Karen's Wedding Weekend & Halloween 2005, Part II - Conclusion

I finally feel collected and rested enough to post about my weekend - but not creative enough for a bunch of pictures. Those of you who have been sent e-mails have seen the photos. It's been a long few days, and we barely pulled it all together.

I managed to drive down to mom and dad's farm on Wednesday, where the girls struggled to get over the last of their colds. Meanwhile, Grandma checked into the hospital to avoid making her chest infection worse, and mom was still concerned about one of her does going into labor (she's due on Nov 7th).

But Friday morning, bright and early, I drove to Muskegon at a leisurely pace, enjoying the freedom of being able to stop for a pee without unloading the car of children. I arrived at the reception hall to find Karen and her mother, Sarah, working in hushed, argumentative tones about the seating arrangement. Something about the number of people fitting the number of chairs, and certain groups of people sitting at adjoining tables. I set to work folding the placecards, ignoring the fatigued tension that ran between them.

Then Karen and I fled to a nearby mall where we went undie shopping for her big night. And we managed a full three hours together, alone and gabbing, before the descending hordes of well-wishers and family came between us. I felt like it was, oddly enough, saying good-bye. And sure enough, later that night when Karen was getting worked up about something the wedding planner had said, she turned to Art for consolation and calming. That used to be my job. I'm a little curious about what my job is now, but I think the wedding gave me some indication.

Karen desperately wanted me and my parents in attendance. She would have preferred more of my family, too, but Keven, Casey, Jess, and Lily had other varying levels of emergency that kept them away. Mom wondered why it was so important that they show up, being that they are "just" the parents of her best friend. When I became witness to 24-hours of family bickering, maternal criticisms, sibling snipes, and other teeny-tiny assaults during the lead-up to her big day, I realized that my parents and I are some of the best friends Karen has, in that we only want what makes her happy. I don't care if her hair is too poofy or not poofy enough. While all of Art's family was there in force, Karen also had her family - but fewer people, I think, who were 100% in her corner. That was why we were there. That's still my job.

So following the big event (which went wonderfully, without a hitch, completely according to plan and on a lovely, sunny 60-degree day) my parents, the girls and I went back to the hotel after about three hours at the reception. I cried twice, feeling the woosh of eleven years startle me as I watched Karen and Art on the dance floor and as I felt Juliette and Ilsa tug at my hands. I was outrageously tired by that point, and my feet were bloody stumps trapped in three-inch heels. The boning on my dress was so tight that I felt like I had done oblique crunches when I woke the next morning.

At the hotel, the girls wouldn't sleep - they were so wound up. Apparently they had been great sports about the drive up, the wedding (they made use of the "crying room" at the church), the three-hour interim between the wedding and the reception, and then throughout dinner. Ilsa loves cake. Juliette doesn't like loud music. Good enough. But they were so manic at the hotel! I practically had to lay on them, one at a time, to get them to stop moving and finally sleep.

The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast together at the hotel's buffet, which was by far the most relaxing time I had all weekend. We drove back separately, and I arrived home first (at around 1pm) when dad accidentally made a wrong turn and wound up in Michigan City. I came home to find Casey, Jess, Lily, and their dogs all in residence, with a stunned look on all of their faces. They had expected us home at 5pm. Whoops! We quickly cleaned up the place before mom and dad arrived back.

Later that night, mom and I went out to the barn where we spent some quality time with the goats. I got to feel Shelby's babies kick, and Honey, Pam and Pat could not get enough of my attention. And I won out in a battle of wills over one of their guard dogs, Samson. Hah! I don't think that would have happened if I didn't have children.

So Grandma stayed safely in the hospital for the entire time, Shelby did not go into labor, Casey managed to keep the animals alive for 24 hours, and we all did our part in making the day better for Karen (and Art, whoever he is. I need to give him a few more months before I render my verdict. Kidding - he's wonderful). However, mom and dad are sick now. We fit ourselves into this wonderful window of possibility and made the most out of it. The weekend before: the girls would have been puking still. Next weekend: my parents would have been completely unable to leave the bed, let alone the state (they are both in such bad shape that dad has taken two days off). Now all I have to do is last a few more days without symptoms to know if we're going to catch what they have (fingers crossed that we don't!).

And then we had Halloween. It was amusing and they had a good time, but the kids looked like they'd endured enough weird stuff for a while. First illness and being housebound for three weeks, then Juliette's birthday, then the wedding trip and visit to the farm, then costumes and candy. When they arrived home after Keven took them out, both girls started to strip out of the costumes they liked so much, as if to say "enough is enough." I have to agree with them. Bring on normal... Thanksgiving's just around the corner.