Earth Angels

We had an exciting, full weekend. And in case we didn't have enough going on to make the weekend feel chaotic, Mother Nature decided to make it the hottest weekend on record. Ever.

First up was a beautiful wedding - Ryan's second, Lindsey's first. Nate's cousin, Mylea, was getting married and Nate thought it would "be cute" to take the kids along, to dress them up, take pictures and let them start practicing their mother/son, father/daughter dances for when it's their turn to say, "I Do."

But nothing is cute when it's 110 degrees outside. You may think I'm exaggerating (something I'm known to do), but I'm not. It was literally 110 degrees outside. And humid. And it was a full Catholic Mass ceremony in a large, ornate church that was so grand, the act of blinking was enough to cause an echo.

Not exactly the best place for two rambunctious toddlers.

I watched most of the ceremony from behind the vestibule doors, taking a moment here and there to shush them (only to have Lindsey shush me back...).

Eventually, we retreated to the car and cranked the AC up to full blast. We all needed to cool down - figuratively and literally.

At the reception bikini martinis (for us) and cranberry coolers (for the kids) helped bring our internal temperatures down even further. We had great seats next to the bride and groom - and more importantly for Ryan, the cake. We had been talking up Mylea's wedding for a couple weeks and, depending on his mood, he was either really excited or completely annoyed at the idea of going to a wedding. Until I told him about the reception - and how wedding receptions have something even yummier than birthday cake - wedding cake. Mylea's didn't disappoint. It was amazing. 

After wedding introductions and the first dance, Mylea and her dad danced a beautiful father/daughter dance, while Nate and Lindsey practiced on the sidelines. The song they danced to, Earth Angel, got me all teary. I'm a sucker for oldies music - and for touching moments between a parent and their child. It was one of those moments that gives you perspective. For all the silly, stupid moments where you lose patience, overreact and yell, like an idiot, at your kids, there are these tender moments, where you can stop, twirl them around the dance floor and make them feel like the most important, most beautiful thing ever born. Even on the hottest day of the year - at that moment - I got goosebumps.

Shortly thereafter, the goosebumps disappeared. Not just because the moment had passed, but because the power went out. And slowly, the reception hall turned into a really big, dark sauna. Fortunately, candlelight is romantic. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide enough light to prevent Ryan from running face-first into a wall. Nothing like a bloody nose and screams of pain to bring a parent back to reality!

Despite the heat, the loss of power and Ryan's blood donation, we had a blast. More importantly - Ryan and Lindsey got to experience how magical love can be.

The other highlight of the weekend? A trip up to Beltzville and a ride on the boat. Lindsey's lifejacket fit her much better this time than it did last time. And though she had a minor meltdown by the time we started heading back to shore (did I mention how hot it was that weekend?!?), while we were in the still waters of the far back coves of the lake, her and Ryan were in heaven. Earth angels, indeed.