First Wedding

My cousin and her long time boyfriend got married a few weeks ago and we all made the trip to Pennsylvania to celebrate with them and to see my dad's side of the family. This was LB's first wedding. However, he didn't actually go to the ceremony because it was right during his nap time and we figured it might be risky to bring a very active two year old boy to a Catholic wedding ceremony. I would make that decision over again in a heartbeat! Even though traveling with a two year old isn't always easy, I am so glad we went and overall LB did really well.

Highlight #1
(These are not in order of importance.)

LB got to ride in an airplane with his Grandma and Poppy. My parents drove to Columbus a few days before we had to leave and then we all flew together. LB loves airplanes. He talks all the time about how they "go running fast" and "go up up high and down down." He asks to go to the airport all the time. If there were no airplanes at our gate's window then my dad or D graciously took him to find other ones.

Highlight #2

I made friends with an Ethiopian woman working at the Starbucks at the Columbus airport. We even exchanged numbers and she invited us to a picnic event at the Ethiopian Orthodox church in town. She picked up LB and gave him kisses. He didn't seem to mind and then she gave him a free scone. Love.

Highlight #3

Aunt Bebe met us there and LB ran to her arms when we saw her at the airport. We kept telling him she would be there but I am not sure he believed it until it actually happened. Aunt Bebe is way fun and does stuff like somersaults on the hotel bed. I think for kids jumping on the hotel bed is a travel requirement. It's like it is embedded in their DNA. Aunt Bebe and LB certainly have a special bond.

Highlight #4

The morning of the wedding we had a little time to kill so my dad took us to the park where he spent a lot of his youth. My dad doesn't walk down memory lane all that often so it was fun to hear his stories of playing baseball with all his childhood friends. We also got to see the outside of the two homes where he grew up. LB had a good time except for one moment which will be mentioned next as the major low point of the trip.

Low Point

If you have ever been around LB in person then you know one of his many talents is an ear piercing scream. We've always said that when he is mad or upset about something then everyone within in a few blocks is aware of it. There is no halfway with him. Well, it turns out this statement was not an exaggeration. If memory serves the incident began right as this photo was being taken.

Do you see the little tube leading to the slide? Well, LB sort of got stuck in there. He tends to get a little claustrophobic and then can't decide which direction he wants to go. He clearly got disoriented and wanted nothing to do with that tube. So he did what he typically does in those situations. He screamed. My mom tried to get him out but I think in the end D had to reach in and pull him out and was able to calm him down. Situation over, right? No. The screaming was so loud that some cops showed up to make sure everything was okay. I have no idea where they were but soon after the screaming ended they pulled in the lot and we assured them everyone was alive and not being tortured. Awesome. By far, one of my most embarrassing moments as a parent. I am trying really hard to laugh about it. 

Highlight #5

Even though LB didn't make it to the actual ceremony (D stayed back at the hotel with him) he did go to the reception and basically stayed until the end. He typically goes to bed around 7:30pm but I think we eventually pulled him off the dance floor close to 10pm. He was very good during the cocktail hour and actually ate some food despite all the distractions. And he sat at our table through the meal and speeches. D may have taken him out to the garden once or twice but overall he was in a great mood. Once the dancing started LB's mood went from good to incredibly awesome. He was hysterical. He danced the night away and it was like he was possessed by the music. All of my cousin's friends were dancing with him and essentially formed a line around him so they could watch and dance with him. The photographers must have snapped a million photos of him. I was so wrapped up in the moment that I didn't take any pictures but thankfully my sister did.

The last photo cracks me up. It's possible that I slightly resemble my mother. I am kicking myself for not taking any video of LB but I was just so happy to see him leading the charge on the dance floor. 

Highlight #6

At one point the DJ did an anniversary dance and had all the married couples come to the dance floor. The idea was to determine which couple had been married the longest. The dance floor got more and more sparse and eventually my parents were the only ones left dancing. They will have been married 40 years this August. It was a fun moment for our family to see them celebrated. 

My cousin and her husband had been together for 100 months on the day they got married! I am so glad we got to be there to see them, as the priest said, "give their love freely to one another."