An august month.

The problem with having a wonderful, whirlwind two weeks before a wedding is that it is hard to remember everything that happened later.  If I go through my calendar, I see some of the events that happened: Day with Mackenzie, drinks with Charlie McKeen, Donna and Greg arrived, walk with Charlotte, massages, bachelorette party, wedding rehearsal, wedding.  But, that doesn't even come close to encompassing all that were those two weeks.

Randal and I would wake up in our little attic bedroom, surrounded by wedding props and dirty laundry.  We would go downstairs and Dad would most likely make us a delicious fried egg for breakfast.  Josephine would be sitting at the table with her dad and you would try to talk to her, but she would duck her head and bat her eyes at you, grinning sweetly before looking at Charles.  Everyone would discuss their plans for the day:

Me: I am finally going to finish those place cards.
Randal: Tree house.
Dad: Cleaning up and getting ready for your party.
Mom: Casseroles?  Pie?  I have to make a-fill-in-the-blank-with-a-delicious-meal for dinner tonight.
Charles: Maybe work.  Or bubbles.

Elisabetta and Daniel would then emerge sleepily from their back bedrooms, each take their respective drink (milk and espresso) and quietly wake up with the rest of us.

Days were filled with family and friends coming in and out of the house, helping and eating and cleaning.  Randal got several bee stings.  The boys put together spectacular benches.  Elisabetta made the signs and the placecards.  Daniel helped me put together gift bags.  Josephine helped her grandmother cook.  Mackenzie would bring Avery to nap.  Donna and Greg cleaned and cooked.  Trips were made into town for this wedding thing or that wedding thing.  Randal's family came out and helped outside, putting up lights, cleaning.  Karen Vail scouted out fresh wildflowers for the bouquets.  Everyone visited the tree house many times a day.

Evenings often had delicious meals.  Tomatoes were at their peak, so we had many BLTs with cucumbers and onions on the side.  We tried many bottles of Dad's new quality-wine hobby.  We laughed a lot.

 

 

Daniel and I would speak to each other in a made-up language.  "Chow bee-osh makazoo go?" I would ask.  "Nein!" He would reply, "Ballow kee manazoogoo!!"

Josephine would throw her arms up in the air and insist, "Up!  Zia!"  And we would gallop around the yard while she shrieked and inadvertently either pulled my hair, covered my eyes or strangled me.

And then there were events!  Olivia's 10th birthday party was a good one complete with cupcakes and a tumbling demonstration.

  

We all visited the Greene County Sculpture Garden and saw Charlotte's beautiful piece there.

"Life Force" by Charlotte Paul

The bachelorette party was so much fun, complete with delicious food and cocktails and an inordinate amount of laughter.  And of course, marveling at the fact that my friends and especially my family are so supportive, wonderful, and FUNNY.

 

I don't believe that we have any pictures of the rehearsal dinner at Nick's, but that is only because we were having too much fun seeing all of the friends and family that had arrived and catching up and laughing and hugging each other.  As I looked around that night, I marveled again at how incredibly lucky I am to be surrounded by such fabulous people.

I feel that the wedding almost deserves its own post and perhaps when I receive all of the photos, I will post about it.  But, it must be said...  It was a GREAT day.  For everyone!  Having my dearest friends around me while we got ready was incredible and funny and perfect.  Seeing Randal in his suit, looking so handsome, filled me with that sensation that has flooded me so many times: I am so glad that this man will be my husband.  Sitting at the top of the hill, listening to the guests arrive and sweating with my favorite people in the world while waiting for the sign to walk down the hill. 

And then walking down that hill, down the aisle that I had envisioned as a 13 year old girl, with my father taking my arm and telling me a joke was just what I had always imagined.  But, seeing my friends and family and then my future husband in front of me as my parents gave me away filled me with so much happiness that it kept brimming out my eyes.  (So much so that Charlie, our "padre," mentioned, "Maybe you should have had a drink before the wedding!")  It was the perfect wedding.

I didn't think that it could get any better, but just seeing people, hugging them, laughing and feeling so full of joy as we made our way to the reception was simply thrilling.  The food was delicious and the gin and tonics were perfect.  The toasts by Dad, Ben (the best man), and Mackenzie were perfectly suited and the cake was to die for.

But, the cherry on top of this perfect day was when all of the events were over and the dancing was in full force, a spectacular thunderstorm occurred.  Beautiful lightning and an absolute downpour only enhanced the party as family and friends and adults and children danced joyfully in the rain.  When Randal picked me up and spun me around, dripping wet in my wedding gown, I felt that I could just burst from happiness.

A bonfire, skinny dipping, and curling up in bed with my new husband were the perfect conclusions to the day.  What a day.  Without a doubt, August 31, 2013 is one of the very happiest of my life.