Friday, July 31, 2015 - Jon and Sara's Rehearsal

The number one reason for our temporary exit from full-time traveling was our son's wedding.  Over the past several weeks we were able to help with some of the projects and decorations Sara and Jon had envisioned to support their big event.  While Sara and Joani were talking about the wedding dress, they decided to take a look at Joani's wedding dress for the first time in 42 years.  The dress did not hold up well but Sara liked the lace and they found a way to incorporate some of the old lace in her veil.

Both Sara and Jon seemed to take everything in stride leading up to the wedding.  I think I probably did more worrying than they did, but all of the projects were finished and it was finally time for the rehearsal. The church's sanctuary (St. Andrew Catholic Church in Roswell) was still being renovated, so the wedding was going to take place in the fellowship hall.

Luckily, my only action was to sit in the correct seat which I quickly mastered.  Everyone else needed a bit more direction before they were comfortable with their part in the ceremony.  The atmosphere stayed light and things fell into place with smiles all around.

Afterward, we headed to Adele's for the rehearsal dinner.  Below are Jon and his beautiful bride-to-be, Sara, with their goofy dads' photobombing this shot.  I'm pretty sure we had not even started drinking.

I think about 22 people attended the rehearsal dinner, so we all sat at a long table with Cajun food served buffet style.  Everyone was just waiting for the dinner bell or, in this case, my "speech".  I kept it really short and everyone dug in.

A co-worker of Sara's dad, Charlene, graciously took all of the photos of the rehearsal and dinner.  She also photographed the entire wedding.

Ahh!  Our baby boy and his sweet bride-to-be.

That was some truly good cajun cooking, but the meal was not really complete until the coffee and beignets were brought out - someone had to get the line started!

Saturday, July 11, 2015 - Matthew and Lindsay's Wedding

Lindsay's longtime friend, Ethan, his twin brother and their friend sang a beautiful a cappella version of Great Is Thy Faithfulness as everyone was seated.

The wedding was just spectacular!  How about that dress!  The vows went off without a hitch and we were presented for the first time with Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Parriott.

Matthew's side of the post-ceremony pictures included (from left to right): Doug and Carol (Matthew's dad and mom), Matthew and Lindsay, and Matthew's grandmother, Marjean (my mom).

A videographer with Mayberry Studios captured the day beautifully and can be viewed on YouTube.

The wedding reception was held on the top floor of the Country Music Hall of Fame.  What a fantastic venue!  As we arrived, the light was fading and Nashville started lighting up for the night.  The band was great and kept the crowd dancing with lots of old favorites.  The biggest surprise for most everyone was finding out just what a singer Lindsay was as she serenaded Matthew.  She belted out "I wanna to Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" with the band backing her up.  I believe she sounded as good as Whitney!

The groom's cake (below) was one of the best I had ever tasted.  Full disclosure, I had three pieces before the night was through, but in my defense, they were all very small pieces.

My youngest brother, Don, managed to photobomb yet another picture.

The dancing lasted past my bedtime, so we missed the bride and groom's exit, but there were plenty of youngsters who hung in there to wish them a fond farewell.

Congratulations Lindsay and Matthew!

Friday, July 10, 2015 - Matthew & Lindsay's Rehearsal

Matthew and Lindsay were getting married in a beautiful church in downtown Nashville.  As family, we had the opportunity to attend the rehearsal which gave us a chance to study the incredible architectural details (during the wedding, we would be focused on the bride and groom.)  Since Doug and Carol very generously invited us to the rehearsal dinner afterward, it was also a good place to hang out and work up an appetite.

Almost directly across the street from the church was one of Matthew and Lindsay's favorites, Amerigo Italian Restaurant.  It was a very nice place with great food.  We realized too late that we should have put some of our dinners in to-go boxes.  Instead, I ate it all and just let my belt out a notch.

We listened to many interesting stories and anecdotes (nothing too embarrassing) from family and friends.  All-in-all, a great evening!

Thursday, July 9, 2015 - Matthew & Lindsay's Pizza Party

We took a break from the downsizing efforts at home and spent a week in Tennessee where my nephew, Matthew, was getting married. Matthew and his bride-to-be, Lindsay, had a lot of out-of-town guests and planned a get together at one of their favorite pizza places, DeSano Pizza Bakery, in Nashville.

Our group nearly filled the entire dining room.  Everyone got to know each other over some really good pizza and wine.  Far too many names to include here, so I won't even try!

The guy below looks like me according to some people, but it's really the groom's dad, my brother, Doug.

The Happy Couple

Matthew and his proud mother, Carol

The evening would not be complete without some cards.  Our relatives from Iowa rented a house for their stay which was the perfect place for a little Rook tournament.  There were enough players for two six-hand games that lasted 'till the wee hours of the morning!