It was a whirlwind trip, but worth the effort to see my brother Aaron and his wife Samantha get hitched at her parent's beautiful bed and breakfast home in the country.
It was like a showcase wedding out of a Home and Gardens issue, with an outdoor ceremony and a beautiful reception in a huge barn, decked out with tables and linens, a huge pig roasting just outside, and relaxing tunes. It was quite emotional at times and good to get acquainted with Sam's fun loving family.
While Sam was hiding in her dress, before the wedding, we snapped a photo of the parentals, and 4 of the 5 "kids" plus Simon. Chris didn't make the trip, so maybe I can paste his mug in later? ;)
My sister and Simon and I stayed in the family's cabin by the river and enjoyed the rustic comforts and kayaking that came with it. Once again, I tried to do it up with a girly dress and heeled shoes and backed out in the last minute, opting for comfort. I fear I may be one set away from being a dude. So sad.
Simon really enjoyed the swing. It was nice for a breeze in the humid heat.
Thank you Aundi for capturing me in outdoor sport mode. Its a rare siting.
My brother Casey and his wife Aundi were with me for the travel and helped me with Simon a lot. They held him quite a bit. Aundi and I were almost always taking pictures at the same time...so here she is in action.
I wanted to mention the wedding first, but the time spent getting there is quite a story in itself. Our stop in Chicago turned into a series of flight delays and a cancelation due to a major lightning and rain storm, which ultimately turned into a major power outage and mass exodus of stranded travelers looking for accommodations for the night. All of the hotels were booked and there was no way we were staying in the airport all night with a baby.
We ended up finding a room through Expedia, only to find out the hotel had no power...no back up lighting, no phones, no flashlights. The shuttle brought us to the blackened building and we used the light from our cell phones to find our room.
It took several calls to find a pizza place that would deliver that late in the storm. We were in Chicago eating Dominoes pizza in the dark. Dominos in Chicago?! the shame of it all.
To top it off, Simon was still sick and fussing all night and the fire alarm went off at 4am. We had no change of clothes or toiletries. Her I am, haggard and tired, heading back to the airport for the flight to Toronto finally, a day late.
Oh...and remember my hopes for a Subway? They were everywhere. In fact here is one in plain view of the parking lot we stopped in.
What parking lot were we in? Oh yeah...this one.
After four days of eating like a pig...seriously, it was a free for all after 5 months of eating healthy. I came home a jumped on the scale for the moment of truth and saw a whopping 8 new pounds. Can I cry a little now? If the trip were any longer I might need some new furniture like this rocking chair.
My sister and I were appalled they would put out this sweet, gigantic rocking chair and have the nerve to put signs all over it that read "Do not climb on please." Do not climb on??! It took every bit of will power I have to keep myself from jumping right up onto that seat and playing some air guitar.
Its late and I need to get to bed, but I had to get some photos up to share since I was still wired from the flight. Now can I sleep for two days?
