Good Morning!

Ahhhhh...we are home. HOME! Last week was...a week like no other. Monday I packed all day. Did last minute sewing. Organized things to fit into the car like a puzzle. (The trunk wasn't full—it's the inside that needs hard core organization to survive traveling for days on end.) We planned to leave Tuesday morning around 3:00. Well, Hazel decided she was hungry...I had not given them their bedtime snack. I was so tired and knew we'd be up at 3:00! So she kept waking up and finally I told Craig, “Let's just leave!” So we did. Around 2:35 am. We drove all day arriving at Colliers in the evening. After a delicious supper we had lots of good conversation in which they helped us with our life's issues and questions. :)

The next morning we were out of there by 7:00 am. And...we traveled all day, arriving at dads that evening around 8:00. The kids were awesome. Seriously, if they were not good travelers I would have pulled my hair out. Because it's bad enough for adults to drive that far, and then every half hour or less, I had to turn around and give them something. :) Food. Toys. Blanket. Drink of water. Except, of course, the stretches where they slept. So we are so grateful they didn't scream and yell a lot! Just a bit. :)

Thursday was set-up for the wedding. The wedding was to take place in Elkton, 30-40 minutes from dad's house. Over a mountain with lots of curvy roads. That was a big day. Sam's Club's awesome plates tricked us. It said “40 plates” on the package but had 20 large and 20 small, so we only had half enough plates! So we waited and were there most of the day. It was a fun day, but with three toddlers, a hair difficult.

Friday we kids decided to go Goodwill shopping, as we have found some serious bargains in the east. (Think rich people giving away nearly new items.) Well, it didn't all go smoothly or as planned, but so it goes at times. :) From there we went to the rehearsal at 4:00. It was fun!

I was very tired by that evening. I had actually been tired most of the week, but by Saturday, I was exhausted. The kind that doesn't go away with a good night where all the kids sleep well. (They did great while we were there—so grateful!) I had also been fighting a cold all week. I took my tonic bravely and just kept it at bay, but it still threatened.

Saturday was a lovely day. We left on time, :) going with Shanes in the large van they were driving. We stuck the twins in the very back, and heard very little from them. But upon arrival, Craig found that Hazel poor dear, must have had some motion sickness, because she had vomited all over herself! I mean, it covered her coat, over her tights (I hadn't put their dresses on yet—praise the Lord!) and even on the bottom of her foot. Goodie. We were supposed to be taking pictures. Instead, I was franticly cleaning her and wondering what to do with her wet tights! Rosa to the rescue. We took our pictures, then she took Hazel's clothes and washed them by hand. There was a dryer at the rehearsal building, and she had the clothes dried just before we were to be ushered in. :) In the meantime, I was at the guest register and Craig had the kids in a back room, romping about before the ceremony began.

We were ushered up to the very front row, just behind and to the side of the bridal party. And our kids were little terrors. The crowning point was when Bomani threw a tiny stuffed bear up even with the bridal party. The servers, sitting to our right, thought it was hysterical. Then he wanted to get it, so I told him to go get it, so he hunched down on the floor on his tummy, and I stopped him. I was afraid we would all burst out laughing if he inched up there. :) Even one of the pastors facing us on the podium was grinning. The girls were wild, so we all ended up in the back, and Craig took the kids and I watched the ceremony from the back. It was a lovely service. The lead pastor had such a gentle, honest way of opening this unusual wedding ceremony and talking about mom and dad's relationship, and now dad and Mary's. The pastor who opened with prayer prayed for each of us kids by name. It was so good.

Then to the reception! There was a pack n play upstairs, and I put Daisy in, but Hazel refused. She was really fussy over this trip. She is getting her molars in, but I also think she's more sensitive to strange situations and being away from home. Bomani was in a very...weird mood. He didn't want to sit with us, and wouldn't stay with us. He just wanted to wander around the reception hall by himself! Half the time, we let him go. The other half I panicked and tried finding him. :) It was a lovely reception. Very beautiful and delicious food. Most of the people who spoke at open mic either cried themselves, or made others cry. It was a strange wedding, so wonderful and beautiful, and so sad at the same time. Quite a number of mom's siblings came, which meant so very much to us. Nearly all of dad's were there as well. We kids sang “Heaven's Gonna Shine” for mom. Then the guys later sang “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” for fun. That kind of relaxed the atmosphere and showed people that it's not all intense emotions...it's fun too. I think you can find it on youtube. My little bros starred. :)

We stayed around and talked with relatives and friends for quite a long time. Then Dad and Mary left and it was like, why stay around? So we went home.

One of my favorite moments at the reception was when I carried Hazel out—she was finally asleep. I took her up to the pack n play and Daisy was awake, so I traded them. As I was walking through the people, a lady told me, “I'm sorry she woke up!” I stood there, confused for a moment, then said, “This is the other one!” :)

Sunday was a good day. There was a dinner at church then three of my friends came to our house and we caught up and chatted. I made some supper for the crew then, and in the evening Rosemary came over and we did the intro on our catching up. :)

And Monday we headed back home. We drove through the night. At 2:00 when I took the wheel, I drank so much coffee and tea that I didn't sleep well for the rest of the day! Last night (Monday night) I was so tired I could hardly walk. And so now the recovery begins. :)

Craig and I unpacked, put things away, and did laundry yesterday after we got back. So today I am doing nothing. Oh yes—I need to go to town this afternoon, but that's relaxing. :) (In comparison to normal life.)

So there is the account. Looking back, I see that I should have rested more and kept the kids at the house more on Thursday and Friday. Saturday was a good day—but I was exhausted and the kids were stressed. Three days in a row of driving over the mountain and getting little naps here and there took their toll. It was a good trip! But I am sooooo happy to be home!

And how am I doing with the emotions and all? I don't know. I missed mom. I thought about her so much. She seemed so close by. Yet, I am so excited about having Mary in our family. It's so good. I think I'm just tired. Inside and out. So don't ask how I'm doing for another month yet. :)

And I was so happy to get home to my lacto-fermented vegetables. :)) I missed them! Daisy and Hazel like the cucumbers...and I'm so happy to be able to make hard core healthy food again. :) We took all our food for the trip out, but the way back was fast food and that sort. Back in windy Kansas...

I better run.

Lata.