So, I'll attempt to give a (short) run-down of what we did on our trip. We jumped right back into our work schedule when we got home, so we haven't had a chance to talk to anyone yet!
We left our home in Seattle on Thursday, July 30 and traveled all day by plane with stops in Kansas City and Milwaukee before reaching Grand Rapids. We left during Seattle's hottest week in recorded history, so the entire plane cheered when we landed in Kansas City and the pilot announced a temperature of 75 degrees. I have to admit, without AC and only 1 small fan in 105 degree heat, I was incredibly relieved too! Our house reached 88 degrees inside before we left and some people we know (whose houses are not in the shade like ours) reached the nineties and even over 100 before the week was over. We finally arrived around midnight and were picked up by the Hinkle parents and (surprise!) Kristen. Kristen was supposed to be in Ann Arbor and meet us for lunch in Lansing, but she surprised us by coming home for a day or two to see us longer.
Friday was a Hinkle day. We stayed at Kayle's house the previous night and were delighted that all the siblings were able to come home. Esther and Casey came home from band camp, and Cody hitched a ride home from Chicago with Alden and Mary (cousin and his fiancee who are getting married next weekend- we're sorry we can't be there but happy to see them briefly~). It was also a treat that Grandma and Grandpa Hoksbergen stopped by for an hour or two to visit with us for a while. One of the highlights of the day was when Kayle and his dad played doubles tennis with Esther and Siang. I had a lot of fun watching and playing fetch with Cooper. Esther was on Kayle's team and kept encouraging him, because he was a little rusty. "Good try, Kayle" and "It's okay...you're still warming up" were heard at regular intervals. It was nice to hang out with the girls a little more, since we've seen them only twice now. At night, we stayed up pretty late just talking with mom and dad and Kristen and Cody. We never did get to play a board game with Casey, but we went to pick her up from school after band camp- maybe next time!
On Saturday, we moved our things to my parents' house, since the Hinkles were going up to Uncle Stan's cabin for a family reunion. We couldn't go to that, since we had a wedding that day instead. Busy, busy! Before we left for Holland, MI, we picked up Emily J and went to lunch together at Sam's Joint (Angie's favorite restaurant- BBQ chicken strips!). It was wonderful to catch up with Em, since I miss her so much. Still hoping she'll get an internship out in Seattle!~ :) Afterward, we went straight to Eric and Dana's wedding. Since Eric lived at the Dutch House with Kayle and Dana dated him throughout college, we both knew the couple and many of the wedding guests from the Dutch House. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. We sat at a table of Dutch House couples. There was another table or two of single guys from the Dutch House too- we thought that was funny.
On Sunday, we woke up at my house and went to Peace Church. After the service, we received many hugs and surprised looks since not many people knew we would be stopping home. I was amazed at how big my little brother has gotten now, almost 6'2" and towering over my head! I was happy to see my sister too, even though she had final exams to study for and papers to write for her second summer quarter. At night, my mom made a delicious meal of London Broil (ours in Seattle never tastes nearly so good) and hashbrowns (see note on London Broil). We also hung out and talked and played some Texas Hold'Em for fun. I was surprised to see how much stuff my dad is buying and selling out of the pole barn since being retired, and I also got to pet the baby horse running around in the field (now named Meela). So good to see everyone!
Early, early, early on Monday (around 4am), I groaned and crawled out of bed to leave for New Jersey by car with Kayle, Aaron, and mom. I think I woke up again somewhere in Ohio. I enjoyed traveling to New Jersey just like we always did growing up. We stopped a few times for food and breaks but mostly just read books and chatted for the 12-13 hour drive. (Kayle told me to buy James Herriot books at a garage sale- about a veterinarian in England around the time antibiotics were just being invented; good books for anyone who liked "Little Women".) Upon arrival at grandma and grandpa's house, we ate a great spread for dinner including our NJ favorite, Taylor Ham (Kayle and I ate Taylor Ham sandwiches for breakfast every day as well!). Since Kayle and I slept there, we talked to my grandparents for a few hours after mom and Aaron left for Aunt Judy's house. This was one of my favorite moments, since I haven't gotten to sit down and talk with grandma and grandpa for a long time, especially as an adult. We heard how they met and some about mom as she was growing up and meeting dad.
On Tuesday, we braved the heat and stopped at the Sussex Co. Farm and Horse show where Uncle Richie was photographing the horse events. He had a break while we were there and so we got to walk around with him a bit. Mom was happy to watch some horse jumping and see the little kids compete in the lead line events. I also liked treating myself to some of the fair food, a yummy gyro and a Dutch funnel cake. We also stopped at Aunt Judy's house to sit on the porch and visit for a while with Aunt Judy, Uncle Wayne, and cousin Rebekah (who is also getting much bigger than I remember her- 6th grade already!).
On Wednesday, Grandma took Kayle and I to High Point State Park and to the Holland American bakery. At High Point, Kayle and I walked several hundred stairs up to the top of the monument to see NJ and NY spread beneath us in all four directions. (We were both sore for several days afterward- it hurt quite a bit to climb up and down the stairs at Leanna's house two days later! I guess we're out of shape...) That day, we saw my older cousin Kelly at Aunt Judy's house and laughed a lot about Dad and Dani, who drove up two days later, getting lost in Pennsylvania. They arrived, safe and sound and in time for a half hour late dinner. At grandma's house, Uncle Kenny stopped by with my cousin Emily. So, we saw all the aunts and uncles and all the girl cousins. Kayle still has to meet Andrew and Josh, the boy cousins, but I guess it'll have to be on another trip! I wasn't expecting to see so many different family members, so I was pleasantly surprised to introduce Kayle to everyone.
On Thursday, mom and dad drove us to LaGuardia Airport. We left bright and early (around 6am this time) to beat the traffic into New York. It was a bit of an adventure, but we made it okay (though I heard mom and dad unwound over breakfast at a diner). We caught our flight to Omaha and Leanna met us (and her brother, Tony) at the airport. All of us went straight to a lake for some sailing (our first time!) and volleyball and snacks. A bunch of other friends and family of Leanna and Paul were there as well. At night, Kayle headed out to the bachelor party, which I hear involved shooting guns at clay pigeons, sitting by a campfire, and throwing a frisbee around (perfect for him!). I went back to Leanna's house (where we were staying) to help decorate for the bachelorette party that night. The ladies (including tons of Leanna's aunts and cousins as well as family and high school friends) ate make-your-own chef salads, played some fun games (guess Leanna's answers and toilet paper brides), and drank some homemade cocktails. I learned that a Mud Slide and a Creamsicle mixed drink are both quite delicious. After the younger girls left, we set out for a local karaoke bar with friends and parents. We had a good time and the highlight was Leanna singing Spice Girl's "Wannabe" with a group of girls. I also enjoyed meeting some of Leanna's high school friends and extended family in a relaxed setting.
On Friday, Kayle and I helped prepare for the wedding by tying ribbons on programs, framing some pictures, and making a box for cards. We were glad to be allowed to help out, since Leanna's family were treating us wonderfully like guests the entire visit. In the afternoon, we picked up Tamika from the airport (yay, roommate!) and she joined the growing ND crowd in Leanna's basement. That night, we went to the rehearsal and dinner. I was a little nervous, since I had never been to, let alone been in, a Catholic wedding before. But the priest was very nice and the rehearsal was informative and enjoyable too. Then, we had a lovely steak dinner (Omaha is rightly known for its steak) and got to hear the two dads talk before they opened up a mic for friends. The night was funny and heart-warming, and Leanna and Paul were fortunate to have over 250 years of marriage in their families between all the parents and grandparents. We also celebrated Leanna's birthday (which is also her wedding day) with two huge cakes. All in all, a good day.
On the Big Day (Saturday, August 8), the girls left early for a hair and nail appointment and breakfast at the salon. Finally, all the bridesmaids were together in one room, so I got to talk to all of them plus Claire (my roomie, who arrived at midnight the night before), Katie, and Jessica (both from ND too- roomed with Leanna during her semester in London). After, we rushed to the church and busied ourselves with getting ready. The ceremony was lovely and Leanna's sister, Tina, sang a beautiful "Ave Maria" toward the end. The cantor, a male music teacher, was also an incredible singer. Before the reception, we took some cool pictures at a nearby Omaha museum (we had to move them indoors, since it hit 100 degrees that day). Finally, we ate some wonderful food (chicken picatta, top sirloin, bacon/cheese mashed potatoes, etc) at the reception, had a signature "Pauleanna" drink (teal to match her colors), and danced the night away at the reception. I broke into tears for the first time all day when Leanna's dad got up at the reception and sang to her grandma, mom, and to her. For the last song, her whole family got up to join in on the chorus of "[We] Loved Her First". I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the whole place. What a great and memorable wedding for my close friend!
On Sunday, we left for Seattle by plane, exhausted after a long week and half of seeing family and friends. We were so satisfied with our vacation and both wished we had more time with everyone. We can hardly wait until we come home to Michigan for Christmas. We made it home around 2:30pm. I fell asleep on the couch pretty early that night and woke up naturally around 4:15 the next morning. (Time changes always throw me off for a long time- I was up at 3:15 the next day too and only adjusted after taking a nap before CG on Tuesday.)
Work this week went really well for both of us, though Kayle worked longer hours to help with debugging after being away for so long. With a deadline coming up, the team ordered pizza some nights to help entice them all to stay later (sadly, it worked). I kept busy being the lead instructor at my site with 28 campers for Space and Rocket camp. Everything ran smoothly and we successfully launched all the rockets on Friday at a local park (plus 60 more from the other two camp sites). Only one more week of the summer left, and then I have to find another job. Boo...Angie DOES NOT like applying for jobs...maybe this one will be more permanent! I have a few part-time and volunteer opportunities that I'm interested in already but none of them offer as many hours as I'd like to have. I'll probably find something else and do a combination of after-school science clubs and volunteer tutoring on the side.
Yesterday (Friday), we went to a movie night at Joe's house at 7:30. We watched the movie "Taken" which was mostly pretty good, though some of the "serious" dialogue was so lame we found it funny. Kayle and I had tried to go to dinner, but we found out the restaurant we had a coupon for just closed and we didn't leave enough time to travel somewhere else. We ended up eating McDonald's and deciding we would try again at a nice dinner date tomorrow.
Today, we slept in, relaxed, cleaned our condo, went to a garage sale, and went grocery shopping. A slow, relaxing day: just what we needed! We're headed out for dinner soon, so I should go... We love you and miss you all!
Angie and Kayle
P.S. You knew I would fail to make it a "short" synopsis, right?
P.P.S. See links to pictures from both weddings below...
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