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2 years ago
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Monday, January 01, 2007
My Best Friend's Wedding
My year wouldn't be complete without a 36 hour road trip, a shocking wedding, and suprising family, now would it?
It all began the week before Christmas when Brad and I decided to drive "home" and pull one over on my dear friend, Ruth...
Surprise #1 - The Purple People Eater (aka My Chariot)
We clamored around in New Hampshire for a couple of days, finishing car preparations, gathering travel snacks, packing dress clothes, and doing everything within our power to keep our travels on the down-low. Projected schedule: leave Tuesday night at 6 pm, arrive in Indiana at 10 am. Leave Friday at 6 pm, arrive in New Hampshire noon. Brad got off work early - even better.
We loaded PPE and headed down Everett Turnpike to see Kelly, Brad's mom, before departing on our night long drive. To our dismay, My Chariot decided at the office to engage a battery issue and leave us packing up Kelly's car for the ride. Trackers are not the most comfortable vehicles for said length of trip, but we were thankful to be safe and not stranded.
Surprise #2 - Big Bro, Tim-o-thee
Since we were fortunate enough to have an early start, we arrived in Indianapolis a whole three and a half hours too soon. What is there to say about Cracker Barrel at 6:30 am? It's open, it has a fireplace, and there are gifts to buy for brothers who happen to be birthed on the same day 33 years prior and who also happen to work 10 minutes from the Cracker Barrel's location. I'd say it was providential.
After a more-appealing-than-snack-food breakfast and shopping spree, we voted to nap. What is there to say about Super Wal-Mart at 7:30 am? It's open, it has a parking lot, and no one cares about a strange vehicle parked in the corner with two individuals crammed into poorly cushioned bucket seats with blankets and scarves wrapped around their heads to decrease the light shining into their eyes. Sixty minutes of unpleasant napping. It was nearly perfect.
My big brother works on the East end of Indy. The guard at his office was quite confused as I explained my visit. Our conversation went something like this:
"Tim didn't tell me you were coming..."
"That's because he isn't aware that I am coming."
"Well, I'm usually informed of visitors."
"I'm his sister from New Hampshire. I'm surprising him."
"Ooooh! You're surprisin' him!"
"Yes, and I apologize for the lack of notice. My father usually visits Tim every now and then and he suggested that I just come to the main door. He never mentioned the gate."
"Ooooooooh!! So, you're Tim's daughter!!! Sure, go on through. Here are your visitor badges, just park over there."
"No, no, I'm his sist..."
"Enjoy your visit!"
Forget it.
Tim was shocked - I could tell by his silly grin and hidden enthusiasm. It is something we have in common.
Surprise #3 - Ruth
Back to Ruth, she was to be married on the 21st and with only a couple of week's notice, did not expect to see me crossing the parking lot to her school. Neither did I expect to be wearing one of my "used" bridesmaid's dresses to accompany her on a day that will go down in my memory as one of the best weddings.
You see, Ruth and her now husband, Dustin, weren't planning on wedding within a month of their engagement. However, they decided there is no time like the present, and there is no better way to pull off such an event than to surprise the students they both teach at a Christian school in Indiana.
The children were excited for their upcoming break. It was Christmas party day - we all remember those - and the kids were to meet for caroling in the auditorium before going home for break. Ruth and I dressed in a conference room, crouched and snuck through the balcony, and giggled when the announcement of the wedding was made to the children. A collective gasp travelled through the crowd, Ruth's younger siblings swooned with glee, we exchanged hugs and then waited for our cue to walk into their view.
Planned and executed beautifully.
Surprise #4 - Dustin
He had no idea that Ruth had purchased a beautiful dress for the occassion. He also had a goofy grin as he watched her come down the aisle.
Surprise #5 - Todd
Moving on to Danville, I parked Kelly's car down the street and hid in my brother's home with his wife.
Todd walked through the door, looked at me, eyes grew larger and exclaimed, "What the heck?!?!"
Just as I suspected he would.
Surprise #6 - Jeffrey
Jeff wouldn't be home from work until 4:30, so Brad and I waited on chairs next to the Christmas tree, but opposite of his place of entry to the home. Tiffany met him at the door and rather than looking happy, she met him in a concerned fashion which only made him assume something quite horrible had happened to his beautifully self-constructed fireplace mantle.
He crossed the room with furrowed eyebrows and demanding to know, "What did the kids do to the mantle? What did they do??"
A glance to his left and he gathered us into view, but only to look away.
Quickly, he turned back to us with eyes wide, "Lindy and Brad.....Lindy and Brad??? What the heck are you doing here?!"
Simply perfect.
As I have never been entirely successful at a surprise, I am ecstatic that this one worked! It seems that something always happens to make the endeavor fail and athough I never plan for it, I usually expect it to bomb. So, I would like to give props to my sister-in-law, Tiffany, for helping me orchestrate the details and enjoying the process as much as I did. I would like to thank my other sister-in-law, Mandi, for making awesome potato soup and always welcoming me into her home. I'd like to thank my dad for keeping his mouth shut. I would also like to thank whatever gave me a touch of the flu while we were there so Brad and I would be forced into staying another night and visiting with my entire family over breakfast. I want to thank Ruth for being the bestest friend I could ever ask for, you're the reason we took this adventure and it was worth every moment ~ it seems through time we only grow closer. Most of all, I want to thank Brad for being thrilled when I was thrilled, for taking time off of work, and for being so flexible to make it all work out. It wouldn't have happened without you!
...I guess you can never know when I'll have something new up my sleeve...
It all began the week before Christmas when Brad and I decided to drive "home" and pull one over on my dear friend, Ruth...
Surprise #1 - The Purple People Eater (aka My Chariot)
We clamored around in New Hampshire for a couple of days, finishing car preparations, gathering travel snacks, packing dress clothes, and doing everything within our power to keep our travels on the down-low. Projected schedule: leave Tuesday night at 6 pm, arrive in Indiana at 10 am. Leave Friday at 6 pm, arrive in New Hampshire noon. Brad got off work early - even better.
We loaded PPE and headed down Everett Turnpike to see Kelly, Brad's mom, before departing on our night long drive. To our dismay, My Chariot decided at the office to engage a battery issue and leave us packing up Kelly's car for the ride. Trackers are not the most comfortable vehicles for said length of trip, but we were thankful to be safe and not stranded.
Surprise #2 - Big Bro, Tim-o-thee
Since we were fortunate enough to have an early start, we arrived in Indianapolis a whole three and a half hours too soon. What is there to say about Cracker Barrel at 6:30 am? It's open, it has a fireplace, and there are gifts to buy for brothers who happen to be birthed on the same day 33 years prior and who also happen to work 10 minutes from the Cracker Barrel's location. I'd say it was providential.
After a more-appealing-than-snack-food breakfast and shopping spree, we voted to nap. What is there to say about Super Wal-Mart at 7:30 am? It's open, it has a parking lot, and no one cares about a strange vehicle parked in the corner with two individuals crammed into poorly cushioned bucket seats with blankets and scarves wrapped around their heads to decrease the light shining into their eyes. Sixty minutes of unpleasant napping. It was nearly perfect.
My big brother works on the East end of Indy. The guard at his office was quite confused as I explained my visit. Our conversation went something like this:
"Tim didn't tell me you were coming..."
"That's because he isn't aware that I am coming."
"Well, I'm usually informed of visitors."
"I'm his sister from New Hampshire. I'm surprising him."
"Ooooh! You're surprisin' him!"
"Yes, and I apologize for the lack of notice. My father usually visits Tim every now and then and he suggested that I just come to the main door. He never mentioned the gate."
"Ooooooooh!! So, you're Tim's daughter!!! Sure, go on through. Here are your visitor badges, just park over there."
"No, no, I'm his sist..."
"Enjoy your visit!"
Forget it.
Tim was shocked - I could tell by his silly grin and hidden enthusiasm. It is something we have in common.
Surprise #3 - Ruth
Back to Ruth, she was to be married on the 21st and with only a couple of week's notice, did not expect to see me crossing the parking lot to her school. Neither did I expect to be wearing one of my "used" bridesmaid's dresses to accompany her on a day that will go down in my memory as one of the best weddings.
You see, Ruth and her now husband, Dustin, weren't planning on wedding within a month of their engagement. However, they decided there is no time like the present, and there is no better way to pull off such an event than to surprise the students they both teach at a Christian school in Indiana.
The children were excited for their upcoming break. It was Christmas party day - we all remember those - and the kids were to meet for caroling in the auditorium before going home for break. Ruth and I dressed in a conference room, crouched and snuck through the balcony, and giggled when the announcement of the wedding was made to the children. A collective gasp travelled through the crowd, Ruth's younger siblings swooned with glee, we exchanged hugs and then waited for our cue to walk into their view.
Planned and executed beautifully.
Surprise #4 - Dustin
He had no idea that Ruth had purchased a beautiful dress for the occassion. He also had a goofy grin as he watched her come down the aisle.
Surprise #5 - Todd
Moving on to Danville, I parked Kelly's car down the street and hid in my brother's home with his wife.
Todd walked through the door, looked at me, eyes grew larger and exclaimed, "What the heck?!?!"
Just as I suspected he would.
Surprise #6 - Jeffrey
Jeff wouldn't be home from work until 4:30, so Brad and I waited on chairs next to the Christmas tree, but opposite of his place of entry to the home. Tiffany met him at the door and rather than looking happy, she met him in a concerned fashion which only made him assume something quite horrible had happened to his beautifully self-constructed fireplace mantle.
He crossed the room with furrowed eyebrows and demanding to know, "What did the kids do to the mantle? What did they do??"
A glance to his left and he gathered us into view, but only to look away.
Quickly, he turned back to us with eyes wide, "Lindy and Brad.....Lindy and Brad??? What the heck are you doing here?!"
Simply perfect.
As I have never been entirely successful at a surprise, I am ecstatic that this one worked! It seems that something always happens to make the endeavor fail and athough I never plan for it, I usually expect it to bomb. So, I would like to give props to my sister-in-law, Tiffany, for helping me orchestrate the details and enjoying the process as much as I did. I would like to thank my other sister-in-law, Mandi, for making awesome potato soup and always welcoming me into her home. I'd like to thank my dad for keeping his mouth shut. I would also like to thank whatever gave me a touch of the flu while we were there so Brad and I would be forced into staying another night and visiting with my entire family over breakfast. I want to thank Ruth for being the bestest friend I could ever ask for, you're the reason we took this adventure and it was worth every moment ~ it seems through time we only grow closer. Most of all, I want to thank Brad for being thrilled when I was thrilled, for taking time off of work, and for being so flexible to make it all work out. It wouldn't have happened without you!
...I guess you can never know when I'll have something new up my sleeve...
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