wedding day

weddings.  weddings are stressful for me.  if/when i get married, my hope is that my groom is A-OK w/ eloping to vegas.  because i just do NOT want the traditional wedding.  i don't want to wear a white dress, stand up in front of a large group of ppl, and be forced to say words that a million other couples have said because of tradition.  i want to look into my husband-to-be's eyes and tell him how i feel about HIM and that i promise that HE is the only one i will give my heart to, and vice versa.  i want him to be looking at me, saying what is in his heart, not something he's repeating from the minister or had to memorize like the preamble to the constitution.  


ya know?


all that being said, matt & melissa's wedding went very well, aside from my rising panic during everything because i was by myself and all the ppl i know and am friends w/ were IN the wedding & marcie wasn't there because her sister passed away two days ago.  :(  i made it thru the ceremony, i managed to actually TALK to ppl & be friendly & not let my nerves send me running out the door.  barely managed, at some points, but managed just the same!  


the reception wasn't until 5:30, so i met mom, phil & leyton at the movies to see Brave.  : )  we all enjoyed the movie, but there were some pretty intense-for-a-children's-cartoon bear fight scenes, and leyton didn't enjoy those so much!  the popcorn was good, the family time was good, and there were some really nice previews, as well!!  : )  


after the movie, i headed back to BG to pick bret up from work (i'd dropped him off at 10 & then come home to read before the wedding at 2), came home to drop him off & change into shorts (because OMH it was a hot one today!) & went to the reception.  i got there about 7, got to congratulate matt & hug melissa & talk to al & trish for a bit.  i grabbed some food & sat w/ dan & his wife, who are both awesome ppl!  : )  i see dan occasionally, but hadn't seen his wife since last year at megan's reception!  (megan is trish's daughter.)  it was a beautiful & fun reception, and i stayed for about an hour.  good times!  thank God dan was there!  *laugh*  


i got home about 8:30, after stopping to get gas at the kwik shop.  my car wouldn't start for a bit, and idk what is up w/ that, but it's scary cuz i need my car & i'll have to get it into the shop.  agh!  i read & bret played youtube videos & we had some nice chats.  : )  his friend picked him up about 10 to go... somewhere... *laugh*  hope they're having fun!!


i've had a certain guy on my mind all day (erm, okay, since i met him!).  i wonder if he thinks about me?  *laugh*  probably not, but whatevs, i'm going to enjoy my little fantasies!  ; )  


and that's about all for today!  : )  i'm off to read - i finished The Rogue Hunter & am now reading a Susan Grant alien romance, How To Lose An Alien in 10 Days.  ahhh.  love, ain't it grand?!    


ttfn!

who turned up the heat?! (chicago pictures)

it was crazy hot today, and supposed to be even hotter tomorrow.  yuck!  


BUT!


i am so grateful that it wasn't like this earlier, because we had absolutely BEAUTIFUL weather in chicago!  : )   praise the Lord!!!  


it was raining up a storm on sunday, but it stopped & turned into a lovely day for the drive.  it was a nice drive all around.  we stopped for gas, leyton & i played catch, and i read Storm Front.  

our hotel, a holiday inn in a suburb, was superb!  the suite was really beautiful, and spacious considering it was only two rooms & a bathroom.  *laugh*  soft & firm pillow choices, kitchenette, huge TV's, all quite lovely!  mom & leyton went swimming nearly first thing after we got settled in the room.  leyton decided he had to get into the action w/ my traditional mr bear photo before swimming, tho!  : ) 

the bed was super comfy, and i slept quite well.  yay!  helped along by pandora on my phone.  LOVE!  we slept in til about 9 or so monday, then hung out - mom & leyton went to breakfast at the hotel restaurant & brought me back some bacon, yum!  we headed for the zoo, and the weather was just perfect.  not hot at all, w/ a lovely breeze all day!  

we didn't see many animals - i think if mom & i want to see actual animals on a zoo trip w/ leyton, we have to plan to go there two days.  *laugh*  he had fun riding the tram & playing in the children's village, tho.  : )  i had my first chicago dog - not a fan of the peppers, but otherwise it was good!  we waited in line FOREVER, tho, and had we realized that was the setup, i would have just gotten a regular hotdog from the outdoor vendors.  yeesh!  ah well.  live & learn.  LOL  we also got some pretty good popcorn from a vendor... 

and of course, there were DOLPHINS!  : )  

we got back to the hotel at like 7:30 & went to the hotel restaurant for dinner - nothing spectacular, but it was good.  then mom & leyton went swimming & i went back to the room to read.  i finished Storm Front.  i cheated, tho - the story was good, but it just wasn't pulling me in, so i started skipping chapters... then i started sherri's Retribution, and devoured that puppy right up!  *laugh*  i finished that on the ride home today.  : )  


tuesday, we slept in again, then headed to the museum of science & industry.  i finally got to see the fairy castle, and it was AMAZING!  no pictures, cuz it was too dark in there, but trust me.  : )  we saw lots of neat exhibits, but of course the trains were leyton's favorite.  while we were in the farm area, a "british" gentleman came thru recruiting ppl for his "How We Taste" presentation.  leyton got very excited & we ended up joining in.  it was fun!  we had lunch in the cafeteria, which was a neat set up - lots of different stations & you could get whatever from salads to burgers & fries to pasta & pizza.  we got a little bit of several different things & had a nice lunch.  

mom & i were getting on each others' nerves, tho, so that was annoying.  *laugh*  we got separated at the end of the night, and instead of texting me her location & STAYING THERE, she & leyton went to the car w/o me.  that's right, she LEFT ME in a huge museum.  thank God it didn't trigger a panic attack.  also, thank God i know my way around that museum & could find my way out w/o a problem.  but ... still!  ugh.  i was quite happy to have some alone time tuesday night while they went swimming!!  

aside from our outings, i quite enjoyed hanging out w/ mom & leyton & my books & also watching lots of phineas & ferb and my babysitter's a vampire on disney channel.  heh.  : )  


oh, and after the museum, we headed downtown chicago to find Sprinkles cupcakes.  : )  DELICIOUS!!!  and leyton got to chat w/ a cop on a horse.  (wish i'd gotten a picture of that!!)

the drive home was also nice, finished my book & leyton & i played & we had white castle for lunch & we got home around 3:30.  : )  

bret was here, watching smallville.  he'd very kindly done some cleaning while i was gone, as well as took care of angel!  nice cousin-brother!  : )  he had to work in BG at five, and his car wouldn't start, so i brought him to work & then stopped at mom's to help her put stuff away & play w/ leyton for a bit.  then, home to watch ds2dio & GH & wait to pick bret up at 10.  but he texted to say he was going to try & stay at RC's tonight, so i don't have to pick him up.


so, there ya go!  it was a very, very blessed week & i'm so thankful!  


tomorrow - back to work.  i checked my work email just to prepare for what awaits me - nearly 400 emails...AGH!  thankfully, i was able to delete over 1/2 of them because they were acknowledgement warnings for helpdesk tickets.  oye!  idk who decided those notifications should go out every hour, but they really should rethink that!!!  :|  


anyway, i know tomorrow will be busy, so i'm going to head to bed here pretty soon.  next book is one of lynsay's, The Rogue Hunter (which should have been read before the last lynsay book, but that's okay!).


happy almost thursday!  ttfn!!  : )