on balance, it's a win.
Mom and Dad took the opportunity of most of their kids being home to throw a party on Sunday. It was an open house for all of their friends to introduce Jen to one and all. Plus, my Mom got to show off her kids and grandkids (and let them know about her first great grand kid, due next spring). It was fun; lots of folks we've known since we were little, all eating and drinking and laughing and inevitably doing calisthenics in the front yard and competing in absurd obstacle courses.
These family parties almost always include obstacle courses.
The Hubbell Open was played on Tuesday and Wednesday. The family golf tournament isn't usually played so late in the year; usually everyone comes home in July but since Bill's wedding was for late August, that's when everyone planned to come. Unfortunately, due to the late date, Jay couldn't play because his job got in the way. It's funny; this is the first time ever that he had no summer school to teach and no camps to run so he actually got to take the summer off but the tournament was so late he missed it anyway.
Apparently without Jay, an entire contingent of the tourney pulled out. No Jay, no Tyler, Tom, Eric, Juergy or Ron. For awhile, Zack and Josie considered playing but changed their minds when they found Jay was out.
As a result, Woody won the thing again. I think he's won every other year. Not that any of the missing players would have posed a threat; it's kind of a fluke when Woody doesn't win.
Roy, Margy, Jeff and the boys all arrived on Tuesday night. Wednesday, while the guys played the second leg of the tourney, we girls got together at Katie's house and MJ did everyone's nails. We were trying out colors for the wedding on Friday. For dinner, We all gathered at Andy and Vi's to celebrate the end of the tourney. The food was fabulous and it was great fun. We tried not to get carried away, as none of us are as young as we used to be and we knew the partying had just begun.
Thursday morning, Ty got to town. Megan hadn't planned on coming, as it coincided with her first week of work at a brand new school. We miss her but seeing as she's suffering through morning sickness, she would have been miserable if she had come.
It's great to see Ty, though. His plane landed early enough so that he and Jay could go to the noon game at Target Field. Later on, we went on over to my Mom's for the Groom's dinner and to meet Jen's family.
Again, lots of fun, great food, drink and people.
My sister Katie couldn't come to dinner on Thursday, as she had gotten into an art show downtown. She'd entered and been accepted into this show months ago and we all just wished we could do both.
Turns out, we could. The dinner was great fun but since we all had a big day coming up, no one wanted to make a late night of the grooms dinner. The party at Mom's was over by 9:30, so a bunch of us hopped in the van and headed downtown. We got to the show, which was held at the Fine Line, a bar down on first ave, around 10:30.
It was fun, full of funky artsy people (we were the oldest bunch by a long shot. Remember when you were a twenty something and you were out, being all hip and edgy and suddenly you became aware of the old guys next to you? Old, like not only over 30 but over 40? And you were all 'eww. What are those fossils doing here? Who let them out, anyway?' It never occurred to you at the time that the old fossils thought you looked ridiculous, did it? Well, you did. They were laughing at you. Laughing. Now I know.) showing their cool, hip, edgy art.
I loved the art, the crowd, the fashion show and everything about it except the music. The music was very loud, poundy and unrelenting. In less than five minutes, I felt like my internal organs were bleeding out and I considered throwing myself over the balcony railing to the floor below. Because I'm that old.
We stayed til the end of the show and helped Katie pack up her stuff into her car.
So Thursday began with me, waiting for my son to arrive in the morning and ended with me, running down a dark alley downtown, carrying a giant painting.
I didn't see that coming.
Then it was Friday. The day of Bill and Jen's wedding. They couldn't have ordered a more beautiful day. It was warm, blue and brilliant. They got married in the back garden at Jax Cafe, surrounded by flowers, fountains, friends and family. Logan sang, champagne was passed around and the bride and groom looked deliriously happy.
We managed to corral the extended family members for some photos. We were unable to accomplish that at the wedding last year. We were missing quite a few last year anyway.
The reception was upstairs. As usual with this sort of thing, it was great fun. There was a bar and a sit down dinner and an opportunity to see people we haven't seen in years.
Katelyn and Logan sang a few numbers after dinner and then Zack took over the music and dancing began.
The bride and groom's first dance was to the theme music to Friday Night Lights.
It was so perfect I cried a little.
With Zack in charge, the dance floor was filled all night long. There were a few interludes where one or two people took over the floor. Most of the time it was Zack but Adam (Katie's beau) impressed the heck out of everyone with his terpsichorean interpretation of Prince. I danced a lot with Jay, Tyler taught me to two step and later on I danced with Dean, Zack and Mike but mostly it was a free for all.
I danced all night to Michael Jackson, the BeeGees, Roger Clyne and a little bit of Johnny Clueless.
I had very little to drink so I wasn't worried about a hangover but I really thought I'd be much more sore than I am from all the dancing. Usually, after a night like that, my legs, neck and back are so sore I can barely get out of bed but this morning I feel okay. Maybe it wont' hit me until tomorrow but that's okay.
I'm really tired. August has been an exhausting month. It's all been a ton of fun but I'm not made for this kind of pace.
Still, sore muscles and an exhausted psyche are a small price to pay to see all the family together having so much fun; Billy so insanely happy and obviously pleased with the way things are working out and to get a sister like Jen.
On the way home from the party last night, Zack commented that all my brothers and sisters are finally married. It took a very long time, since JP didn't find Roy till he was 50 and Bill waited 45 years for Jen but it's happened. And the best part is that I really really like all the people my brothers and sisters married.
The odds of that seem astronomical.
Speaking of people I really like; Ellie's bachelorette party is tonight.
I think when school starts on Monday, I'm actually going to enjoy the peace and quiet.
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