We spent the weekend in rural Iowa to celebrate our nanny, JoJo's, wedding.
SUCH a good time. The day before we left was an angry angry day for me. I was so sick and tired of our totally wretched children. Sick of the fighting and the attitudes and the always asking for one more thing, one more thing, one more thing, one more thing. I suggested a trip to the waterpark instead of supper because its generally impossible for us to be quite so horrid when we're wet, spread out, and around other people. But I was still so steaming by the time we got there, that I ditched them all and went for some retail therapy while they swam. I returned with a new black sundress (my new uniform. Yay!!), some dried fruit/nut mix, and a better attitude. Needless to say, getting out of town was exactly what the doctor ordered.
The cornfields, rolling hills, great company, and beautiful wedding truly felt like a vacation. In Iowa, everyone feels like family. At least those in our small bubble of a weekend did.
Tyson and Rachel "shared" JoJo with us this year. So River, Oliver, and Sage became like siblings.
Oh how they love their JoJo...
and each other...
never too young to hug a tree
oh my word, just look at her!
just a few more...I can't stop...
Rachel's family put us up in this amazing room above their garage. The pics don't do it justice, of course...
Antiques from an old school house. Love. Ryan liked the Dick and Jane books because every single one sounds naughty when you read it out loud.
And it came with a Keurig. Va-to-the-kay-to-the-shun.
And best of all, it came with a Grandma for the kiddos....
Ok, just a few more...
On June 16, 1984 I was a flower girl in Sam and Cindy's wedding. Pretty much the highlight of my childhood. (A child who doesn't get out much plus a beautiful wedding plus a vivid imagination equals the heavens opening and angels singing as this 5 year old glides down the aisle.) Now, on June 16, my girlie was a flower girl in the same church. It makes me tingle when things go full circle like that. Truly tingle. And what a treat to see Sam and Cindy. They fed us and we looked at wedding pictures, and they sent us home with a bottle of home-brewed wine. This life, these friends...it is good!!
River pulled Sage and Oliver in a wagon down the aisle in the wedding.
Pictures were at 1 pm, so as you can see, the kids were alert and ready...
But ready or not, it was picture time.
So they put their clothes and their cheerful selves on and posed like pros.
L.o.v.e.
It was a simple, gorgeous wedding for simple, gorgeous people. What an honor to be included.
The whole family is in much better spirits now. Especially the mama. We really need to get out of town more often. Really.