I Really Don't Want to Get in a Car for a LONG Time!

So last Thursday teen daughter and I took off for my sister's house at Lake Norman. I figured that way I would only have about 6 1/2 hours of driving time on Friday to get to the wedding we were going to just outside of Pittsburgh. Sister and her family were going to the wedding too and so we planned to just sort of caravan up there! 

We were able to have a great dinner with her and then relax before bedtime. 

In the morning I decided to get a head start and left about an hour and a half before they did. I had a little trouble with my car a few weeks ago, but it seemed okay, but I figured if I was ahead of them and had trouble I could just call them and they could stop and help. After a quick stop at Starbucks we were on our way!

And it was one of the worst driving experiences I have had in a long time! It poured rain most of the time, and then every big semi-truck was on the road! Plus, I think every bridge in West Virginia is being repaired, so we had lots of construction slow downs! Then, I tend to travel with NO cash! It's a bad habit, but I always figure I have a debit card and credit card, what more could I need? Well my friend, you need cash for the West Virginia Turnpike! I managed to scrape together the $2 they charged when you got on. I had figured it couldn't be more than a dollar and I had that covered! So, then I kind of start to panic, wondering if it will also be $2 to get off? Daughter kept asking me what I was going to do if it was more than I had, and I told her that I would just tell them that was all I had, take it or leave it. And then I would just floor it and speed on through the toll booth! ;)   Well, as it happened it was only 40 cents to get off. Whew, I had that covered! But, in my excitement of realizing that I had a dollar to cover the toll, I drove into the correct change lane that had no one manning the booth, just one of those change thingys that you throw your money in! I yelled at daughter to quickly hand me my wallet and I scrounged up 40 cents without too many people piling up in line behind me! Then I quickly called my mom to make sure there were no other toll roads between me and the hotel.

Then, just as we were almost to the hotel in Canonsburg, where the reception was being held the next day, my GPS told me to get off at an exit before I should have! I guess it thought it was taking me a short cut. Instead it took me through shopping areas and residential streets and made it that much longer! But we finally arrived in time to freshen up a bit and relax before we had to head to the rehearsal dinner.

We had great fun at the dinner. My parents and both of my sisters and families were there. After it was over everyone headed back to the hotel. I think family and friends were in around 50 of the rooms there. Some of the guys headed out to the parking lot for a "parking lot party" and the rest of us headed to the bar in the lobby for more drinks and conversation. I think it was almost 1:30 before we went to bed.

Daughter and I slept in the next day and then we found a nearby Starbucks for our coffee fix!

The wedding was held at the chapel of the University where the bride and groom met in a town about 40 minutes south of the hotel. So we all needed to be ready to leave for the ceremony around 2:30.

It was a great ceremony. Quick and to the point! Thank goodness, because I don't think they turned the air conditioning on in the chapel until right before we got there and it was HOT! When we got back to the hotel afterwards, one of my BILs had to go up and change his shirt because it was so damp from his sweating! 

We had drinks and appetizers for the first hour and then went into one of the ballrooms for dinner and dancing. It was a great reception. I had my camera all ready to go, or so I thought. As soon as I pulled it out to start taking pictures the low battery light came on and I only got two photos! UGH! I am hoping someone will put some on FB and I can get them.

There was a photo booth at the reception that was a lot of fun:

My sisters and I got in and then my daughter and two little nephews got in!

One tradition that I love is the cookie table! Normally family and friends of the bride and maybe even the groom will make all sorts of homemade cookies. This time there were pizzelle, lady locks, thumbprints filled with icing in the colors of the wedding, and lots more that I don't even know the names of! But, they are such a treat.

The bride had little to-go boxes that you could pack up some cookies to take with you! I picked a few of my favorites!

The reception ended at 11:30 and again, everyone either headed to the parking lot or the bar! When I got into the bar there were three other brides in there too! Finally at 1:00 I told daughter that we needed to go up to the room since we had a long drive ahead on Sunday. We said our goodbyes and got up the next morning and were on the road by 9:00. Traffic wasn't bad and the weather was perfect, so we made the whole 10 hour drive in one day! I was exhausted though when we got home! But, it was such a fun weekend and it was so good to see so many of my cousins! Next wedding is in September 2014, same place, but I think we are going to fly to that one!

This week I have a light schedule and I have to finish gathering all the paperwork for daughter's visa, which we will go apply for next week in Atlanta.