Hitchin and movies

Robb, Meri and I left bright and early for Wisconsin on Saturday morning.  We got to small town Wisconsin by the afternoon.  Since we'd eaten candy and chips the entire way out, we weren't even hungry for lunch.  So we got to town about an hour before the wedding itself.  

We changed our clothes in a transportable, heated, grand porta potty.  Robb wore his dress pants the entire 4 hour drive, but I just knew I'd get chocolate on my skirt and I did get chocolate and chip dust all over the stretchy pants I wore.  So nailed it.

This little porta potty was awesome.  Mirrors and sinks, 4 stalls for just the women even!

and piped in music that to Meri's chagrin, I sang along to.

Maddy and Matthew got there just before the service started!

A nephew of mine got married to his high school sweetheart. And she really is a sweetheart!

The wedding was in a big rustic barn and was gorgeous!

The flower girl and ring bearer were niece and nephew of my nephew and were adorable.  Every time little Elsie threw flowers out of her basket, Bo would shout, YAY!!!

Once they got to the front, Elsie stood next to another aunt and ate M&Ms out of her basket.

Brilliant...

The couple were married by my brother-in-law, the groom's dad.  He's married several of his children so far.  It was a very nice service and suddenly they were married!

It was a two hour wait until the dinner, so after we got our baby fix with my grand-nephew, we roamed the farm and explored the petting zoo in the other barns.  

There were rabbits, kittens roaming everywhere, pot bellied pigs, a donkey, pig, sheet, baby goats, mini shetland pony and a llama.

 I'm sure there were other animals, but it was freezing outside and sleet had started.

  

Meri was enamored with the pot bellied pigs and Maddy with the baby goats.

THEN my brother and his friend, Kathy, brought along balloon animal fixings.  It was unofficial, but the kids ATE IT UP!

Mark and Kathy were kept busy over over an hour blowing them up and twisting them into what Youtube would teach Kathy to bend them into.  She was creative too and made me a monkey.

Every once in a while you'd hear a loud BANG!  and that kid would be back for another.  Eventually they had to cut them off.

Maddy got a dog.

  

And Meri got a crown.

The grand march brought the wedding party in from the sleet thankfully!

 and once the door got shut and the barn started warming back up, the tables were ushered one at a time to the buffet.

If you remember this pic...

Then you'll know who these gals were.  We were the only sisters able to attend this time too.

My sister and her husband gave us a BUNCH of pop cans for Leon to redeem in Iowa, as Illinois doesn't.  So in between events, I ran out and helped transfer all the items we were exchanging.

The wedding dance began with the newly weds on the dance floor.

Eventually they got all the married couples out on the floor and after several seconds they would announce how many years were you married and if your anniversary fell in that range, then you went and sat down.  Robb and I got to stay dancing along with my two sisters and their hubbies until almost the bitter end.  But then if you were married for under 35 years, we all had to go sit down.  Another couple won at a lot more years than we've been married.  Maybe the next wedding we'll win, but not if my sisters are there too...

Maddy and Matthew went up with me and danced to the Cupid Shuffle and let me tell you, that was easier than the 70s Hustle on the cruise ship!  I finally got it nailed on the last chorus...  I almost yelled, "I GOT IT FINALLY!!!! PLAY IT AGAIN!!!"

And of course, Sister Sledge with "We are family" played and all of us girls and some of our kids danced around and sang along.  I had all my sisters and nieces and some nephews and daughters and a son in law with me out there!  They may need to change the name of that song.

Robb doesn't like to dance much because I'm good at stomping on his feet but he granted me one dance and I didn't trample him once!  So maybe again at another wedding.

Now if it was a POLKA! He'd be all over it!

My monkey...  

We were wiped out by 8ish so after hugging at least 78 people, we headed out in the cold to our hotel and chatted with Maddy and Matthew a little longer before they had to head home.  We'll see them next weekend.

That night was the worst night's sleep....  It was cold to start with but I think a hot flash around 1am made us both wake up.  I eventually got back to sleep after trying to imagine I was a squirrel and running down a never ending icy branch.  Don't knock it!  It worked!  I DID get back to sleep for a little while.  Robb, however, didn't.  So he went out to a Kwik Trip and got some donuts for the drive home and filled up the car with gas.  He was very productive, then came back to bed for a while until I woke up.

Meri heard us whispering as she drifted in and out of sleep and kept thinking that because we were whispering, it must be about her.  It wasn't.  We were actually talking about someone trying to correct how we spell Kwik Trip, the convenience store... It is NOT spelled Quick Trip here.  Just so you know.

We met up with my brother and Kathy for breakfast and there were lots of people from the wedding in the hotel kitchenette area, so we ate in the bar instead.  Then we hit the road for home.  Meri needed to be back before 1 as she had play practice to direct.  Found out that she'd lied to us about what time she needed to be there so she could pad in 30 extra minutes to change her clothes...  REALLY?!  I could've spent longer in the restroom at that gas station in that case!!!

Oh well.  She and I watched Midsommar on the way out and the rest on the back.  Robb could only hear it as he drove.  So in between times, he googled the ending and held that over our heads until we finally finished it.  Yay for Redbox!

  

I was not impressed with that movie...  Don't bother renting it.  And no.  You won't learn much Swedish from watching it either.

After that, Meri watched Stuber while I watched a movie I'd downloaded to my phone.  I don't even remember the name of it but it was about a boy and his dad on a hunting trip into snowy mountains.  It really struck me hard and I sobbed for the last 30 minutes of it.  JUST in time to roll into the driveway and walk into the house crying.  I'm sure Leon wondered about our trip...

So now I'm in a deep cleaning mode.  Things are GOING to shape up around here!  If I have to pitch every last blooming thing...  

Well... let's not get crazy...