Wedding Weekend is approaching!

We have been having a lovely time this past week.  We really enjoyed our trip to NJ to stay with Mark's high school buddy, Vinny, and his wife, Annette.  Her sister and brother-in-law were also there, and it was nice meeting them.  We visited their community, ate in a local Italian restaurant, swam in their indoor pool, and generally enjoyed their home and company.  We also had a great time at Leslie's house for a huge cookout on Saturday with all the extended Gaertner family.  The weather was absolutely perfect the whole time we were in NJ and NY.  Aladdin on Broadway was amazing, with just one little exception.  We went to a Sunday matinee, so we saw an understudy for Jasmine.  She was out-sung by all the other cast members.  Her "Whole New World" duet with Aladdin was disgraceful.  She actually sang flat on all the top notes.  I felt bad for her, but it did not change our enjoyment of being in the Niuew Amsterdam theater on 42nd Street seeing a live Broadway musical!

We have spent the last couple of days at Cindy's again.  Evey and I put together all of the hotel goody bags for the guests yesterday.  We have awesome bags that I think everyone will love.

Evey had a chance to visit friends Joel and Zak and Zak's girlfriend at the Oresky house.  She had not seen them in four years, so that was very special for her.  Only downside was that they decided to take a walk through the neighborhood and local park a few minutes before a massive thunderstorm hit.  They all got drenched and were somewhat worried and uncomfortable as they hurried back to the house.  Everybody was wet but safe and sound at the end of the evening.

Today Mark and I will be making TripTiks for our South Dakota trip.  We've been watching the HBO TV series, Deadwood, in preparation.  We are almost finished that.  It's hard to believe that next week at this time, we will be IN Deadwood!

And, of course, the big four-day wedding weekend starts TOMORROW.  I'm very excited.  We are moving the goody bags out there first thing tomorrow morning, then getting Eric at the Amtrak station at 11 a.m.  Around 3 p.m. all four of us will be checking into the hotel.  The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner are Thursday night.  Friday is mani/pedi day for bridal party ladies and the two moms, and then we will have an early dinner with friends Barb and Ron.  Saturday morning we get our hair done, and the picture taking commences around 4 p.m., wedding at 6 p.m.  with the reception right after.  Sunday morning we will all have a catered breakfast in the hotel before going our separate ways.  Many of us are returning to Cindy's house where she is hosting a party of about two dozen family members to see her new home that evening.  So much fun in the next four days, followed by a flight to SD.  WOW!!

Meanwhile the weight is futile. I have had too much fun, too much food, too little exercise.  A bad combo!  I weigh 256 this morning, so I do not expect that to change in a good way before Saturday because all my meals will be eaten out starting at lunch tomorrow.  (Anyone following this blog regularly knows that I am NOT good outside of the house.) Today I will eat all my meals at home, but I did the same yesterday and gained two pounds.  I actually woke up yesterday at 254.  Whatever.  I failed at all my goals, even the sad goal of just weighing what I weighed at Evey's wedding in 2011, which I think was about 246.  I guess I'm going to this wedding up ten pounds from that.  It's a disgrace.

It's SUCH a disgrace that my dress is too tight.  I actually paid a fortune Monday night to overnight express ship two more outfits in two different sizes.  They should arrive today, and I'll try to decide what I can wear to the wedding.  It's shameful, but I did it to myself.  I will not let this interfere with my enjoyment of the entire wedding weekend fun. It's all about Lowell and Emily and family and friendship and love this weekend.  It's not about me or my weight or my dress.  There will be another time to worry about weight.

Enjoy a few pictures from the last few days of fun.  I don't think I'll be blogging for the next few days because if you just finished reading this blog, you KNOW we'll be BUSY!!  I do plan try to post a short blog and some wedding pictures Sunday night or Monday morning before we fly to SD.  I do intend to take the laptop on the trip, also, so I'll be blogging and posting pictures from there.

Mark and me in the kitchen at the small clubhouse in Vinny's community in NJ.   This is by the tennis courts.

Mark and Vinny coming out of the small clubhouse.

Gorgeous lobby in the main clubhouse, which has a ballroom, many small rooms for cards and activities, a billiards room, gym, indoor and outdoor pool.  Very similar facilities to our Solivita community.

The indoor pool.

Mark is enjoying their dog, Scrunchy.

Mark loading the car on the day we left Vinny's house.

On July 5 we went to the Gaertner house, and I gave Evey and Eric BIG HUGS!  I had not seen them since last Thanksgiving.

Evey and me

Evey and her dad in Leslie's beautiful backyard.

Picnic time!

Eric's brother, Kevin, was the ultimate grill master.

Nobody throws an outdoor party was well as Leslie does.

Sunday we all went into Manhattan and had lunch at this great cafe.

Mark, Evey, Marc, Leslie, and Eric in the cafe.  Marc, Leslie, and Eric split away from us after lunch to go see a Lego art exhibit.

The three of us had tickets to Aladdin.

Outside the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, which was next door to the theater.

Great show!

Monday we drove back to the Baltimore area, and Evey had her first chance to see Lowell's dogs, Ozma and Trillian.