Wedding updates

As the final week befor the wedding spins toward us, Aleene has her lists going...not that lists are new, but we watched Aleene's niece Elaine in TX plan and execute a 50th wedding anniversary party 75 miles from the site of the affair. When we arrived 24 hours before the doins, she had bags and boxes of stuff everywhere. When we loaded her pickup the lists told us what went where on the truck, in what order, and each item was checked off. When we got to Granberry, it was all there and everything fell into place. That is Aleene's hope for the wedding.

She has two events to plan for: the rehersal dinner...while it is being catered and being brought to the church, there are decorations, bags, etc.; then the out of towner brunch on Saturday is a bit more complicated. All the food, drinks and stuff has to go with us on Thursday when we head north. The motor home is getting loaded, day by day...there will be just enough room for Rose to ride in her queen spot. She may have to ride on a bag of ice or something.

Aleene's brother Don and wife Roberta called yesterday with their plans to fly from DFW (the 50th anniversary, Granberry folks) on Thursday to GR and then head back on Sunday. They may end up doing Mackinac Island Saturday afternoon...it should be delightful this time of year.

Brother Jim, his wife Nancy from Pittsburgh; Sister Phyllis (Chickie to me) and husband Bruce (VA 50th anniversary folks) two of their three daughters (Cindi and Tammi) sans childern will be heading from VA to PA then join up in PGH and do PA to MI on Thursday and camp at Houghton Lake with friends of Jim and Nancy (Dave and Babs Sharp). Then on Friday they will head to Gaylord (about 50 miles north) and hang out in a motel for the wedding and brunch then head right back to PGH Saturday for the final leg to VA on Sunday...the two younger women have to get back to work, would't you know.

It sounds like everyone has found motel rooms ok. We were a bit concerned at first that they were going to be hard to get, but the late planners have had no problems. Most are staying at the Hampton.

Nancy Lutz reports that their youngest, Shannon, who is Amy's age, may be able to fly in and out for the event from Cincinnati. You gotta know that while they love Jeff...this may be their (all these cousins) only chance to see Amy's boys (all three of them) until they individually venture to the Pacific NW...who knows when.

I had the thought this morning in church (we visited here in Holland) that this will be the first time Aleene's family, my family and our Michigan friends have ever intermingled. Don and Bobbie were in Newberg, but none of my sibs could attend. Awesome. We did see Elizabeth Becker and the Den Uyles at worship (if that is a hint as to where we were.)

Today we hook up with some of our Fennville friends for our annual bike ride on the north side of Holland. Nancy Swartz...the oldest child in her family and a real organizer of her sibs...and her husband Robert have had five or six other couples over to bike the north side ever since they moved there eight years ago. Sometimes we have good weather for biking and sometimes not, but we always eat well.

Rose is doing better...no accidents since the meds started. Not sure if that is the treatment or she respects the garage floor more than she does our carpet. She begs to come in, but I doubt if she makes it back until we get back from Gaylord...too risky to deal with since company is coming.

Amy and Brendon and boys fly in Wednesday evening at 9:00...their supper time...so we will get them home just in time for their PDT bed time.

I have two mediations this week, both court ordered with attorneys present. I am getting to where I like these cases with the hired guns. We are getting good feedback from this project, so I am glad about that. Both cases involve disputes in the neighbor hood of $10K so the court likes to get them settled rather than taking up the judge's time. I have one more next week with a battery of attorneys on each side...don't know what that one is all about yet. These cases give me more fodder for my training sessions. Two weeks from today I am in MSP for the first of four "Certification Conferences" between now and Thanksgiving for MTI, my buddy in KC. So I appreciate the experience so that I can bring that to bear in the training sessions.

So...busy week...and oh yes, Jeff is doing well. Aleene talked to him last night just before he headed out for his midnight shift and he seems to be handling the stress well. I remember my last week as a loner...nothing like his. I was on board ship until two days before the rehersal. Aleene had that one all planned out too. All I did was show up...nervous as a cat.