Mark and Nika's Wedding

Today is the day I’ve been looking forward to for months. My friend, Julie or Auntie Lala to TTT, her daughter is getting married today. I thought it would be perfect because it was on a Saturday so no rushing from LA to the OC on a weekday.

As I sent Jory back to the bathroom because he neglected to lotion down and brush his teeth after his bath and Rowan wanted to do start her own exercise video while I was drying her off, I realized it is amazing more children aren’t throttled or parents throttle themselves during the act of dressing. I also realized my dreams of being early were going to die, especially when Oma couldn’t decide how to do Rowan’s hair.

Breakfast seemed to take forever, but I knew everyone needed to eat before we left so I wouldn’t hear “Mommy, I’m hungry” while Nika, the bride, and Mark, the groom, exchanged their vows. We got on the road and I double checked the estimated time of arrival and the current time. We would make it with a few minutes to spare.

The drive was going great until we had to transfer to another freeway. Crap, traffic jam. How is there a traffic jam at 12:30PM on a Saturday?! What in the world is going on? When I finally made my way onto the onramp, I saw there were two cars pulled over on the shoulder. Oh the lookie-loos who slow down traffic for everyone.

We were going to cut it close, nope, we were going to be late. Crap! Where do I change? I was going to change at the church, but now that was out. Thanks, lookie-loos. Thank you God, that you gave me the wisdom to dress the kids before we left home. I had been worried if they were dressed too early they would get dirty. Okay, what to do, what to do. I gotta change in the car.

Shout out to my Mimi for teaching me how to switch tops without exposing anything. See some things you learn in life doesn’t come from the classroom, but from the girls’ bathroom before and after P.E. Changing and reading directions led to me missing the church. I was busy looking for the street I was already on, luckily I noticed that pretty quickly.

The church parking lot was full so onto the street to park it was. I didn’t feel as bad about being late when I saw others parking behind me. Other wedding guests, some of them I recognized. I quickly put on my stockings as the kids stood next to the car on the sidewalk, I threw papers out of my purse. Look at how much I love Julie and how much having kids changed me, once upon a time I would have read or been writing if I had no one to talk to at a wedding or any sort of social event. I put on my shoes and we started to walk.

The wedding hadn’t started. SCORE! Walking into the church, I looked around the décor. I knew Nika and Mark were going to have pictures as part of their décor, but I thought it would be pictures of just themselves, from their engagement shoot, but they weren’t. There were pictures of them with their family. It was awesome. Pictures of the two families being joined together forever. It was awesome. So much better than I imagined.
SCORE!! We were seated on the side of the church by people we knew. Not just people we knew, but people I actually have had conversations with. We got settled in our seats and several minutes the wedding started and the complaints began.

“Mommy, I can’t see,” Rowan complained.

I let her stand up, but she wouldn’t have been satisfied unless she was standing front and center. She is really into weddings, marriages, and the whole shebang. Thanks Disney princesses.

“Mommy, I want to take a picture,” Jory complained.

Are you serious?! Am I not trying to enjoy a wedding, people, and take some pictures with this crappy replacement camera? “You should have brought your camera, Jory.”

Why did it sound like their voices were echoing in the church? Maybe we should go outside.

“Rowan, you can’t move up any closer. Here look at this,” I said, handing her a picture Bible.

Yikes! Must she turn the pages so loudly. Are people going to start staring at us?

“Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom,” the baby whispered in my ear.

“Rowan won’t give it to me,” Jory informed me, referring to the program.

You know what, I didn’t want to hear what Pastor Earl was saying any way. “Baby, can you wait?”

She shook her head while she readjusted herself for the ninetieth time in my lap. I reached for the program and take it from Rowan to hand it to Jory, while signing “share.”

“Mommy, can I sit next to my Sarah?” my big girl asked.

“No, Rowan stay where you are and be quiet, please,” I command.

“Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom.”

Does this little girl have the tiniest bladder in the free living world?

“Can you wait?”

“No, I can’t wait.”

“Mommy, can I take a picture.”

I handed Jory the camera, bounced the baby around. Maybe doing the pee pee dance would help her keep it in.

Song time, SCORE!!! My bench mates were going to play and sing so now we can go to the bathroom without stepping over people and making a scene. I asked the mom behind us to watch Jory and Rowan while I take the baby to the bathroom. She graciously said yes.

Off to the bathroom we went where we ran into other moms of young ones. I thought we were quick, but not quick enough the song was over. Crap! Our benchmates were seated, but since the ceremony was almost finished we sat on the end of the pew until the ceremony was over and Nika and Mark were finally husband and wife. Yippee!!! I was so happy for them!

Our pews were free to go to the reception hall when our row was released. When we got to the hall, all the good spots were taken. I finally decided we would sit near the family tables, close to the door, until I saw a family sitting outside and saw the kids eyeing the appetizers and donut wedding cake. Yep, outside it was. It would eliminate anyone getting in trouble.

Without sitting in the doorway, I thought we were close enough to get inside when things were going on yet far enough away that the kids could play without disturbing anyone inside. What I didn’t count on was every other adult walking around or outside having the same idea as me so whenever anything was going on, the doorway was filled quicker than I could say, “Boo!”.

Lana came outside and zeroed in on Rowan, who then was in seventh heaven. Me and my feet were relieved that I didn’t have to play any more hide n’ seek. Jory, thanks to Jamie and her mother, Linda, was in seventh heaven that there were pepperoni as part of the appetizers and that at some point there would be ice cream. The baby was just in seventh heaven to be running wild.

The wedding was lovely. The kids and I had a great time at the reception. The bride and groom were lovely and their ice cream bar with more photos was a complete hit! More so then the appetizer table which Jory really loved and probably sneaked in and got more from that table then I even know.

Two people joining their lives together and becoming one. What a great way to kick off the New Year! Congrats Mark and Nika! To quote Star Trek since I’m such a huge fan, “May you live long and prosper and maybe become the OC version of the Duggars.” That would be AWESOME!