Can you believe it’s been one month since the kids got married? It was such a magical day! I’ve taken some time away from the blog and social media to soak it all in and rest. There’s a lot that goes into your child’s wedding. As with everything relative to one’s kids, I found myself more invested in ensuring their wedding was perfect than I was with my own. Having kids is an interesting experience. If you line every spectrum of the emotional rainbow amplified, then parenthood is for you. The highs and lows are much more extreme when you watch your kid experience them.
Fortunately, the wedding was an emotional high for all of us. The smiles never left the bride and grooms faces. They soaked in each and every moment of their special day. Although I’m sure if you asked them, the day was a blur. I continue to be proud of how Goalielocks and The Mayor showed up for Jake and Melly. It was proof that I’ve gotten at least three things right in life. Go me!
In the intervening weeks, life has settled back into its routine. I’ve relaxed my exercise routine to give myself some rest. It’s a bit harder to be motivated when you don’t have a fancy dress to fit into imminently. If someone could please throw a gala, I could get back on the bandwagon. Meanwhile, I’ll be over here pouring through the wedding pictures as feeling nostalgic about my the boys’ childhood.
One of my girlfriends, thank you Marla, had the brilliant idea of writing my favorite moments from the weekend down. It is easy to forget the smaller moments as time passes, so here are some of my favorite moments. Hopefully, I will catch the essence of their special weekend.
From Friday night, I loved watching Jake and Melly walk in a catch all the little details from the welcoming sign to the Daschund cookies and personalized candy bag tags. Also, from Friday night, it was great to see everyone interact and enjoy themselves in a relaxed and informal setting. We opted to hold an open house-style rehearsal dinner instead of the traditional stodgy dinner. This allowed us to include everyone attending the wedding. The majority of both families live out of town, so this was a great way to get the families together without the formality of the wedding. Friday night was a gift and fortunately went seamlessly.
Saturday leaving the house, in a rush per usual, we stopped to take a picture of the boys out front. It’s the same place we took all their back-to-school and prom pictures. Luke and I rode together and the boys drove separately. Truly, it was special to see how far the boys’ relationships have grown and how tight they’ve become. The younger two boys arranged Jake’s favorite dinners in the days leading up to the event. Additionally, the Mayor made sure we had all of Jake’s favorite snacks and drinks. The Mayor stepped up and helped Goalielocks, who had finals the entire week.
I had my hair and makeup done by Glamsquad, which did amazing work. It was fun getting ready with the bride, the bride’s mom, and the bridal party. Honestly, Melly and her family included me in everything throughout the wedding planning process. It meant a lot especially since I don’t have any daughters.
This one might be a bit silly, but I loved my outfit. I started looking for the dress even before the engagement ring was shipped to my house. Early on I decided I was going to buy an incredible designer dress second-hand. I sent all the candidates for Melly for approval. Eventually, I settled on a navy blue Jenny Packham gown. The gown had high slits on the legs and a magnificent cape. To round out the look, I paired it with a pair of Jimmy Choo Romy glitter pumps that I bought off eBay and a clutch I picked up at Nordstroms. The look turned out better than I could have imagined.
My veil played a starring role. I didn’t think my veil would ever see the light of day again. And then Melly asked to wear it. What an absolute honor it was to give her my veil. It complemented her dress and hairstyle perfectly. As dinner wound down Saturday night, I was chatting with the newlyweds and told Melly it was now her’s to pass down. I’m so happy she was able to wear the veil, but even happier to pass it down creating a family heirloom.
The ceremony started a little late, but still early by South Florida standards. I loved seeing my boys all dressed up. We lined up to go in and walking Jake down the aisle was surreal. Watching Goalielocks, the best man, and then The Mayor walk in with Ava (the flower girl) was a wonderful moment. Ava loves the Mayor, so we thought it would be a good way to get her down the aisle. Turns out it was picture-perfect.
Watching Jake’s face change as he saw his bride for the first time was moving. I lost it. It was so sweet to see him blown away by how beautiful she looked. The kids wrote their vows. Daringly, Jake said his vows with no notes. His vows, however, were from the heart and beautiful. I’ve never been more proud. When I asked him about them later, he said he didn’t need to write or down because it was just how he felt. Cue the tears…. And then she recited her vows, cue more tears. It means a lot to hear how someone loves your child completely and without condition. I’ve never been more proud of both of them.
The bridal party’s entrance to the reception was fantastic. They entered with lightsabers and it was amazing. The first dances were beautiful. Jake and I danced to “In My Life” by the Beatles, which is the song I danced to with my dad at my wedding. It was a special moment that I shared with Jake. A few minutes for us to chat about the day and for me to remind him how proud I was of both him and Melly.
Goalielocks was the best man and as such gave the first toast. He didn’t write it down beforehand, but he’s both good on his feet and a great speaker. Goalielocks wasn’t always the best brother to Jake, which he acknowledged. He did, however, acknowledge that his brother always treated him well no matter what. As Goalielocks grew up he’d come to respect and look up to his brother and their relationship has blossomed. It was a genuine, heartfelt speech that made me proud and misty.
The last speech was Melly’s dad. First of all, her parents are amazing and are so good to Jake. We love them dearly. PJ’s also a great speaker. The most touching part of the speech was when he spoke about how much he loved Jake. We think the world of Jake, but hearing his father-in-law describe their love and appreciation for him was truly a special moment.
My boys are the crowning achievements of my life. I’m so proud of the men they have become. This weekend the relationship they have cultivated was on full display. I’m so proud of how far their relationships have come. This weekend their love, loyalty, thoughtfulness, and support for each other were in full display. The Mayor brought his Polaroid camera to capture some of Saturday’s casual moments and boy did he. Meanwhile, Goalielocks, was there to support Jake with whatever he needed Saturday. Lastly, both boys made sure their uncles never went thirsty at the reception. Thanks for being a participant in my recap of my favorite moments from Jake and Melly’s wedding
We’re now two days away from the big day. I’ve spent most of the day fending off a tension/migraine headache, which is so lame. Hopefully, it will be gone by tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve been alternating between cold and heat to loosen up my neck and shoulders. Fortunately, I’ve still managed to be somewhat productive. I got the pictures ready for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. And I got the cookies under control. I’ll be baking a double or triple batch of butter cookies tonight.
I binge-watched Netflix’s Decameron as I alternated between the heat and ice. The Decameron, by Nicholas Boccaccio, is one of my favorite books. It follows a group of friends who leave Florence for the countryside to try and avoid the plague. While in the countryside, they spend their time telling short stories daily. The stories are amazing. It’s said that the Decameron inspired Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The limited series on Netflix doesn’t follow the book per se but follows nobles taking refuge in the countryside. I have quite enjoyed it.
Tonight I’ll have all three boys under one roof. What a gift! They’ll be playing video games and eating their favorite snacks. The Hubby is making jerk chicken with black beans and rice. One of Jake’s, and all of ours’, favorite meals. While they play video games, I’ll be mixing up more cookies and binge-watching a different show. Poor Ani will have to sleep in his cage tonight since he can’t be trusted with visitors. Before I forget, I have to say thanks to my dear coworker Sherry for the beautiful happy hanky. Two Days!
What’s the story behind your nickname?
My great great Grandfather’s name was Andreas. He was born at the Trandem farm in Romskog, Norway. We were lucky to visit the place where our ancestors were born in 2017. The doctors thought I was going to be a boy, but I surprised them all. My folks named me Andrea and my nickname became Andie because they thought I was going to be a boy.
Three days until the wedding, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve forgotten something. I’m sure we covered our bases, yet the anxiety is real and present. Anyway, we march on. The boys’ tuxedos arrived yesterday, so the Mayor and the Hubby will try theirs tonight. Goalielocks and Jake will go tomorrow to try on their tuxedos. My dad just picked up his and it looks amazing!
Yesterday we headed to my brother’s AirBnB to have dinner and cake for my dad’s birthday. His air conditioning went out over the weekend too, so they got a place to stay for the week. They didn’t know how long it would take for the AC to get fixed. Moreover, they have my parents brother, and sister-in-law staying with them for the wedding. The HVAC guys are insanely busy, so the wait can be long. Truly, we lucked out with our A/C guy. We had BBQ for dinner and another tasty cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Three days!
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
Self-care is super important for living a healthy and balanced life. I use a few strategies to stay on top of my physical and mental well-being. First of all, I go to bed every night at the same time. Also, I turn off my phone at least 30 minutes before I go to sleep. I wind down by reading, which usually prevents the wheels in my mind from turning in overdrive. I work out six days a week and include spin, run, Pilates, strength training, and yoga in my routine. Lastly, I make sure I always drink enough water.
Four days until the wedding! The excitement and stress is palpable in our house. There’s a lot to do before the weekend to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. Both families have been working overtime to ensure Jake and Melly’s day is extraordinary. It’s such a gift that he’s not only marrying the girl of his dreams, but he’s marrying into a family that loves and supports him fully. I’m beyond grateful for the Burrage family.
Jake and Melly will head South tomorrow night after Jake gets off work. Goalielocks should be heading down either tomorrow night or after his final on Thursday. I will have all my babies under one roof for one last time as a family of five. It’s a bittersweet moment as one chapter ends and a new one begins. I’m so excited that the next chapter includes a girl since I’m completely outnumbered by males (including the dogs) in my house. I’m looking forward to having more girl energy in the family.
In other news, also super exciting, the AC guy is here to install our new central air unit. It’s way more money than I was hoping to spend, but much less than I expected for the size of the unit. We lucked out because the AC guy was picking his son up from a playdate at our neighbor’s house when my hubby got home from work. The hubby struck up a conversation, gave a brief interview, and arranged to have the AC work done today. Today is also my dad’s 71st birthday. Much like my mom, he continues to age in reverse. Fours days!!!!
What are your future travel plans?
I have lots of future travel plans, but my bank account (especially this week) keeps vetoing those plans. It’s honestly quite the buzzkill. There are only a few places on this planet that I don’t want to visit. Those places are only on that list due to war or government instability. The world is big and beautiful and I long to explore it all.
Five days until the nuptials and we’re roasting. We are roasting since our air conditioner gave up the ghost yesterday. The South Florida heat was too much for it to handle. It has served us well over these last eighteen years, but its timing couldn’t be any worse. As if we don’t have enough to do or enough things to pay for this week, why not add a new air conditioner to the list? We may have to go a bit hillbilly and Jerry-right an air conditioner for the upstairs.
My hubby helped me out big time today by taking the food ordering out of my hands. It was nice to have one less thing to worry about. He ordered a plethora of food for Friday’s party. We’re finally all set with the food. Melly’s mom volunteered to bring a salad, which is amazing. First of all, she makes the best salads. Second of all, I’m glad someone else wanted vegetables at the party. Five days to go!
We also got some very sad news yesterday morning. I didn’t include it in the blog because I wasn’t sure everyone that needed to be told had been told. Sadly, my dad’s sister Sheila passed away yesterday from cancer. We were all hoping and praying that she’d make it to August to see the birth of her first grandchild. The fact that she didn’t make it to August adds salt to a very open wound. My aunt Sheila was an absolute doll. She was generous, kind and supportive of all her nieces and nephews. I’ll always cherish our walks up to the Dairy Store along with many other happy memories. It’s hard to be 1,500 miles away when things like this happen. I’d like to thank my cousin Holly for always keeping me in the loop. The updates were so appreciated.
What would you change about modern society?
I’d change how we interact with each other. The internet has empowered a lot of folks to be the worst version of themselves. Unfortunately, keyboard warriors are quite brave when they can hide behind the keyboard. They’ll bully and troll someone mercilessly, but would never have the guts to say any of it to their face.
One week from today Jake and Melly get married!! There’s so much to do to make sure the evening goes off without a hitch. The Mayor and I picked up a few more items for the rehearsal dinner today, so it’s good to check a few more things off the list. We also added some stuff to the list. That will happen when you’re trying to make sure there’s something for everyone. The Mayor suggested adding Shirley Temples to the menu, which is a fabulous idea.
I started baking some mini chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. They turned out good, but I think they still might be too big. Tomorrow I’m going to experiment with the sugar cookies. The Publix cookie platter had four varieties of cookies, but for time and simplicity’s sake, I’m going to make two. Our Publix doesn’t carry the buttercream frosting, but I was able to find one nearby that does. I’ll pick that up later in the week and make it pretty with some sprinkles. I enjoyed a nice interlude from baking when my friend sent a reel showing a bunch of hens tittle-tattling like hockey moms.
I tried on both outfits this morning. Both dresses fit and the shoes are perfect. Although, my legs are way too pale. I’ll need to fix that before Saturday. I did, however, misplace the dust bag. Honestly, I have no idea when I put it. Consequently, I put the shoes in a different dust bag to keep them pristine. The heels don’t have a reputation for being super comfortable, so I’m buying some blister bandages and a cushion for the ball of my foot. I bought the 85mm heel instead of the 100mm because I thought they’d be more comfortable to wear over an extended period than the higher heel. One week to go!
What’s your go-to comfort food?
I love chicken noodle soup and saltine crackers when I’m not feeling great. It’s always tasty and usually settles my stomach. I prefer the original Campbell’s chicken noodle soup over the healthier versions. My other favorite comfort food would be bread. I love the taste of bread, but it also keeps my stomach happy. I’ll never be able to be on a strict Atkins diet.
We’re now nine days from the big event! It’s getting down to the wire. FedEx delivered the shoes I bought for the ceremony. They’re a perfect fit and will look great with the gown. The only piece of the wardrobe puzzle remaining is a handbag. I’ve found some ones I like, but I am still on the fence. Obviously, I have to make a decision pretty soon, so stay tuned. Of course, I’ll post tons of pictures after the wedding.
I forgot to post yesterday, so much for posting every day until the wedding. Consider this the t-minus ten and t-minus nine days from the wedding. My shoulder continues to improve although it feels like it’s deeply bruised. It’s not, at least most from outward appearance, so that’s fun. Fortunately, my range of motion is pretty much back to normal. It is, however, a bit uncomfortable at certain points. I did some upper-body strength training with light weights yesterday. Unfortunately, it was pretty uncomfortable. Fortunately, I got it done.
What foods would you like to make?
I love to bake and cook. Since it’s super humid here, I’ve paused the bread baking. The humidity makes it a lot more difficult to get bread that isn’t too stodgy. I have, however, been baking plenty of cookies. While the Cubans may be famous for their cigars, they should be famous for their cuisine. I wish I could make a good, authentic tasting arroz con pollo.
Eleven days until the wedding?!? Can you believe it? I checked a few more items off the list this morning! Now I only have the caterer picking up things like ice and borrowed cooler to pick up. The dress I ordered for the rehearsal dinner should be delivered early next week. Thankfully, the shoes I ordered off of eBay for the ceremony should be here by tomorrow afternoon. This gives me plenty of time to buy another pair if they don’t fit right.
Eleven days is a short space of time to get everything done and for everything to change. It seems like science fiction that next week will be the last time our family of five will be under the same roof. I’m still trying to figure out where time has gone and how the kids got so old without us aging. I think my mom might be aging in reverse. Eleven days from now our family will embark on a new and exciting chapter.
Got to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her yesterday!
In other news, the shoulder is getting better daily. It hurts most of the time, but both my range of motion and pain level are steadily improving. In light of the injury, I’ve been modifying my Apple Fitness + plan to protect the shoulder. Honestly, I don’t love walking on the treadmill, but it was significantly less jarring to the shoulder than running. I enjoy running Apple’s treadmill workouts. They always draw the best out of me,
Which activities make you lose track of time?
I lose track of all time and space when reading. If I didn’t pay attention to the time, I could read all night. The bookshelf I bought earlier in the year is already filled up with new books. My pocketbook can’t wait for the new library to open up this fall.
Sixteen days until the kids get married! I can’t believe it’s nearly here. As finally preparations are underway, it’s nice to cross items off my excel wedding project plan. Yeah, I know I’m a dork. You need to keep track of many things to ensure their special day goes off without a hitch. (See what has to be done there?) We’ve got nearly everything set to go for the rehearsal open house. I put the blog on the back burner for a bit as I concentrate on wedding planning.
Since most guests are from out of town, we held an open house rehearsal dinner for everyone instead of the traditional limited dinner. The menu is simple and consists of their favorite things (i.e. pizza and wings,) which I have to order next week. Naturally, we’ll have plenty of liquor and beer. Thankfully, the wedding isn’t until 5:00 pm Saturday afternoon. Since we are having alcohol, we had to pay for security, which will be Jake’s favorite gatehouse guard.
As the march to the wedding continues, I’ve set myself up on a three-week fitness plan with Apple Fitness Plus. Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about their classes or their trainers. To get myself wedding-ready, I ramped up my treadmill workout to forty-five minutes instead of thirty. This went well Monday, but not so much today. I either rolled or sprained my left ankle, who knows how, so running was an absolute no-go today. Consequently, I ended up walking the workout. I did manage to get through Pilates and yoga with a few adjustments. T-minus sixteen days!
What do you think gets better with age?
I think life gets better with age. Old age is a privilege denied to many, so aging is a gift. What’s not a gift is the aches and pains that come with aging that stuff is for the birds. The experiences, people, and adventures that come over time make aging a pleasure.
