An eventful weekend

My clan and I arrived home this afternoon from a whirlwind trip to Nick's hometown, for his little brother's wedding. AJ and Amber are now husband and wife (which sound really weird, even though I saw it happen right before my very eyes!).

The wedding was nice; the bride was gorgeous, of course! And so many tears were shed... I was wondering halfway through the ceremony if we weren't at a funeral! Everywhere I looked, people were breaking down and sobbing (and I was no exception, lol).

I'm so glad we were there for the big event... and I can't imagine NOT being there for that; Amber and AJ were not only "family," but our best friends for the few years that we lived there. Their wedding was bittersweet, not only because they were married, but because it was really the "end" of a chapter for that family. Now that AJ is "grown up" and moving on, there really is noone left in "the hometown." No reason to go back for holidays or "events." It's kinda sad... although I only lived there for a brief time, I really loved it there, and I know how special it is for Nick... it'll always be "home" for him, even if we have no reason to go back.

Another highlight of the weekend was that we all got to meet the newest (and tiniest!!) member of the family! Baby Hailey was there, and she is the littlest peanut I've ever laid eyes on! It's very sad to think that the next time we see her, she'll probably be walking, and maybe even talking!

I also got to spend a very brief time with two of my closest friends, Sarah and Kris. It was great to see them again and catch up.

All of this was crammed into about 24 hours, so you can imagine it was a very busy weekend... mostly filled with time in the car, which wasn't much fun (me, Nick, two cranky kids, and a crazy dog... ugh). Needless to say, it was a huge relief to finally make it home this afternoon! Nick and I have made a vow never to leave home again, lol. So how long do you think it'll be before we pack it up "hit the road??" Any bets?

The worst part of the weekend was that I FORGOT my blessed camera. Imagine that! Me, the camera fiend, left it behind. I was so upset with myself. Otherwise, I could torture everyone with pics from the weekend.

So, anyway, I'll make it official and say Congrats to Amber and AJ. We love you dearly and KNOW that you have a lifetime of love and happiness ahead of you. Thanks for letting us share your special day!