COVID 19 - The Coronavirus: Virtual Wedding

On April 25, Cousin Kerry and Dr Matt were married! The physical wedding was off, but the online reception was on!

Carrie had me dress up in 'cowboy formal.' I had a hat, a tie, and a t-shirt. I should have worn my kilt, too, but I didn't think anyone would ask what I was wearing!

Nana wasn't pleased with my shirt. I got a text. Hilariously, I was vindicated when someone's husband walked on camera shirtless! 

It was fun! It wasn't as good as being in person, but I'm glad to have been part of the celebration. I had been looking forward to taking time off work and driving to SC to be with everyone before COVID hit. Kerry's been commissioned and Dr. Matt being officially her husband will help her Air Force medical career coexist with his medical research work (they're a pair of smarty pants). I believe they will be moving to Dallas, TX San Antonio, TX soon (if they haven't already).

Congratulations to Kerry and Dr Matt! We love you and wish you the best!

Travis and Anne's Shindig

Travis got married in January on the west coast. His family threw an east coast reception for him this weekend.

Of course, Shane and I attended! 

The reception wasn't until the afternoon, so I'd hoped to connect with some other people. Nothing panned out and John was even working during the reception. Bummer! That meant a quieter morning of chores before we left (I'm sure Carrie really appreciated it!).

Shane and I started up north listening to Space Case by Stuart Gibbs. We arrived a little before the party, so I had Shane sign us in.

ADHD moment: There were fire trucks active across the street. We'd passed a station on the way in. I was really curious, but eventually party people came! Priorities!

Travis and his wife, Anne, arrived with Travis' younger boys, Brayden and Noah. Ryan wasn't there.

I pushed Shane to greet the kids. The boys all acted like they didn't quite remember each other. I hadn't realized it'd been so long since they had played! (Our summer 2019 meetup hadn't worked out.)

Once Noah and Shane started talking video games they bonded again. I pushed Shane to include the young cousin in glasses (like Cole's!) and he at least greeted him, too.

It was a Mexican food themed reception. I approved! Shane really wanted to try a La Croix strawberry pineapple flavored water thing while I grabbed a water bottle.

Can you guess who finished my water bottle and who got stuck with the can?

I was glad Shane came with me. Frankly, I felt alone. None of our old crew made it but me. John was working, Bill was in NJ, Dan in Vegas, Matt has a new son, and I don't know if Travis kept up with Landstreet, Cooley, or Chris and his brother. I knew some of Travis' extended family in passing, but the brother I knew the most, Ron, wasn't there yet and without assigned seating it looked like everyone parked with their families.

Travis had a lot of people he needed to talk to, so I focused on helping the boys connect. Once Shane got some food in him, I suggested inviting kids to the playground. He balked at first, but it seemed like Travis' mother heard me and liked the idea.

The three older boys hit the playground. Two younger boys followed soon after.

There was roaring, play fighting, and Shane turned into a zombie. Some of the play fighting had me a little on edge, but it soon became clear they were all having fun and no one was using excessive force.

Shane managed to scare the liver out of me and the other dad keeping an eye on things. He climbed up on the roof of the play structure. I called for him to get down, because I didn't want him setting a bad example for the other kids. He was taking his time and only half-obeying me, so I started a real slow count (I didn't want to rush-rush him just in case).

Shane slipped.

He was sitting on his butt, slid off the green roof, and it looked like he launched himself into a swan dive. His leg hit the yellow pole and I think an arm did as well, but he fell all the way to the mulch. 

For a split second I was in disbelief. The other dad ran through the gate while jumped the fence. Shane got up by the time I was halfway there and I had him sit on a swing while I checked him out. He'd have a nice bruise on his leg, but there didn't seem to be an emergency.

I probably either had a few hairs turn gray or fall completely out. Does my hairline look further back? 

Shane was sufficiently recovered to stand in line for cake. He was running around like nothing had happened soon enough while I had a mild tension headache. 

I praised Shane for having the wits to fall forward instead of backward. He was able to use his limbs on the way down and landed on hands and knees. I told him he was a great climber, but this was a lesson that even great climbers need to be careful! The risk is partly what makes it fun, but it's not fun to get hurt so do it right!

Shane wasn't the only kid to eat cake. There was a lot of running and screaming going on down the church hallway. Lots. A parent came by and told the kids to stay out of any rooms and then disappeared back into the reception.

The dark hallway was plenty of fun. Shane was a zombie again. He's got a pretty convincing zombie walk for a kid who's never seen a zombie movie! 

I try to be a laissez faire parent while paying attention in these situations. I would stand just around the corner so I could hear, but be out of sight. Then I'd walk around every now and then to get eyes on things. I want Shane to be able to function without a shadow and I wasn't too worried since there was one older teen playing with all the kids. It turned out she was just a really tall 12 year old!

Eventually, some of the mothers started to wander out and check on things. They went into the mix to moderate instead of hanging back like I had done. None of them knew me, so I'm not even sure they realized I'd kept at least somewhat of an eye on things. 

We'd been there for nearly three hours and the reception was winding down when Travis came out to play with the kids some. He joked and poked while the kids laughed. Ron came up next and showed Shane a "magic trick" (Snap with the right hand while your left hand puts the quarter away...Presto!).

We left after hanging around about 3.5 hours. Travis and Shane bowed to each other and both made some karate sound effects before we left. "He's funny!" Shane said.

It was a lot of driving (nearly 5 hours) for a short stay, but it was worth it for a unique event. Travis was happy we'd been able to make it and I hope to get the boys together again before another year goes by!

We took 95 home instead of the usual route. We made it home in time for horse chores and bed! (I think Carrie put Shane to bed and only I did horse chores, though!).

Congratulation, Travis and Anne! May your marriage be a blessing to each other, your kin, and all who meet you.

The Rehearsal Dinner

Saturday night, Shane and I drove to meet everyone at Stablecraft Brewery. We were ready to party! I was trying to catch up with people when Shane heard the party van had arrived.

I would have stayed and chatted, but I'm not 100% confident Shane wouldn't run into traffic if it let him greet Nana and Pop a second or two quicker.

Which is why I told him to climb the fence for a "better view." It kept him out of the parking lot.

Jim, Shawn, and the cousins were all walking up, too, so that could have been too much temptation for my spawn's survival instinct to process!

I love it when family comes together. My generation of cousins were unable to attend, but all of Shane's generation made it out!

The rehearsal dinner was less of a rehearsal and more of a giant excuse for everyone to eat, talk, and celebrate!

I met some of Shelby's family (including a woman who found eyes to be a person's most discerning feature), but there was a ton of my own clan to catch up.

More than I really had time to talk to in the few hours of the party!

Which meant I largely let Shane roam free. He was surrounded by people I trusted and I didn't really want to know what he was up to so I wouldn't have to correct it (barring anything too dangerous).

Nana did make me intervene when the boys were climbing on a bunch of pallets. I wasn't worried, because they weren't that high and pallets have plenty of places to hold on to! I ended up following the kids into the trees, but only because Sammy followed after them.

Marcus and Lauren came to represent the Jeffers clan. Marcus recounted the story of how he accidentally hit Patrick in the head with a shovel while Patrick showed off the scar. Andrew and Andy disappeared inside to talk after a little bit (Perhaps the chaos/crowd was too much, but they claimed they just went for a beer and started to talk!).

It was a big party. I drank two beers and then called it quits to be safe to drive later on. The bbq and bread pudding was great, but the kids all wanted dinner rolls and more dinner rolls.

Most of my siblings were just happy their kids took a time out to eat. They were having a lot of fun!

Let's break down what was happening in this picture.

Here's Renee laughing as Matt suggested stopping at five or six children:

Here's Shane posing like he's about to pee. Really, he's digging and throwing sand (Megan did tell B he could pee as long as he got behind a tree).

Cole...well, Cole was still enjoying the sand!

B, Sammy, and a kid who looked like he could have been related (from a distance) were center stage. B ran up to me later to tell me the boys "were fighting," but it was okay because they were having fun and he "wasn't scared!"

Cole may not have appreciated the game as much as Shane and B at times....but either they were oblivious to his anger, or it fueled their fun. I couldn't really tell you which. Cole kept coming back to the pack, so I guess it was good 'forgiveness practice.'

Shane eventually checked in with me about more substantial food. He ended up eating BBQ off his plate sans fork. 

As in, like a dog.

Nana wasn't happy, but I was happy he got some protein in! He knocked it off when she said it bothered her.

Patrick seemed like he enjoyed the night. He didn't seem too nervous about the big day looming either, so that was a good sign!

Patrick's Bachelor Party!

Patrick's getting hitched. Hooray for Patrick! Patrick, Matt, Andy, Andrew, and I met up at Burger Bach in Richmond to celebrate.

The burgers were great, but we were all upset it was pronounced "Burger Batch" as in a New Zealand beach house. We thought it was "Burger Bock," and would have classical burgers. 

After a hearty meal, we gathered at the house for the night. Andy did a lot of work coming up with schedules, reservations, and accommodations. The rest of us showed up to have fun and split the cost (except for Patrick!). 

Matt volunteered to drive so that we wouldn't have to pay for an Uber or Lyft. He crammed Aiden's carseat into the trunk and then we all crammed into the car. Patrick got shotgun.

There was a slight mixup when our directions made us hop on an automatic toll road. The toll was only 60 cents, but no one had change. Matt threw in a pen to hopefully smooth our passage over. No word on if it worked yet (Maybe it was only a 50 cent pen?).

Our first stop at the night was a brewery in Scott's addition. We each had about two beers and talked for two hours (save Matt as the driver - He stopped at one).

The company was the focus of the day, not the drinks. The brewery had some strange, funky, friendly(?) brews. Patrick might have had a third, but it was the weirdest tasting sour/tangy fail of a beer that would become a joke for the rest of the night (along with Bach vs Batch!).

We regrouped at the house afterward. This time we avoided the toll, because we were out of change AND pens.

Our dinner reservation for the night was a short walk through Carytown away. We went to PBC for pizza.

They had an eclectic menu including a thai pizza Matt and I split.

Fond memories were discussed.....such as when Patrick and Andrew tried to drink a gallon of milk and Patrick threw up in Andy's yard (much to Andy's confusion).

The smack talk for Smash Bros started earlier in the day. Andrew was the resident expert and predicted to win after we got back to the house.

And win he did! Matt got a win with Donkey Kong, Patrick won with the pill throwing Dr Mario, and I think Andy won a round, as well.

I was terrible. I haven't played Smash Bros since the N64 and I barely played it then! That gave me time to commentate and take a few pictures.

The house was a creaky old thing that no burglar would be able to break into unheard. There was a 'basement' crawl space we joked about making someone sleep in at the foot of the stairs and the only bathroom was on the second floor. I slept on the couch and Matt claimed the inflatable mattress in the dining room (Andy was too tall to be subjected to it).

Matt fought the coffee machine into submission the next morning. He and I were up early. Andy had provided higher quality k-cups by walking to a store last night. 

Patrick had trouble sleeping and ate an orange that he said tore up his stomach. He only had about four beers throughout the night I know of, but he was feeling rough the next morning. Poor guy! While he was monopolizing the bathroom, Matt and I had to use the yard to relieve ourselves.

We walked to a diner for brunch and farewells. Patrick drove and parked out front. We got stuffed and said our goodbyes (I had trailer park pancakes and they were delicious!).

One-Eyed Jacques was across the street from the diner and I couldn't resist stopping by a game store. Andy and Andrew went with me and I picked up a ding and dent game for cheap.

From there, we walked back by an ATM, met a local, and said our goodbyes. I drove back to Carrie and Shane and was home before 1 PM. I told Carrie about the night and then got wrapped up trying to help solve a travel crisis, but that's another story.

Congratulations to Patrick! Hang-outs are my favorite type of parties. It's great fun being able to walk around with a group of friends and have simple fun together. We never had time for any of the board games anyone brought, but that was just a sign we kept busy in other ways.

Back from the Emerald Isle!

Carrie's back! Shane, Grandpa, and I met Mommy and Grandma at the airport Friday. 

Then, Carrie and I left Shane with Grandpa and Grandma and scooted up to Salisbury, MD for Dan and Shar's wedding in Delaware. It's going to be a fun weekend.....if Carrie can overcome the jet lag.

I'm glad she decided to come back!

Work Wedding

Inspiration struck. Carrie wanted to build a wedding present for her coworker/factory boss. He only wears flip flops. Carrie decided to create a bouquet and display that included a years worth of flip flops for the bride to be (Creative isn't she?).

My quest: Find a box. Carrie left me to it while she went to a hair appointment.

Boxes are a funny thing. They're ever present and recycled all the time, but rare when you need one. I didn't want to pay for one, so I rummaged.

Nothing fit Carrie's grand specifications, so I fabricated one instead. To my own amusement, I used a company box.

Carrie went to work after her appointment. She used flower wire to secure her arrangement.

I got kicked upstairs to shower and get ready. Unfortunately, the gift was wrapped when I returned.

I would have made a lid, but Carrie was concerned about time and didn't want a lid if she couldn't cover it with wrapping paper (we'd run out). Maybe the happy couple will be happy enough to post a picture. Carrie got a little stressed at the end trying to pull it off, but she had a lot of fun overall.

Carrie has not approved any wedding photos, so I can't post any at this time. We'll see what happens later.

UPDATE:

Seanon sent Carrie a thank you and a picture of the final product.

And I forgot about a mini-Polaroid tucked in my shirt pocket.