I've actually been home since Monday evening, but it was such a long, emotional weekend that I really just haven't felt like sharing.
This is a very long post, and I don't know if it interests anyone, but I just feel like I can't write anything else until all of this is out. Here's the rundown of last weekend.
Thursday:
7:30 a.m. - Got a call from my parents who had a message from my grandpa that my grandma was in the hospital for gall bladder surgery - we kind of laughed about it since she hates to travel and had said all along that she wasn't going to go to Green Bay for my sister's wedding. She had agreed later on, but we all saw the humor in her "finding a way out" of going.
8 a.m. - Got another call from my parents who had just talked to my grandpa, and my grandma had suffered a massive stroke the night before. Being already in the hospital probably saved her life as she got the proper medication quickly, but at that point, we still didn't know if she'd survive.
9 a.m. - Called the vet to get shot records for my dog so she could go to the kennel while we were gone. Found out that she was missing one shot and that her rabies expired that day.
9:30 a.m. - Got to the vet office, got the shots done.
10 a.m. - Home again, started packing for the trip.
11 a.m. - Left with the stock trailer to pick up our new bull which was being delivered partway to us.
12 p.m. - Loaded the new bull, did all the paperwork, etc.
1 p.m. - Got home with the bull, turned him out with the cows.
3:30 p.m. - Just about ready to take the dog to the kennel, and the guy we're feeding cattle for pulls in. Spent the next hour trying to get him to shut up and leave.
5 p.m. - Finally got to the kennel to find the owner had just left to run an errand.... wait....
11 p.m. - Finally have chores and packing done - time to sleep!
Friday:
4 a.m. - Husband wakes me up.
4:45 a.m. - Run to my parents house to look for the things they said they'd forgotten. Couldn't find them. Turns out they had them after all.
5 a.m. - Finally on the road.
6 a.m. - Hit a detour.
8 a.m. - Finally find a place to have breakfast.
9:30 a.m. - Arrive at the hospital, find my grandma's room, and promptly run out crying at the shock of seeing her condition. My aunt and grandpa arrived shortly after and assured me that she was already making progress from the day before, so I felt a bit better.
11 a.m. - On the road again
3 p.m. - Arrive in Green Bay, check into hotel, immediately leave again to get keys from my family, who were decorating the reception hall, to get my husband's tux from their room.
4 p.m. - Try on tux, it looks funny, call my future brother-in-law for his opinion, decide it's just because my husband is so skinny.
4:30 p.m. - Go to help decorate reception hall.
7 p.m. - Rehearsal and decorate church.
My husband and I practicing walking down the aisle. I think our faces pretty much say how emotionally drained we are at this point.
The decoration on the guest book table.
8 p.m. - Rehearsal dinner.
11 p.m. - Finally back to our room and some much needed sleep.
Saturday:
6:45 a.m. - Wake up simply because my body isn't used to sleeping any later - can't fall back asleep.
9ish - Shower, make up, etc.
9:30 a.m. - Leave for salon appointments.
Me with my newly done hair - this was the only point at which it looked good. The curls died long before the formal photos began.
12 p.m. - Arrive back at the hotel, already running late. Fly into my dress and jewelry and dash down the hall to lace up the back of my sister's dress since her personal attendants had gone back to their own hotel to get ready. There's 19 loops on each side of the corset back, and when I get to the bottom, I realize I missed the 6th loop on one side. Unlace and start over.
Me lacing up the dress - not sure if this was the first or second time.
12:45 p.m. - Bus is supposed to be leaving with us from the reception site so we could leave our vehicles there.
12:55 p.m. - We finally have the bride ready and on her way. We drive ourselves to the church since we missed the bus.
1 p.m. - Supposed to be at the church to start photos.
1:10 p.m. - Arrive at the church to no photographer.
1:20 p.m. - Photographer arrives - glad we rushed!
2:45 p.m. - Photos end, and we hide while guests arrive.
3 p.m. - Wedding begins, and it is the one beautiful and perfect thing of the weekend.
Bridesmaid bouquets
My sister looking at her new family - I love this photo!
Me.
3:45 p.m. - Board bus to take photos at Lambeau Field and a park.
5-10 - Arrive at reception, get announced, eat wonderful food, help my youngest sister write her speech to coordinate with mine since she was scared to speak alone (and I am too), dance with my husband, take lots of photos before getting a drink spilled on my camera, visit with family.
10 p.m. - Realize the groomsmen other than my husband have no intention of decorating the getaway car, so decide to take matters into our own hands. While sneaking out to get supplies, the bride follows us thinking we're outside to cool off. Try to lose her, send my husband, aunt, and cousin to Shopko for supplies since they're less likely to be missed. Blow up balloons to fill the back seat, wrap the front seat with crepe paper, write on the outside, tie streamers to everything, etc. This was fun! I've always wanted to have a hand in this, but never expected to get the chance as I'll obviously never be one of the groomsmen.
Let's face it, the bride is from Minnesota and the groom from Green Bay - we had to get in the Vikings digs even though there was nothing purple to be found at Shopko!
11 p.m. - Attempt to get into the bride and groom's hotel room to leave rose petals and chocolate - couldn't do it.
11:30 p.m. - My dad and my husband leave to get our vehicle from the church (we were both in the wedding party and thus went on the bus from church to photo sites to reception). They get pulled over for speeding.
12 a.m. - Dance ends, see the couple off, strip the tables, load everything up for the trip home.
1ish - Arrive back at hotel, pull dozens of pins from my hair, collapse into bed.
Sunday:
8 a.m. - Latest I've slept in a long time. Had breakfast with my other grandma, packed.
11 a.m. - Gift opening. Poured rain as we arrived, and as I ran into the garage, I slipped on the wet concrete and just about ripped my big toe nail off.
2 p.m. - Left Green Bay.
5:30 p.m. - Arrived back at the hospital, visited grandma again. She'd been moved out of critical care on Saturday which was great since they'd told us they'd keep her there at least through the weekend. She'd also moved her right foot, though her right hand still had no movement. We brought her some photos from the wedding, and no matter where we moved them, she wouldn't quit looking at them.
8 p.m. - Decided to stay the night instead of continuing home. Checked into a hotel, went out to eat to celebrate Father's Day, and then went to bed.
Monday:
8 a.m. - Slept in again!
9:30 a.m. - Visited Grandma again. She was sitting up in a chair this morning which was good to see. Her photos were spread on the table over her chair, and every so often, she'd reach up and touch one or pick one up. It's very hard to talk to someone who can't talk back. I'm not much of a chatty person anyway, so it was extra difficult for me.
11 a.m. - My husband and I continued home.
2 p.m. - Hit the detour again at the same time as the low fuel light came on in my pickup. Turned around and drove 15 miles back to the last town to get gas.
5:15 p.m. - Arrived back at the kennel and picked up the "kid".
5:30 p.m. - Finally home!
I promise I'll get something more interesting up this week. I have rodeo photos from this weekend, plus my mom and I are probably doing another once a month cooking day this week, and I'll try to remember to take photos of that this time.
