The Town That Billy Sunday Could Not Shut Down

"I had the surprise, the surprise, of my life...."

 I flew by myself and didn't have a meltdown of any sort.

"I had to stop and staaaaaaaare..." 

...at this gentleman's madras-style pants and navy blazer (taken on my phone, hence the bad shot).

"I saw a man dancing with his own wife...."

 ...which is traditional at weddings...

"And you will never guess wheeeeeeeeeeere..."   "Where? Where?"

"Chicago! Chicago!* The toddlin' town, the toddlin' town..."

*OK, if you want to get all technical about it I was officially in Downers Grove, IL, and was in Chicago only when coming from or going to the airport.  So please don't get technical because I want my Judy Garland/Rufus Wainwright song reference to work.

Yes, folks, I've been and am now back.  My flight out was early Friday morning--I thought I was going to be sick I was so nervous (never flew by myself before, and only one other time that I can remember).  But once I was at my gate I was totally relaxed.  The rest of the weekend flew by in a whirlwind of activity:  decorating, rehearsal and dinner, hair appointments, photos, the big event, etc.  Sunday morning I ordered room service (it was a weekend for firsts) and caught my ride to the airport.  The plane boarded on time.  We eventually took off well after we were supposed to have landed, sitting on the runway the whole time.  Not fun.  But the flight itself was uneventful. I am, however, exhausted.  That may have been the busiest weekend ever, and then it was hello Monday and back to work. 

It's weird in a good way watching someone you've known since you were 4 walk down the aisle and say "I do."  I have a choppy time every now and then (ok, often) dealing with these fleeting years, who we used to be, and who we are now.  I remember our first tap recital (well, her first. My only).  The first day of high school.  Senior prom.  College.  Masters' degrees.  A big goodbye when she headed Midwest. And now this.  But it was one heck of a send-off into the world of being a Mrs. instead of a Miss or even a Ms.  Simply fabulous.

I decided when we were on the limo bus that maybe I should take pictures, hence the lack of any beforehand.  Then I went a little crazy.  When I posted them on Facebook there were 161, and that was after I deleted the blurry shots or the ones that didn't come out right.  Here are a few for you.

Every time I describe what I want to a stylist I get something different even though I always say the same thing.  Those clips are from my Jim Thorpe trip a few weeks ago. They matched perfectly.

 Each of us had a different colored dress--mine is called 'Canary' but it was much softer and more buttery looking than the actual bird would be. The other colors were 'Lilac' and 'Clover.'  Very wildflowery and summery.

Pictures were taken at the Morton Arboretum.  The weather was beautiful.

This was part of the archway over the entrance--I had a much better shot but we started moving again just as I snapped :(

 

 This is her nephew-in-law.  I had to take his photo because he bears such a wicked resemblance to my nephew in so many regards I felt like he was actually there.  OK, I admit it--I took a weird amount of photos of this kid, just because the similarities fascinated me.

The hunter closes in on his prey.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say he found what he was looking for.

I can't even put into words how much fun we had kicking up our heels and cutting a rug.

 "Secretary! File these folks away under 'Times, Good.'"

So yes, everyone--you were right and my nerves were for naught.  There was so much happening and so many good times that I sometimes forgot I was somewhere else.  The hotel was sa-weet!  The airports were interesting and amusing.  The flights were smooth. The hugs were plentiful, as was the food.  And smiles were plastered everywhere.  Mr. and Mrs. K.--I hope this weekend was just a taste of how wonderful your lives will be together.