Rehearsal and Wedding!

Thursday evening we had the wedding rehearsal at The Rockledge Country Club, Rockledge, Florida. Everything went smoothly and we had a good time. Then we retired to the comfort of Olive Garden on Merritt Island and continued to share the evening with friends and family of Brandon and Megan.

The next day we spent much of the day just lounging around the hotel and getting ready for the wedding which was set for 3:30. The time arrived and we left the hotel with Mom and Dad in tow and headed back to the country club. I was able to step into the reception room and snap a couple pictures including one of the cake which was really pretty. There were two kinds of cake under the decorations. . . red velvet and a marble cake with peanut butter creame in between the layers. Really interesting.

Guests started arriving but because it was the coldest day we have had in central Florida since we have been here (a chilly 68*), people waited to be seated outside. It was very sunny, but a little chilly. However, the wedding itself did not last long and we were able to handle the chilly breeze adequately.

Before the bridal party came down the aisle, Brandon seated my Mom and Dad and Terry and I; and then the processional started. They had carefully picked several pieces of music which meant a lot to them and the PA system worked extremely well, both for the music and for the voices.

Part of the wedding party included Kayden, Megan's three-year old nephew and his sister, Kerrigan who just turned one. Since Kerrigan isn't walking a lot yet, he pulled her down the aisle in a wagon. They put flower petals in her hands and to everyone's amazement, she threw them out of the wagon right on cue! She also grabbed the ring-bearer's pillow and tossed it around a bit. It was very cute and they both did a great job despite being so very small. Their other grandparents were waiting for them at the end of the journey down the aisle to make sure they didn't distract from the ceremony. It worked perfectly.

The bridesmaids came down the aisle as well as the one bridesman. . . yes, Megan had a bridesman. He has been a very good friend of hers for years and he was honored to stand up with her. Megan's brother, Matt, was the officiant. In Florida a Notary Public can marry people and that is the role he played in the wedding. He did a great job performing the ceremony.

The love Megan and Brandon have for one another was evident by their joy at sharing this special moment. They were extremely happy for this moment.

We adjourned to the bar area of the country club for happy hour and appetizers. During this time, pictures were taken of both families and the bridal party. Later they made their way into the reception room and to the assigned tables. The tables were decorated with centerpieces that Megan and Brandon had assembled and each place setting had a tin of custom M&M's with their picture on them as well as the date and a homebaked cookie.

Dinner was served and a great meal was had by all. We started off with a dinner salad and bread, then we got our choice of salmon, chicken or sirloin. Brandon and Megan were to be seated at a sweatheart table at the front of the room, but they hardly had a chance to sit there. They were busy greeting and talking with guests.

Dancing started after the meal. There was first a father/daughter dance for Megan and her Dad. Then Brandon and I followed with the Mother/Son dance. It was a great time and Brandon and I spent time talking about what a great time we were having and how happy he was that he finally had married the love of his life. I am so happy for him.

Dancing continued until 10 p.m. and we were all pretty much dragging by that point. It had been a long day and it had been a stressful week, so we were ready to call it a night and get home. Terry and I drove Brandon and Megan to their hotel out at Cocoa Beach and then returned home to the Hampton.

Saturday we headed over to Brandon's for the Saturday cookout he had planned for friends and family and particularly for those who had traveled a long distance. This was the reason we had spent weeks here cleaning and painting, etc., at his house. I was pleased it looked so good and we had quite a houseful. Guests started arriving before noon and later we put burgers and brats on the grill. It was another great party and we stayed to clean up after everyone had been fed. There was a Purdue game on followed by a Florida State game. Both the kids' teams won, so that was a great finish to a great weekend.

Early Sunday morning, Brandon and Megan left Orlando for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for their week-long honeymoon. We took Mom and Dad back to the airport in Orlando. Nita went with us which was a big help because we had both our car and the rental car which we were returning. Afterwards, we went back to the house and made sure all the cleanup was complete and the food was all put away and froze what we could. We spent the afternoon at the camp and visited with Jim and Nita who had moved their motorhome down where we are camped. We watched the Nascar race, then went out to eat at Ichabod's Dockside. We had a very good meal there and Jim and Nita enjoyed theirs as well.

Today was a bit bittersweet as Jim and Nita left around noon. I did take them out to Indialantic to the beach so Nita could see the ocean. After lunch, they left and then shortly after that Jocelyn, Tom and Ronan arrived. They had left the cookout Saturday and drove to Lake Worth to see Tom's grandmother. How nice that they took time to see Grandma Mary. I'm sure she appreciated it. They left there this morning and drove to our campground and fixed their lunch here. After eating and visiting a bit, they got back on the road and are headed back to Virginia. The last thing on our bucket list today was to pick up our granddog Jax. He is now sleeping at my feet!

I really want to thank all my family members who were able to make it here. I know it wasn't easy and not everyone could. It was great to see you all and I know it meant a lot to the kids that you were here. Special thanks to my parents who got here. . . despite Continental Airlines losing my father for almost 2 hours in the airport on Wednesday. For their trouble, they flew first-class back to Houston. They arrived safely back in Mission.

We have a couple errands to run tomorrow. We must take Jax back to the house in order to go anywhere because we do not know how he would react to being alone in the motorhome. We decided we will take him to his house so he understands the routine better.

So things are winding down. We are starting to rearrange and put things away in anticipation of leaving here next week when the kids return. We will be starting our journey west and plan to be in Mission, Texas, by the first week in December.

Till next time. . .

Dale