Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Jon and Kelley's Wedding




Last Thursday we packed up the car and drove to the Blue Ridge Mountains for My uncle's wedding at The Biltmore Estate. We arrived to a family with arms spread wide waiting for their turn to hold me. Isn't it amazing how everyone wants to hold a baby but when it comes to changing diapers they are nowhere to be found? It was great to see everyone and finally get a chance to meet my extended family. They are all so loving and some of the best people in the world.

Jon and Kelley had to have picked one of the most beautiful spots in North Carolina for their wedding. The ceremony was at the Riverbend Farms on the Biltmore Estate. This was not your average barn I assure you. It was set in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains with antique farm equipment scattered throughout the stalls. The setting really took you back in time.

What little of the ceremony I got to see was beautiful. Mom and Dad were both in the wedding and I sat in the back with my cousin Elizabeth. She wanted to sit near the back so she could escape if I got unhappy. I did get upset once. At the beginning of the ceremony all of the wedding party walked hand in hand down the aisle as they made their way to the alter. Dad was the first to go by followed by Uncle Tony and Jon's friend Charlie. Next to walk down the aisle was Kent who was walking with Mom. I must have been about 20 feet from the aisle and as soon as Mom walked by I began to cry. I can smell her scent from a mile away and knew immediately she was near. As soon as she got out of range I calmed down but not before I caused Mom some anxiety. Sorry Mom!

We danced the night away to a local bluegrass band. They sounded great and by nights end had the entire group square dancing. After a full belly and lots of dancing everyone migrated to the bonfire to listen to the band play acoustic. What a fantastic way to end a party.

On Sunday we packed up the car and said our goodbyes before heading back to Raleigh. As if we haven't had enough bad luck already, Dad's car decided to get sick about 45 miles outside of Asheville. All signs lead to a dead alternator. We called for a tow and then began searching for someone who was willing to help us out on a Sunday. We knew we were hard pressed to find a way out of Hickory that same day. So we had the tow truck operator drop us off at a nearby hotel and asked him to take the car with him to his shop. We were initially told 1 week for an alternator but he said he could have one by Monday. Turns out, all we needed was a new battery. We learned that you can never trust the battery tester on the battery because ours said the battery was good.

Monday was supposed to be Mom's first day back to work. When she called in to tell her work the story they couldn't help but think she was trying to figure a way out of coming back. She reassured them it was true and she was in fact coming back to work. I'll save the details of going back to work for another post. It's a long story in itself.

Until then, enjoy a photo story from the weekend!

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