Marryin' in the Rain

As I mentioned yesterday, my best friend got married this past weekend! It really was such a lovely weekend. Both families were so excited, and of course the couple was a bit excited, too, as you can tell from the sweet photo below. 

The rehearsal dinner was such a good time and so sweet with bouquets of newly sharpened pencils and children's books for centerpieces. I remember three years ago when Ashley, Laura and I drove down to Charlotte, and they were putting up with my incessant wedding talk. Laura may or may not have slipped a line in that there could be a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils when she married Nick, her boyfriend of a month or two at the time. She had passed smitten and the car ride quickly turned into a giggling fest when we realized where her mind was already headed. 

Laura always had suitors wagging their tails as she passed. How could she not? She is beautiful, brilliant and the personification of good (yes, you are Laura! Everyone agrees with me so I am preeminently halting your denial of it). Nick was not an overt suitor, but I remember someone telling me how whenever she spoke in their classes together he would always have this happy look on his face with a slight smile just giving away his admiration. Finally come senior year, she was his. 

On Saturday, I kept seeing that content smile on both of their faces as I watched them during the wedding. They would sneak looks at each other that just shouted, "He's mine!" and, "She's mine!" and it warmed my heart. Love you two!

Key points from the weekend!

- Laura's little brother, Patrick, is such a born servant. He was always asking me if I needed him to play with Ryan, feed him, anything! 
- Oh, yes, and we cannot forget that Nick's family makes the beeeeeest homemade caramels. I ate so many, and then on the way back I was craving caramel so Chris sweetly got me some Werther's Originals and ... nowhere near as good. So Laura ... first task post-honeymoon is to learn how to make those. Kidding ... kind of. 
- It rained all day long. But, Laura is Laura, which means that she did not care one bit at all. We have had many fun days dancing, singing and now marrying in the rain!
- Their priest was so amazingly reverent and gave an excellent homily. 
- I got to see most of my McGlinn loves, which was too good to be true and way too short, as always. 
- Kat, the bride's sister, best friend and maid of honor, will school anyone in a dance off. 
- My prayers were answered when I went shopping the day we were leaving for NC for some dress clothes for my normally naked boy. I went to my favorite, found one suit in all of their selection that would fit Ryan that was just perfect for the wedding and then also just happened to find just one pair of dress shoes that fit him. God made it easy on me! Aaaand the suit was $8.50 and the mint condition suede shoes were $3.50. 
- More prayers were answered when Ryan slept through most of the wedding. I was definitely nervous that he would call out to me when he saw me standing. Luckily, there was only one faint, "Mama!" the whole time.  Whew. He followed his good behavior with a broken candle at the reception and dirtying his diaper and suit with nary a baby wipe in sight. Thankfully, people were focused on the happy couple. 

Have fun in Turkey, you turkeys!