Susan and Jay's Wedding

It's hard to believe, but my stepdaughter Susan is now a married woman. On June 23rd she tied the knot with Jeremiah (Jay) Johnston at the Rod and Gun Park (same place her father and I married back in 1995). The ceremony was followed by a dinner and dance at Eau Claire's historic Fanny Hill, a "Victorian" dinner theater and inn.

As you can imagine, this was a very big deal for all involved! And by "big deal" I'm not just talking about the significance of the event... I'm also referring to the effort many of the guests had to go through in order to even be present. We had people from West Virginia, Kansas, Arkansas, Ohio, California (and more) in attendance.

I thought it would be fun to document the wedding by doing a countdown... My Top 10 Moments at Susan and Jay's Wedding.
Please note that these aren't in order of significance, but are approximately chronological in order. (For those who were there, I wonder if any of your favorite moments were the same as mine?) So (drumroll, please) here's my top 10:

1.  Jack laughing his way down the aisle. 

Many of Susan and Jay's family members played a direct role in the wedding. Emma, Lindsay, and Susan's cousin Gretchen were bridesmaids (Tanesha, Susan's best friend, was maid of honor), David and Michael were ushers, Jonathan and two of Jay's brothers stood up for Jay, and Jay's dad was best man. Leila was the flower girl and Jack (our grandson) was the ring-bearer, with Logan assisting them down the aisle.

We thought an escort in the wagon was a good idea for getting Jack and Leila where they needed to be... both are pretty little and therefore wild cards. But with little kids there are always unpredictable moments... that's the fun. As Logan pulled the wagon, and Leila began tossing flower petals, Jack started giggling (maybe he thought what Leila was doing was funny). Anyway, it made a precious moment even sweeter and helped everyone relax.

2.  When it was time for the bridal march at the reception and the DJ announced "Your ushers, Michael Hurlburt and David Hurlburt". And they came out dancing.

To fully appreciate this moment, it helps to be familiar with Michael and David. They are each (in their own ways) sometimes shy, always different, and can be-- let's just say it-- awkward. But not that night! There they were, boogeying their way down the rows of tables... no shyness, plenty of flair and 100% brothers. I loved it-!

One of the main things I took away from this wedding was a sense of accomplishment regarding how things have turned out for our family. A stepfamily situation can never be ideal, but when everyone loves and appreciates one another, it can turn out pretty darn good. It's definitely worth the effort.
3.  Jon's toast to the married couple.

Overall I was proud of the way Jon conducted himself that night, though the wife in me thought he could have spent a little less time at the tiki bar :). I thought he was generous and (appropriately) kept the focus on Susan and her happiness. I liked that he said something about Grandma Sue's brother, who had passed away recently. It was an acknowledgement that meant a lot to his surviving family who was present, including Grandma Sue.

I also thought Jon looked very handsome that night. I have never seen him in a tux before, and he wore it well... thanks for giving him a reason to dress up, Susan.



4.  Leila and her cousins chasing fireflies by the blackberry bushes.

Just a small moment during a busy night. I was flitting around trying to talk to people and make sure everyone was having a good time, but in the back of my mind was always "Where's Leila? What's Leila up to?" She was up, down, and everywhere, and it wasn't easy for me to keep track of her whereabouts.

At one point I didn't see her, so I checked outside. There she was, with a handful of cousins, looking for frogs and chasing after fireflies. I was grateful to see my sister-in-law Hope and my niece Jessica looking on... fellow moms who "had my back".

5.  Jay dancing "solo" at the reception.

Of course, many of the most memorable moments of the night happened out on the dance floor. One was when Jay stepped into the center of a circle of dancers and danced what can only be described as a jig.

It was awesome. It was kind of old-world, kind of playful, and 100% "look what I am willing to do for Susan". It was celebration and it was declaration and it was love.

6.  The Father-Daughter dance.

Susan was relaxed and open regarding most aspects of her wedding, but there were some things she had very definite ideas about. She wanted to walk down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon. She wanted her father to give her away. And she wanted her father to lift the veil.

It was incredibly moving to see Susan and Jon dance at the wedding. Obviously they love each other very much. I think the singer was Johnny Cash, and the deep, masculine voice they danced to was very fitting for the moment. I am so glad that Susan got the wedding she wanted, and that her father's blessing meant so much to her.

7.  When the DJ played "Country Road, Take Me Home", and all the people from West Virginia got out on the dance floor.

Now this was really a great moment. First of all, who doesn't loves that song? Secondly, many of the West Virginia people had shyed away from the dance floor up to that point... it was good to see them finally out there! And thirdly, it was obvious-- the way they got out there and sang along-- that they loved their home state and were proud of who they were. It was nice to have the light shine on them for awhile.

We've learned over the past few years that Jay's family are real people, caring and decent. That's exactly the kind of family we wanted Susan to marry into. We're so happy for her and Jay, that they have their support as well as ours.

8.  When Jim Howzner asked me to polka with him... and I said YES.

Okay, that's not actually me out there on the dance floor with Jim in this picture. I'm somewhat larger than Beth.  But take my word for it: Jim and I danced to the Beer Barrel Polka, and it was GREAT.

It made me feel really good that Susan wanted my family to be there at the wedding. Not just because she loves me, but because she loves my family. They're her aunt and uncles and grandparents and cousins too. Having them there was fun and important. I'm mentioning that here because Jim is one of those beloved family members I was glad to share Susan's big moment with.

9.  When Steve Hurlburt and Jay danced together for the dollar dance.

I didn't actually witness this dance, since I was out at the tiki bar taking inventory of Jon, but at least someone captured photographic proof of the moment for me!

It was just really great to see all the Hurlburts there at the wedding... I've known them long enough and we've been through enough things together that they feel like my family now, too. Susan is the first Hurlburt granddaughter to marry, but there'll be more weddings in the next few years, and it's fun to think how we'll all be together for those gatherings, too.

10.  When Jonathan handed me a sleepy Leila, and I tucked her in for the night with Grandma Jane.

First of all, how cool is that, that my in-the-middle-of-a-party stepson took time to notice that his little sister needed strong arms to pick her up? And how wonderful is it that Leila danced almost every dance, twirling her skirt and feeling beautiful, that night-- very independently, and with minimal help needed from me.

Grandma Jane (my mother-in-law) was staying at Fanny Hill that night, so we changed Leila into her pajamas and tucked her into bed with Grandma. I think Leila fell asleep before her head hit the pillow. Michael went to bed about a half hour after that, and Emma and hour or so later (though she would have stayed till the end, if I'd let her).

I have dozens more wonderful pictures and will create a wedding album on Facebook later. But meanwhile, hope you enjoyed this walk with me through my most memorable moments of the night. And hopefully you'll share some of your favorite moments with me, as well. Keep the photographs coming! 

Visit to Laurie's



The graduate?

Last weekend I paid a long-overdue visit to my sister Laurie's new home in Middleton, Wisconsin (just outside Madison).

It was so great to see her. To give you an idea of her sense of fun and mischief, when I told her I wanted to photograph her, she suggested the pose at left: "grad style", in honor of all the highschool seniors who've been made to lean up against trees this year.


Laurie and Mark's new place

Laurie and Mark's new home is on a large wooded lot in a quiet, mostly rural neighborhood, not far from where they lived before. It's a split-level with an exposed basement on the backside of the house. There's a large (very organized!) garage in back and plenty of room for their two dogs to run and play.

I'll post a few pics from around the house here:


Stainless steel appliances



Cozy dining space

Laurie's craft room



Birch tree mural in the master bedroom



Container garden on the deck: herbs and tomatoes

Laurie and I packed a lot of fun into the visit. We shopped at a few nice antique stores, but also had fun browsing in a bead store, craft store, and gift / garden shops. I bought a nice blue and white plate for my collection. We had lunch at the restaurant Mark manages-- Badgerland Bar and Grill-- though I forgot to take a picture there. I did, however, get a picture of Laurie and Mark together the next day when we ate at a different restaurant.

And we stopped by to visit Bob and Nancy at Nancy's home, which I had never been to before. Pictures below:



Laurie LOVES craft stores





See below for my rant on plates





Laurie and Mark





Bob and Nancy



Nancy's house

There are lots of impressive things about Nancy's home... the landscaping, the indoor swimming pool, the art... but what struck me the most was her extensive collection of... blue and white plates! As soon as I saw them I said, "Nancy, why didn't you mention this??" as if she had left out telling me the most fascinating detail about herself (I'm a nerd). Her collection is different and a lot more specific than mine, though, in that she focuses on plates showing different breeds of dogs. I have an eclectic mix of subjects, and while the contrast and harmony between plates is part of the appeal, her collection got me thinking: what is it about some plates that draws me to them? Because believe it or not I don't get equally excited about all plates.

Without going into a long diatribe, my favorite plates are flow blue. The blue ink is intense and blurry, with a soft-focus effect. I found out recently that this visual quality was the result of the makers adding a cup of lime to the firing, which caused the ink to run into the glaze. I don't have as many of these plates in my collection because they're more expensive, but they should be because they're more antique than my others plates: flow blue plates were made in Great Britain in the 1830's and in the US from the mid-1800's until the 1940's.

Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, on with the blog...

The best part of my stay with Laurie was our decision to do art together! Laurie showed me a mixed media "workshop" book she's been reading. It's purpose is to get the reader's creativity flowing so she gets busy and actually does some art. It's broken down into short "assignments" that mostly involve different types of collage. It's not something I've really done before, but it looks so interesting. I've ordered the book on-line, and Laurie and I intend to go through it, chapter by chapter, and work on the different projects "together" (from our home bases in different cities). We'll scan or photograph our finished projects and compare notes (I may even let you guys see some the results). The point is that we both think having an "assignment" and the accountability of showing our finished project to someone else will give us the nudge we need to start making art again. I like doing drawing and painting but have kind of gotten out of the habit of doing anything... guess it's a slump. But the slump has lasted several years and it's a shame because I have an art room and tons of supplies just sitting there, waiting. And why NOT do art? When I'm involved in the process of making something, I am absolutely absorbed. I lose track of time and am totally in "the zone". Then when it is done I am satisfied, like "here is this tiny piece of me that I leave behind for posterity."

Here's the book we're going to work with, in case you're interested in "joining" us:

I'll close with a quick summary of what else has been going on with us, followed by pictures:

-The garden is growing. The seeds I planted have turned into rows of small sprouts... there's even life in the "experimental" garden, where we planted excess seeds into soil that had been mixed with not-quite-fully-composted compost. We weren't sure how that was going to turn out, but so far things are fine. AND our strawberries are ripening! Yum!! A little bit of danger on the horizon: something is burrowing in the garden, but it hasn't killed anything (yet). Three bean plants were nibbled from the top down. And something has eaten a few of the strawberries (not bugs, though; something large enough to actually pick the berries. And that's in addition to my kids!).




Plants coming up!



-Michael did a great job playing drums in the marching band during Monday's Memorial Day parade. I should mention that the kids are done with school for the year, now.

Michael's marching band

-I saw two amazing things in the past two days. I saw Leila write her name for the first time (we joked with Michael that her hand-writing is already better than his). And I saw our little dog Teddy pee in the cat's litter box! There have been no indoor accidents in the house these past two weeks, and now maybe I have a clue as to why!



That's Leila's hand-writing!



Thinks he's a cat

I'll close with a picture of Jack and Leila, taken today. Have a good week!!