MADcation: Saturday & Sunday

It wasn't long after our morning walk to Trader Joe's/Crescendo Espresso for breakfast that Mom and Dad rolled into town. Mom took control of ironing leftover wrinkles while the boys decided on ties and I applied eyeliner for the first time in a few weeks. We grabbed a pre-wedding drink at a bar a block away from the church and still got there early enough to peruse the program and do a little people watching from across the aisle.

The wedding itself was simple and gorgeous, leaving out unnecessary flair without scrimping on the meat of the ceremony. Tears were shed, followed by sympathy tears, and soon enough bride and groom held their hands in the air, victorious. While the wedding party headed out for photos and other guests found their way back to the hotel or local bars, Mom, Dad, Jesus, Quinn, and I took ourselves on a family date to The Melting Pot.

It's safe to say I ate enough during that dinner to last me until the next wedding. I slathered cheese on bread, chips, and vegetables, polished off my salad, cooked my own platter of steak cutlets, and somehow still made room for chocolate covered marshmallows, fruit, and brownies. I loved the privacy of the restaurant, which allowed us to both stuff our faces and catch up with each other with little interruption. By the end of the meal, we were ready for some dancing.

Off to Blackhawk Country Club, where the rest of the family was already hitting up the cash bar and waiting for the dance floor to open. The DJ wasted no time cycling through the first, father-daughter, and mother-son dances before playing Top 40 for the rest of the night. I was a little disappointed that there weren't any slow songs, if not for a chance to slow dance, then at least for an easy way to take a break.

Saturday night didn't stop at the reception--Quinn convinced Mom and Dad to drop him off downtown by his friends when we left...and then to just come out to see everyone (Bailey's friends were still around) before heading back to the hotel. If you've never brought your parents to a late night bar/dance club, I highly recommend it.

The next morning/afternoon, Jesus and I rode back to Chicago in style: with Mom and Dad. They drove us all the way, and Dad even built me a platform bed when we got here! (I've been thinking about buying/building a platform bed for a while. A few weeks after talking about it to my parents, Dad found a way to make it a reality. I would say he's fishing for Father's Day compliments, but that's just how he operates.)

Wedding #2 of 2014 is only a month away...I'm excited to do it all again! (This time in Eau Claire...EAUcation? We'll work on it.)