So I got the mail tonight and there was a small box from my mom. I knew just from the size and shape that it was a “check box” but I knew she wouldn’t be sending me checks! :)) So, imagine my complete and total surprise to open it and find…….pumpkin seeds!! 😀 I had mentioned when they were here visiting that I loved pumpkin seeds but never made them—but that I loved hers! She remembered…and sent me some!
FRANKS, MOM!!! 😉
So as I mentioned, mom and David brought down one of my old dressers. Well, of course, all of the drawers were filled to the brim—assorted stuff having accumulated over the multiple years it has sat in the basement waiting for me to have a home of my own to store it in. (It really didn’t matter to mom when I told her that, even though we have a big house, it’s already full to the brim. 🙂 ) So, due to space issues, we ended up giving the dresser away to a coworker—figuring who better than a 4-year-old girl to enjoy a Barbie-pink dresser?
But that meant I had to empty out the drawers. And find space to put all that stuff. But oh, did I have a grand time looking at everything, like…
The sad thing? I still don’t know where I’m going to put all this stuff!
As you will read on the 10/28 entry, I lost my entire well-constructed thread with links and pictures…and there is NO WAY IN HELL I’m in any mood to even try to recreate it, so…without further ado, here’s the short version of their visit.
The end.
P.S. You WON’T believe this, but I lost this post as well…another stupid error in the code. GRRRRR. There has to be something wrong with my cookies because this does NOT happen when I write in my blog at work. >:(
I will most likely post more later, but suffice it to say we’re home. It was an emotionally draining (I hesitate to say vacation…) time, but we did have some great times with family.
I didn’t have my cell phone by the bed last night so we missed a call at 1am. We both assumed it was a wrong number, because who would be calling us at 1am? (We’ve had a few wrong numbers lately.) Unfortunately, someone WAS calling us…with bad news.
My grandmother passed away sometime last night, and my dad and stepmom were driving home from the U.P. (where they were on vacation) when they called. So, we actually found out about 7:30 this morning.
There was a mad rush to make travel arrangements, trying to find plane tickets that weren’t $800 a piece (damn small town airport). We are flying home tomorrow…not quite the way we wanted to get to see everyone.
So awhile back, my dad asked me where he should send something to make sure I get it. I assumed it was something of value, as he apparently didn’t want it sitting on our porch, so I said my office. This morning, I received a cryptic email saying “expect the package, you must wait to open it with Tom, and check out the numbers.”
Huh?
What?
Let me tell you, I was going NUTS waiting for it—and hoping it would arrive today instead of having to wait until Monday! I had no idea at all what it could be. NONE! So I was thrilled when the UPS guy brought it in. It was probably 2′ x 3′ x 3″ — and I still had no idea (it wasn’t that heavy and it shook a little bit).
I called Tom to tell him it had arrived and he had better stop on his way home!! Both Jane and Dick (my bosses) offered to open it for me, since there appeared to be no restrictions on anyone else opening it. I politely declined.
So Tom walked in about 3:00 and we tore into it. Imagine our total and utter surprise/shock/amazement to find this….
A 12×16 signed and numbered canvas (32/1450—to commemorate my age when I received it!), Autumn on Mackinac Island, by Thomas Kinkade.
Turns out Linda was the driving force behind the purchase… she went into a local gallery and saw the sketch of the soon-to-be-completed piece and thought it would be perfect. Dad actually describes it much better:
Originally, we were in Petoskey for one of my appointments. When Linda picked me up after my appointment she said she wanted to show me something. Well we went to the T.K. gallery and she showed me a sketch of it. There were no prints even produced yet. She said what do you think of it and I said It would probably be very pretty when done but where were we going to hang it. She said, “It’s not for us silly, I want to give it to Jen for her birthday.” I immediately got up off the floor and said if it means that much to you, then it is a done deal. Needless to say, we still have the sketch (personally signed-maybe copied. I am not sure) and you “may” someday inherit it. T.K. was actually in Pestoskey but because of schedules we could not go meet him. But he had been to Mac. Island to make the sketch!
I am still floored. We are going to go get it framed this weekend and then find the perfect place to hang it (I have my ideas, but it means rearranging some things).
A client came in today that I had to help with something—and at one point, she wrote her cell number down and I saw it was 989 so I said “Are you from Michigan?” Yes, she said, so I proceeded to tell her I was from Grayling, parents are in Grayling, Traverse City, and Kalkaska, etc., and she’s nodding her head yes, she knows these places. So then I ask where she’s from and she says Bay City. Can you believe that? So we go through the “who do you know” routine and we didn’t hit on anything until I said “Do you know Besons Market?” Of course she did. I said my cousins owned that—and asked if she knew Timmy. She said she knows OF him—her best friend worked there for quite some time. She also recognized Frost Drive when I said it was across the street from Handy. (She went to Western, so she didn’t know Uncle John—although she might actually be too young to have been there during his time anyway.)
It’s such a small world and it’s always neat when something like this happens.
So, apparently sometimes I’m in the mood to blog and sometimes I’m not. I just realized today that I hadn’t updated the blog since waiting for dad and Lin to arrive…10 days ago!
Turns out they didn’t expect us to be home (although I said we would be!) and they forgot I said to call from the airport! Anyway, they arrived about 4:30 and we gave them the grand tour and had dinner and visited. Most of their visit was spent relaxing, but we did have a great (what I called) mini-Thanksgiving Dinner… Linda had wanted to try deep-fried turkey so we turned it into a full-course meal and invited friends! We had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, peas and corn, candied yams with marshmallows, pistachio fluff, orange jello, with carrot cake and ice cream for dessert! Everything was DELICIOUS! (It was also a trial run for our actual Thanksgiving dinner next week, which we’re hosting.)
After celebrating Thanksgiving Saturday night, we celebrated Christmas on Sunday by putting up the tree! Here, you can see Dad helping… :)) :>
and Lin helping… :p
It was nice being able to celebrate two holidays in one weekend! We had a good time overall and enjoyed the visit!
Dad and Lin should be on their way here from Raleigh right now. I hope everything is okay, as I was sort of expecting a call from them once they got to the airport or started on their way here. For now, I’m chalking it up to either A) forgetting, B) the rental car taking longer than anticipated, or C) getting lost!
On another note, the weather is GORGEOUS! Aside from a cold and rainy stretch around the time mom and David were here, it’s been in the 70s and sunny with no humidity! We haven’t turned the heat on once…and mostly always have the windows open! The breeze is amazing. This is the best time of year here. If it was like this year-round, you would never get me back home to Michigan!
I’ve been remiss in my blogging duties… but when we got back from the cruise, we had to prepare for our first overnight visitors—mom and David! They were making a Kid Trip—a loop to visit all the kids—and were were second in line after Jim and Beth in Richmond!
Even though Tom and I weren’t able to take any time off, we had a good time. It was sort of nice to come home to people in the house—and we got used to it very easily (the house was SO quiet after they left)! Mom and David took a day trip to see the wild horses out toward the Outer Banks. Mom and I exchanged one of our Christmas presents early because neither of us could wait and we wanted to see the other’s face! We also cooked a lot together and made a Cook’s Illustrated apple pie (I mention CI because it was a very labor-intensive experience).
They ended up staying an additional day because Hurricane Wilma was bearing down on Florida—their next destination! Wilma did hit Kathryn and Marcus but they didn’t fare too badly—they lost their pool surround structure and were without power—but mom and David went on to Baton Rouge to see Doug and Marie (and Gabrielle!) with hopes of being able to backtrack to Florida if everything was back to normal by the time they were ready. (We haven’t heard an update yet.)
Overall it was great having them here—especially as our very first overnight guests!! (They actually barely ended up beating my dad and Linda—they’re scheduled to come down in about a week or so.) We’re already looking forward to their next visit…whenever that may be!
(Kathryn, don’t read this as I don’t want you to feel bad!)
As the evening wore on (after we came home from shopping) I started getting really tired so I took Nyquil and was in bed with lights out by 8:30. However, I didn’t really officially get to sleep (i.e. or get any good sleep) until probably after midnight—my throat was really bothering me. From experience, I knew it wasn’t strep—it felt like sinus-y issues (you know, it feels like phlegm but nothing is there and you clear your throat and it hurts and you keep swallowing trying to get rid of it and nothing works). Tossing and turning, nothing is comfortable (no flu-like aches and pains, though, thankfully). Then Tom came to bed about midnight and I think I finally fell asleep asleep. Until about 2am when a loud crashing woke us up! We searched and searched and…the cats were locked up so we knew it wasn’t them prowling around. Finally Tom discovered that the downstairs bathroom mirror had fallen off the wall and crashed onto the pedestal sink and then hit the floor (the grommets/screws holding the hooks to the mirror frame came undone). So, we’re gone two weeks and it decides to do this the night we get back and sleep is critical for me. ARGH! (Now, we have to try to take the mirror back—it’s cracked—and see if they have another or try to find something else that matches the bathroom.) This morning really sucked because I’d finally gotten to sleep and was sleeping well—and 7am came too early. Unfortunately, Tom said he was feeling sick now, too. I really wanted to call in sick but figured that wouldn’t go over too well. So, I took DayQuil and Immodium and off I went. My head feels really foggy and the room spins slowly every so often…but of course, all my boss said was “Are you throwing up sick?” When I said not yet, she basically said “Sorry you don’t feel well, but glad you’re back!” So you can see why I didn’t call in sick… It’s only 10:30 and it feels like I’ve been here three days. It’s going to be a loooooooong day and an early night!
For my birthday dinner, we went to The Cheesecake Factory. The girls were very good, but Izzy was really excited about it being my birthday and kept asking the waitress if my cake was ready!! We enjoyed a great dinner and then Izzy helped me blow out my candle on my Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake! We came home and after a bath (after the whipped cream from my “cake” both girls really needed it) played like crazy! I wasn’t sure if we were tiring them out or if they were tiring us out!?! A great day…
Here’s me with the girls before dinner:
I got up early this morning so I could see Anna and Izzy before they went to school (I slept in yesterday and missed them!). So what was the first thing I heard this morning? I got a loud “Happy birthday Aunt Jen I love you!” plus a giant hug from Izzy!! Add that to the totally precious singing of “Happy Birthday” from Gabby (via email) and all is well with the world!!
Our trip down was fairly uneventful…we ended up with a minor delay of about an hour once we were on the plane in Charlotte (we had to wait for a replacement part of some sort) but we had exit-row seating so it wasn’t bad at all! Once we landed in Fort Lauderdale, we only had to wait about 10 minutes until Kathryn arrived, so the timing was perfect!
Anna and Izzy are so totally adorable it’s unbelievable! Kathryn said Izzy knew we were coming and couldn’t wait! As soon as she walked in the door, it was “Aunt Jen!!” and I got a big hug! Then I said “Uncle Tom wants a hug, too!” so she ran over and gave him a hug. If you can believe it, she is more talkative than ever!! She had to sit by me at dinner and cuddle with me on the couch. I keep telling Kathryn that if they ever want to give her up, we would take her in a second!! I hope our kids are as great as these two!
Dad and Linda left this morning after an 8-day stay with us. It was really nice FINALLY being able to show them our house! They brought Sassea, so that was interesting with the cats…we had originally thought she would just stay on the porch for the most part, but after a few hours, we let her in and eventually, the cats got used to her. It was hilarious watching, though. The cats LOVED Sassea’s bed and slept in it more than the dog! They also loved her water bucket and often drank from it instead of their own bowl. Of course, Sass retaliated by eating their food when we weren’t watching (or when we forgot to block it off). There was some growling, hissing, and snapping, but overall it went well.
Dad and Tom also worked on a wood project. Originally, way back when, it was supposed to be a shed. Then it was dressers. Then it turned into…a cabinet to showcase my grandma’s eggs (plus, eventually, some of my mom’s and some of my own)! I am so excited about it—-it’s gorgeous…complete with a glass door, hanging rack (for those on pipe cleaners), and mirror back (which makes it hard to take pics)! There’s even enough room at the bottom, depending on how many shelves we use, for an ostrich egg and maybe a kistka and some wax as a display! This will be SO much better than the tupperware box they were in before! I will take more pics when it’s fully done and cleaned up!
Dad also helped with some small projects around the house, including installing blinds on our kitchen door and staking up our willow that was getting quite sad.
As usual with family tourists, LOL, we took them on a tour of the base and surrounding areas, including a stop at the beach. The weather was a little cool, but it was nice for Dad who whines at anything above 70! 🙂 Dad and Lin took a few day trips by themselves to Wilmington and New Bern—-with a few stops to beaches along the way so Lin could collect shells. Dad had his new digital camera shipped to us, so we got to play with that all week, as well.
Meals were a bit harder to plan as compared to other guests…let’s just say Dad is a little picky. Let’s just say he’s a Vanilla guy, while most of our family is Rocky Road. (hehe) I’m not sure he could have survived the week without his PB&J! Tom and I still can’t get over the fact that neither Dad nor Lin really like steak. I mean, who doesn’t like steak? LOL But we all managed not to starve while they were here. One special treat was dad’s favorite carrot cake with extra cream cheese frosting. That certainly didn’t last long! We did drag Dad to a hibachi place, saying “You like chicken and shrimp, you like mushrooms, and you like rice—-how can you not like this?” Well, he ate it, but he wasn’t thrilled—-too many fancy ingredients like soy sauce and sesame seeds. Hoo boy. You gotta love him! The funniest thing is he kept saying “But I’m not picky! I’m easy!” HA! Poor Linda!
Dad and Lin enjoyed the cats and we enjoyed having a dog temporarily. We watched a few movies during which Linda entertained us with her, um, shreiking (we still can’t figure out how someone can be so nervous, LOL!). The weather was great—-not too hot and not too cool (although Dad pretty much wore shorts the whole time). Overall, it was a nice time!
Luckily, he’s been able to call pretty much every day—or at least every other day—even when he’s supposedly going to be incommunicado. This is a huge relief to me, as I am becoming more and more paranoid as time goes on. (You’d think I’d be more used to it after three months, but it just gets worse!) So, I treasure each second of a phone call—which, sometimes that’s all it is…mere seconds—as we frequently lose satellite connection!
Also, I just wanted to let you all know that Tom has been inundated with care packages!! He loves it, as do ALL his fellow marines that he inevitably ends up sharing the goodies with! The holiday season slowed down the mail tremendously…Tom still hasn’t received his Christmas package I sent the first week of December! Granted, it takes a while longer now that he’s “away from home” but be assured he will eventually receive all the packages! (Our neighbor, who has been home for two months, just received a package which his wife sent back in August! It never made it to him in Africa, but was returned to sender!) Also, please know that even if Tom has received your package, he may not have the time to email you to let you know—he tries to keep me in the loop, but it’s all he can do to email me updates on him! If you want me to ask him about something specific, email me and let me know and I’ll try to remember to ask him!
Out of the blue (in March 2003), I received a package from my photographer. Intrigued, I eagerly opened it…she had sent me two copies of the Northern Michigan Wedding & Event 2003 Magazine, with a sticky note telling me which pages we appeared on! Our pictures really have nothing to do with the particular articles they appear beside–and they used the same picture twice–but our pictures are there nonetheless! Yea! We’re published! We’re going to be famous!!
I called the publisher to try to get some extra copies for everyone, but they were really no help. But, a friend came through for me…Annie searched out stores in Traverse City and got me enough copies to give to all the girls!
Our very first USMC Birthday Ball was held in Richmond. It was quite the experience seeing probably 1,000 marines in dress blues!! Little did we know at the time (I am posting pictures and writing this entry 11 years later) this was the biggest ball we’d ever go to—it was held on two or three stories of the hotel! If you weren’t in the main room (which we weren’t) you got to view the entire ceremony on a huge video monitor. I don’t remember dancing, but Tom said we did dance to one or two songs… Afterwards we went to stay the night with Jim and Beth.
THOMAS AND JENNIFER TIED THE KNOT on an absolutely gorgeous Saturday morning in the Northern Michigan town where they met. The ceremony went off without a hitch (okay, maybe one—but you’ll have to read further to see what it was) and everyone loved the couple’s personalized vows. Then the couple and their guests enjoyed a three-hour gourmet lunch reception aboard the local Grand Traverse Dinner Train. The couple left the reception on a horse-drawn carriage.
The girls arrived at the library at 10:15…in plenty of time for the wedding (10:30!), but much later than anticipated. (We originally planned to get dressed at the library, but it just didn’t happen.) I had also totally forgotten that we had lots of wedding stuff in the van that had really needed to be at the site earlier (the CD player and prelude music, the guest-signing picture frame/matte, and the programs) so that stressed me out even more, although I do have to give my attendants (and brother!) credit for getting things taken care of. A stream of people came in to see me, and while it was nice, my mind was elsewhere—I was still very nervous and hoping that everything went okay. I was elated to see that after all my worrying and back-and-forth with the florist, my flowers were absolutely gorgeous (sidenote: they were MUCH heavier than I anticipated). Then before I knew it, it was time! (I also learned that the guys had arrived at the library much earlier, and were actually starting to get worried because we weren’t there yet!)
I had to wait with my dad around the corner while the mothers were seated, because Tom was doing it and he couldn’t take the chance of seeing me. My dad started to say something that sounded sentimental and I bluntly told him to be quiet. Then he started again and I “shhh”ed him again. This went on for a good minute. I kept telling him he couldn’t say anything that would make me cry since that would ruin my makeup and give me red eyes!! He ended up getting out one sentence which wasn’t TOO bad! Then we got our cue, so as we walked toward the garden, I looked over and saw Tom standing there in his uniform. WOW!!!!! He looked absolutely amazing! So we stopped at the back of the garden and waited for the trumpeter to start. It was VERY surreal looking around and seeing everyone who was there, all looking at me—and Tom waiting for me! Then the trumpeter started and we walked up the aisle.
I alternated between looking at all the guests, looking up at Tom, and looking at the ground (for dips and bumps) to make sure I didn’t trip and fall. The aisle wasn’t very long, so that part was over quickly. Tom came down to us, my dad handed me off to Tom and shook his hand, then I gave him a kiss and Tom and I walked up to our places. Julie welcomed everyone and started the ceremony. This was the weirdest part, because we were both just standing there looking at everyone. I wanted to at least hold hands (wondering if brides and grooms normally did that—I couldn’t remember!) but I had my bouquet and he was being Mr. Strict Military Man (as he was technically supposed to be) with his arms at his sides, his hands in little fists. This part seemed to go on FOREVER. However, it was neat to have time to be able to see everyone who was there!
Various Classical Selections
Variations on a Theme by Paganini (Rachmaninoff)
Seating of the mothers (Grandma, Marsha, Linda, Jean) by Tom
That’s How You Know It’s Love (Deana Carter)
Groom’s Attendants (Kate, Don, Morgan)
Best Man (Rob)
Groom (Tom)
Bride’s Attendants (Marie, Kathryn, Beth)
Maid of Honor (Angi)
Flower Girl (Jessica)
Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke)
Bride & Father (Jen and Mike)
Who presents this bride for marriage? Her parents. (Dad hands Jen off to Tom. Tom shakes Dad’s hand. Jen kisses Dad on cheek. Jen and Tom walk together to front and face the guests.)
Good morning. I’m Reverend Julie Chai and I have the honor of officiating this marriage ceremony which Jennifer, Tom, and I have co-created. On behalf of Tom and Jennifer, I would like to welcome all of you to this ceremony celebrating the love they have for each other. We would also like to welcome those who have passed on and are celebrating with us in spirit today—especially Tom’s father, Robert.
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the parents of the couple. Would the parents please stand? On your left is Tom’s mother, Marsha, and Jennifer’s mother Jean and stepfather David. On your right, her father Michael and stepmother Linda.
As the parents of Thomas and Jennifer, do you affirm your continuing support and love to them as they grow in their marriage? Yes.
Do you celebrate with them in their decision to choose each other? Yes.
Do you offer them the best of your care and counsel in times of struggle, and will you celebrate with them in times of joy? Yes.
As the much loved friends and family of the couple, you are very important to them and your role in their marriage is a very important one as well. Today you will be witnesses to the vows they will be making uniting them as a couple. As witnesses, they ask that during times of stress, you offer them a quiet listening ear, advice when requested, and encouragement to uphold their vows, honoring the love they have found in each other. It is our hope that as we celebrate the love of Jennifer and Tom here today, that you will also cherish and hold more dear your own loving relationships. And as they take their vows, that you, too, will find renewed commitment in the relationships you have made in the sacredness of your own lives.
I asked Tom and Jennifer why they want to get married and what is drawing them to each other. Tom noted that he was first attracted to Jennifer’s eyes and smile. He said, “I love her personality and sense of humor. We are so much alike that it’s comforting. She’s easy to be around.” To this Jennifer quickly added, “It feels like we’ve been together forever.” Tom agreed, noting that they often know what each other is thinking and he said, “Jennifer is my best friend and I couldn’t think of being with anyone else.”
Jennifer remembered the first time they met, saying, “When we saw each other across the smoky bar and met [big laugh from the guests!], we knew that night we would get married.” She said that she loves the fact that Tom loves her unconditionally, no matter what. And she appreciates how easygoing Tom is and how he gets along with everyone in her family. Finally, she noted, “Tom does his best to make me happy, including the cute little animal noises I love.” [Everyone laughed. Then, still laughing, Julie asked if anyone had ever heard these noises—because she kept hearing about them but had never actually heard them. Everyone laughed again.]
And now Jennifer’s Aunt Marge will offer some thoughts on love:
Love is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your spouse as about your own. It makes burdens lighter because you divide them and joys more intense because you share them. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, and love is a seed that can flourish even in the most unlikely places.
And now Jennifer’s brother-in-law, Jim Coe, will read an excerpt from The Art of Marriage:
A good marriage must be created. Remember that it is the little things that are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands…remembering to say I love you at least once a day…never going to bed angry…and at no time taking the other for granted. In a good marriage you have a mutual sense of values and common objectives. And you stand together facing the world. In a good marriage you do things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. You speak words of gratitude and demonstrate it in thoughtful ways. In a good marriage, the husband is not expected to wear a halo, or the wife the wings of an angel. You do not look for perfection in the other, but cultivate flexibility, patience, understanding, and a sense of humor. You forgive and forget. A good marriage is not only about marrying the right partner, but being the right partner.
As a symbol of their unity, Jennifer and Tom have chosen a bell. During times of conflict and pain they will ring this bell. In ringing the bell, they will be reminded of the love that unites them and surrounds them here today. The ringing of the bell by the couple.
[Note: At this point, we finally get to turn towards each other.]
Jennifer, hold Tom’s hands, palm up.
Jennifer, these are the hands of your best friend—young, strong, and vibrant as he promises to love you all the days of his life.
These hands will work alongside yours as you build your future together, laugh and cry, and share your innermost secrets and dreams.
Though large and strong, these are the hands that will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.
These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family.
And these hands will love and cherish you throughout the years in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy.
Jennifer, bless these hands you hold before you this day.
Thomas, hold Jennifer’s hands, palm up.
Tom, these are the hands of your best friend—smooth, young, and carefree as she promises to love you all the days of her life.
These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
These hands will hold you with joy and excitement and hope each time she tells you that you are to have another child, that together you have created a new life.
These hands will console and comfort you.
And these hands will love and cherish you throughout the years in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy.
Tom, bless these hands you hold before you this day.
Please join in the unison prayer for the blessing of the vows by repeating after me:
Jennifer and Tom, we your friends and family celebrate your love and with our love bless the vows you are about to make. Receive the patience, courage, wisdom, and humor you need to grow together, and fulfilling your vows now and forever.
Jennifer’s vows:
Thomas, I love you.
Thomas’ Vows:
Jennifer, I love you.
Please join me in pronouncing the couple husband and wife:
Tom and Jennifer, we now pronounce you husband and wife.
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now you will feel no loneliness, for each of you will be companionship for the other.
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life between you.
Go now to your dwelling place, to enter into the days of your life together.
Please join in the Unison Blessing of the Couple by repeating after me:
Jennifer and Tom, may your lives be blessed with health, love, and happiness, and may your home be filled with laughter now and forever.
As you have blessed, so may you also be blessed. And may your lives also be filled with health, love, and happiness—and may your homes be filled with laughter now and forever.
Friends, it is my honor and pleasure to introduce to you Lieutenant and Mrs. Thomas and Jennifer Hudson.
These Are Days (10,000 Maniacs)
After the recessional, we came back and greeted the guests at their rows and everyone said they loved the ceremony—and some people even asked for copies of it and suggested I post it online. It took awhile to get the pictures started (especially getting the extended families together for each family picture), but once they did, they went pretty well. By this time, too, it was quite warm (although not terribly hot and humid) so I was really warm with all the layers of the dress. I really needed a fresh application of powder to take away the shine I had developed, but I had forgotten to prepare a little makeup bag, and at that point, I had NO idea where my makeup bag was. So, I was more than a little anxious about what I would look like in pictures (as it turned out, some are great and some are way too shiny!).
We made it to the train with a few minutes to spare before the 1pm departure. I made sure to tell Chandra (the photographer) to get on the train first, so she could get a picture of Tom’s reaction when he saw the personalized cake topper. So we got on the train and the server announced us and everyone clapped and it was really neat—and I almost missed Tom’s reaction to the topper because in the few minutes since I had talked to the photographer, I had forgotten about it! I actually looked down and saw the photographer and wondered what she was doing down there…and then remembered just as she was snapping the picture! He was SO surprised! He just looked at me, laughed and smiled, and said, “You stinker—you told me you weren’t doing this!” I asked if he liked it and he said he did! Then we just sat down, relaxed for a bit (and gave my feet a chance to rest—I had kicked off my shoes as soon as we sat down), and drank a lot of water! Once the train got moving, we got up and started visiting with all of the tables. Everyone LOVED everything—especially the CDs. (I was worried about having lots of extras—since I made one for everyone—and the only leftovers were for the people who didn’t show.)
The carriage ride was very cool. We got a few honks as we rode along the main road (on our way to the side streets) and Tom even got a few salutes! Most of our ride was along the side streets, past all of these old Victorian houses. It was a nice, relaxing way to end the hectic day. One bizarre thing happened, though. As we’re clip-clopping down this one street, I see this woman step out onto her porch holding a baby—and it was my hairdresser who had done all our hair that morning (and who had been doing my hair for the past six months)!! She was like, “Jen!!!!” and I was like, “Hey Heidi!!!!” I had no idea where she lived, and we just happened to go by her house. Strange.
Think you could endure OCS?
By graduation day, each candidate has racked up an average of 122 hours of physical training, 52 miles of hikes, 77 miles of running, 640 pull-ups, 50 rope climbs, and 1350 push-ups. In addition to all the marching and PT, the candidates also complete 200 hours of classroom instruction and 453 hours of practical application. This summer, 1971 candidates began this training program, but only 1589 were able to complete it.
The following pictures encompass the long weekend we spent in Quantico, Virginia, for Tom’s gradation from OCS. Our itinerary included Family Day (Thursday, 9 Aug 01, 1400), the Graduation Parade (Friday, 10 Aug 01, 0900), and the actual Graduation Ceremony (Friday, 10 Aug 01, 1400). Tom also took some pictures of the barracks for us.
The graduation ceremony itself was quite long…but it was definitely worth it to see Tom graduate! People in attendance included Tom’s mom (Marsha), my mom and stepdad (Jean & David), my dad and stepmom (Mike & Linda), my grandma and her husband (Ruth & Howard), along with Kate, Don, and Angela (see right). We are extremely excited that all these people came to share this day with us!
Kate had always told Tom that she would make it for his graduation—wherever she was living at the time—so she drove up six hours from Louisville, Kentucky to keep her promise! Don and Angela, two very good friends of ours, drove down three hours from Traverse City! We both feel very fortunate to have great friends like this!
In the process of reorganizing my website (9/5/2012) and seeing what I can get rid of or merge, I ran across my graduation page with a note saying “Details will be added at a future date.” It’s been 15 years…I don’t think it’s gonna happen. B)
