She hears her cousin’s daughter is getting married and thinks, How nice. It’s been a long while since we’ve had a wedding in the family. Writes date in calendar: a long way off.
Gets invitation to wedding. Thinks, I don’t have to think about this. It’s still a long way off. Puts invitation in towering stack of get-around-to-someday-paperwork. Completely avoids imagining taking three little boys and a baby to a large social gathering of an official sort.
Comes down with a rare case of get-something-done-itis and goes online to RSVP. Starts breathing a little erratically when she has to choose a meal for each family member including the baby. Notices the words ‘formal or semi-formal attire requested’ and has a mini panic attack. Frantically Googles “appropriate wedding attire.” Reads the description of semi-formal and formal attire. Stops breathing.
Has a million other items on the must-do-today list, but has to come up with wedding attire right. now. Figures she ought to start from the ground up. Stares dejectedly at the shoe pile: play flip-flops, “church” flip-flops, and rubber boots. Remembers that there is a bin of hand-me-down shoes under Luke’s bed. Against all odds, there are black ‘dress’ shoes in all 3 of the boys’ sizes. She says a little prayer of blessing on her sister who didn’t let Drake go to church in flip-flops. Lines up the black shoes on the floor where they can gather dust and nerf gun bullets for the next four weeks and smiles a happy little smile.
Remembers the boys will need to wear something besides shoes and immediately loads the children in the truck to head to Kohl’s. Hasn’t been there in a very long time. Finds a dress outfit for the 4 year old, black dress pants for the older boys, and black suit pants for Russ—all on sale or clearance. Hopes her husband won’t mind. Goes home and finds white oxford shirts and ties to finish off the older boys’ attire. Not semi-formal, but certainly a step up from ‘the good jeans.’ Coaxes youngest son to try on snazzy new outfit. He flops around, sulks, and says he won’t wear it. She’s sure he’ll change his mind when the big day arrives.
Looks through Lola’s dresses and wonders if the no-white rule applies to babies and whether anyone would notice if the baby isn’t wearing any shoes at all…
Russ lets her out of the house without children, so she goes dress shopping when she is supposed to be getting groceries. It is much more difficult than she imagined. Buys four dresses at two different stores. While she is shopping, she picks up dress socks for the boys and a real tie for Levi (as opposed to the clip-on variety to which he has been previously subjected on rare occasion). Goes home and tries on dresses for husband. He eliminates one, she eliminates another. It’s down to two dresses.
Decides on the more casual of the two dresses. Goes to sister’s house to beg, borrow, or steal some bling so she looks a little fancier. Sister eyes the other (more formal) dress, asks if she can try it on, looks fabulous, and decides to wear it. Sighs. Wonders if the bling will be enough to make her look less like a tired mom.
Goes to Kohl’s again. With all four children. Returns two dresses. Picks up dress socks and shoes for hubby.
Talks to hubby about schedule. He can’t get off in time to drive the 45 minutes home, get dressed, and leave with the family. He’ll get dressed at work and meet her there. For the reception. She irons his clothes and gets everything ready for him to take to work at the crack of dawn the next day. She’s on her own.
The morning arrives. She takes off the blue toe nail polish and adds hot pink.
Thinks she has all day to get ready for the wedding. Checks email and sees that 10 books are overdue at the library and accruing fines. Frantically goes through toppling stacks of library books. Asks boys to quickly read the ones they missed. Chooses to feel good about supporting her local library.
Has a telephone conference with parents. Realizes she has to leave her house more than two hours before the wedding starts in order to get there in time. The boys need to start getting dressed at least a half hour before that in order to get out of the house in time. That means 2pm. Drat. Wonders how to feed them and keep them clean for hours once they are dressed.
Heads to the library drop slot. Stops to get a 32oz Dr. Pepper. Swears to go to confession later. And do another Whole30.
Puts baby down for a nap. Prays. A lot. Dusts off the boys shoes with a wet rag. Removes nerf gun bullets from inside. Gets all the clothes together for ironing. Sees a, um, foreshadow pass over her youngest son’s face. Irons and irons and irons. Rustles up lunch for the boys. They don’t want to eat it.
Packs Lola’s diaper bag with bib and baby food. Panic sets in. Wonders what on earth she was thinking when she RSVP’d.
Other unmentionable stuff. You’ve got to be kidding. Desperately searches for chocolate. Finds it. Eats it.
Baby’s up.
Remembers she needs a purse. Crawls in hot attic to find sister’s bin of purses. Voila! A little gray one with bling.
Takes one look at the boys. Pink sidewalk chalk. Really?! Throws them in the bathtub. Again.
Feeds baby. Fixes hair and make-up (hers, not the baby’s).
Starts the mad dash to get 5 people dressed at once. Buttons, tuck-ins, belts, ties (realizes Daddy isn’t around to tie Levi’s real tie), shoe laces, diaper and dress, dress and jewelry. Youngest son has a meltdown. Want an undershirt. Pants are too loose. Shoes are too tight. Tough cookies, son. Slips on the heels, grabs a scarf, and out the door.
Drives down the road to parents’ house. Poppy ties Levi’s tie. Bambi snaps some pictures of the momentous occasion. Sister (in fancy dress) hops in truck.
The drive (following Dad, Mom, and Ben) begins. A very relaxing, gorgeous 1.5 hour ride through the countryside. Green grass. Orchards. Vineyards. Wheat fields. Rolling Hills. Blue Sky. Scattered cotton-ball clouds. Adult conversation. Little boys singing VBS songs with hand motions. Lola angel.
Arrives on time at the vineyard atop a hill. Spectacular view. Spectacular setting. Uh. Ma. Zing. Weather. Uncle Ben and Aunt Shan help commandeer boys. Everyone behaves through a lovely ceremony. Lola falls asleep. Russ arrives. Family galore. Amazing food. A kid table and evening games with adult supervision.
At the end of the evening: sweaty, dirt-smudged, grass-stained, bare-foot, candy-filled boys load back into the truck. A jammied Lola snuggles into her car seat. Quiet sister talk in the darkness. Daddy and Uncle Ben carry sleeping boys to bed. She feeds Lola and sets her in crib. Falls into bed….
(P.S. I have an incredible close extended family on my Dad’s side (his 6 siblings on down). I wouldn’t have missed this wedding for anything. I’m off to family reunion today and will later share more pictures of both occasions.)
That was very entertaining! LOL
ReplyDeleteWhew! I'm tired just reading about your day! lol. sounds like it was very fun, though, and you all look GREAT!
ReplyDeleteWoohoo!! Way to go, Heidi and fam! You look gorgeous and your kiddos look dapper. Loved your story-telling. :)
ReplyDeleteE
This was so much fun to read! I too come from a very close family but now live far away. I could never attend a cousins wedding with all my family. 5 plane tickets just wouldn't be happening. YOu are blessed to live so close to family. And you look beautiful as usual.
ReplyDeleteAw! This stressed me out just reading! I was so relieved to read your happy ending :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I took the time to read this b/c it's just grace to me and likely many other mommas. The posed pictures we take just doesn't tell the "real" story often, does it? It's refreshing to read the behind the scenes play by play that is all too familiar to this momma and not just see the beautifully framed, strikingly handsome family in the picture. :) Thanks for keeping it real.
ReplyDeleteAh, there's the story! And you found the chocolate! ;)
ReplyDeleteLove the dress and you all look great!!
I love your dress. Can I borrow it some time? ;)
ReplyDeleteHad an experience much like this a couple of weeks ago. You pulled everything together like a pro! And you look Uh! May! Zing!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Renee - fun to read and you're gorgeous! : )
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is... you just made my short list of
ReplyDeletereal-life
SHE-ROES.
Loved. this. post. :)
Too funny. Great story, you can't make this stuff up. You look great.
ReplyDeleteOh my, you do make it seem all so funny and not a bit panicky.
ReplyDeleteYou look so lovely in your dress, not a bit tired. :)
Can't wait to see more pictures!
I'm glad y'all enjoyed my story. :)
ReplyDeleteTsh~ Of course. ;)
Loved your story, read like a good book :) Thank you! Great dress and sweet family pic! So glad that you got to be a part of the special event! ~C in Tualatin
ReplyDeleteOh my! Sounds like it was as much work for you as it was for Chris and me!!!! So good to see you and the family. We appreciate your prayers and support.
ReplyDeletehi heidi....soooooo funny and entertaining. my, you all look spectacular! and yes, beilieve it or not, you will one day (in the very distant future) miss these days and look upon them fondly.
ReplyDeleteconnie
Sounds like getting ready for church every Sunday morning at my house!
ReplyDeleteI'm dying to know, though--was this wedding on the green side or the desert side? We have a dream to move to the PNW, and we've lived in the desert for most of our lives. Green isn't a color we see often enough (or trees. I told my children there are tall trees where you live. My oldest said,"Like palm trees?" Poor children; they don't even know what a tree looks like!) I'm guessing you're on the desert side in those photos. It's SO much greener than here, too!(And there are trees in those photos!)
Brandy~ We're on the green side :) (as was the wedding). And, yes, it is very, very green with lots of tall trees. :)
ReplyDeleteI knew YOU were on the green side :); the pictures make that obvious (also the trips to the beach).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up on the wedding photo location. It was less green than some of our other photos, so I was guessing.
SO much more green. . .
One day my children will see tall trees that provide shade, and the ocean. . . .
I am planning a photo shoot in the desert here; it is not like like lush Sonoron desert; it is not as bad as the Sahara, but we only get 2 inches of rain a year. When it rains, my children all run outside in it; it only lasts about 30 seconds most times!