September 15, 2012

• The Wedding

  TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

  We left for the wedding about 1:15pm.  It was only about a 75 mile drive but we had missed the rehearsal on Friday and they wanted to do another one when we got there.  Arriving shortly after 3pm (the GPS took us on the scenic route), they quickly gathered everyone together….grandparents from both side, parents, siblings in the wedding party, ring bearer, flower girl and then came the bride. 
  

  Her dad started her down the aisle and then gave her over to her brother who was on leave from the Marines for her wedding.  I found out he leaves for Afghanistan on the 15th of October.  He looked wonderful to me.  The Marines agree with him I can tell.  When the pastor asked *Who gives this woman?*  both Doc and his father said together, *We do!*
  

  They had the typical candle lighting with the parents (mothers, actually) lighting an individual candle that the bride and groom used to light a large, single candle, showing how two lives are now one.  What shocked me was how young the groom looked in person.  He’s slender of build and has a very young looking face for someone that is 23.  He looks very much like his father so, if he finally fills out in a similar way, it should be just fine.
  

  Aimee was a beautiful bride.  Her only complaint was with her train, which did not have any kind of a strap to gather it up and keep it off the floor once the ceremony was over.  It never occurred to her nor her mother.  Her mother is a very good seamstress and could have whipped one up for her, I’m sure. 
  

  The Princess and Chewlee ended up driving with us.  Tara got there about 20 minutes before the ceremony.  Afterward, we all went into the meeting area (I think it’s the lunch and rainy day play area for the pre-schoolers) where they had some fruit, vegetables, fantastic small meatballs, cheese and crackers, a tuna spread that was homemade and delicious and a blue punch (the bride and groom chose blue as their color for everyone in the wedding.  That included us (grandparents) but….no one had told me.  By accident or karma, I ended up wearing a blue pantsuit so it worked out just fine.
  

  The groom’s family was very sweet and friendly.  His grandmother gave me a hug when we left for home and it felt just like family to me.  The Beast got some nice pictures and he says he’s going to give me some after he works on them a bit.  If he does, I will post them and share them with you.  It was nice to see friends and the members of Raven’s family, too.  I just love her stepmother and dad.
  

  Chewlee had a great time.  There were other kids her age and the pastor let the kids play in one of the side rooms with all the various toys in it.  Plus there were swings, a teeter tauter for four that also went in a circle and a nice slide.  Chewlee should have been exhausted but she still had to wind down on our way home.  She ran over to give me a hug before they left and told me she would see me tomorrow.  She was just overjoyed to see everyone that is *her* family and meet some of the *new* family, too.  I heard her telling the little girl that was the flower girl that SHE (Chewlee) had been a flower girl, too, and had the same satin basket.  She didn’t understand why the girl didn’t know the bride, April, but I told her that none of them knew her.  She thought about it for a second, shrugged her shoulders and with an *Oh!*, she ran off to play again.
  

  I was very, very glad to get home, take off my bra and change into my jammies.  I’m whipped from my walk from the gathering room outside to grab a smoke along with all the other smokers there.  It wouldn’t have been so bad if there was anywhere to sit but it was an even longer walk to find stairs for me to sit on.  I can only stand upright for just so long……
  

  That’s been MY day.  I only cried a little when I got to see Aimee walking down the aisle on her father’s arm.  Her father is my son, Marcus Aurelius.  Her brother cried at the end of the ceremony when they exchanged their vows and rings.  He’s been very close to his sister and felt like he had truly given her away.  I told him later, when we talked that he didn’t lose a sister, he gained that brother he never had!  He laughed then because he was the only boy amongst four girl cousins/sisters.  I don’t know how much in common they have but it would be nice if they became good friends.  He DOES like the groom.  So do I. 
  

  Love you all.  Hope you enjoyed your day and you have a good Sunday. 
  

  • 11:10 pm
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