[kretzklan]

Hee, hee...we just got home from Missouri. I'll have to start by saying it was a nice time. My mother actually did really well - no complete meltdowns at all. My sister was happy and her new hubby seemed happy. DH and I just laughed the whole time because my parents did all they could to save money - I know weddings are expensive and heck, I pretty much eloped - but if your DD wants to do it - just do it! A few highlights:
*My sister informed me at 1:30 am the morning of the wedding that I was supposed to give a toast...then I couldn't sleep as I was trying to think of appropriate things to say to a group of very religious folks (including my parents).
*My kids were the candle lighters but only got their lighting stick things 10 minutes before the guests arrived and no one had shown them what to do.
*They had Hy-Vee (the grocery store) cater the event - very intriguing!
*At the rehearsal dinner my mom introduced my kids like this: "this is my grandson R and the two that are adopted from Russia C and D"...more on that later!

Mom always struggled with the adoption - but she has done really well and treating them equally...until that introduction. So, the next morning I couldn't hold my tongue. I said "Mom, I know that you may not understand this, but introducing C and D as adopted really makes my whole family uncomfortable. They are simply all three my kids and I'd love it if you could introduce them like that". She tells me that she is so proud of how we created our family that she wants to tell everyone. I tried to be nice - but explained that it's their story to tell. She did NOT introduce them that way at the wedding! BUT, sitting at the wedding during pictures my grandma is behind me and I hear her whisper to my aunt "you know one of those kids isn't real...she's adopted" - she was talking about the new hubby's niece or cousin or something. I turned around and said "you've got to be kidding me...she looks like a very real kid to me...OMG she even moves - amazing" and stomped out. I was hot, hurting feet...hurting soul. GOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDD GOOOOOOOLLLLLLLYYYYYY. Neither of us apologized. Oh well.

Over all, we are happy to be home, but also very happy that my family has married off the last of this generation!
Here we all are after the wedding - I got ZERO pictures in the full suits - time just gets away!