July of 2016, the Best Year Ever! went out with an even bigger bang than it came in with.
We spent the very last weekend of the month having fun. It began for me with a drive south on Friday afternoon. I picked up the grandkids and we went further down the highway to the extremely picturesque little town where they have swimming lessons three afternoons a week.
Babydoll is in a class with kids her age, in which they swim around with kickboards and mimic the stroke techniques of the instructors.
Babalouie is a ‘water babies’ class, which means each student brings along an adult (me, in this case) to help them practice strokes and other fun water-based activities.
The pool itself is part of a lovely outdoor community facility that includes the large pool with an extensive pool deck, a water slide and diving board at the deep end and plenty of shallower water to splash and play in all day. In another fenced in area is the baby pool, complete with a tall mushroom shaped fountain in the center for the kids to play under. Outside of the pool’s perimeter fence is a large, beautiful, shady picnic/play ground area.
On one side of the pool/park is the local highschool. The baseball field abuts the park and there was a game going on Friday night. We could hear the announcer’s voice when exciting plays occurred but I could only make out the score. I think the home team won. ON the other side of the pool/park, the residential neighborhood began. The houses I could see were large, pretty, well kept and featured big, beautiful shady lawns and gardens.
I could live in that town.
Babalouie was nervous but totally gung-ho about his lesson. He recognizes that the water is dangerous and very different from the dry land but he’s determined to overcome his fear and conquer the element. Plus, he has a sweet swim suit with sharks all over it.
So we jumped in the water and started class.
We dunked our waists in the water. Then our shoulders. Our chins, noses, ears followed suit and soon we were dunking all the way under. Babalouie never hesitated or complained. His frantic eye scrubbing was the only indication of how nervous going under made him. We blew bubbles and practiced reaching and kicking. He was very good at all of it. Relaxing into a back float is a little beyond him right now but by gosh, he tried. And through it all, his sunny personality and insistence on being delighted with everything in life makes him the best company a person could ever want!
Before the class was over, we took a short break from practicing our floating to watch as Babydoll’s class went off the board. We cheered when it was her turn and she jumped with no signs of fear or hesitation. Then it was our turn. Babaloue was shivering like a frosty pop out of the water but he was more than happy to be lead to the edge of the board and dropped into the arms of a waiting life guard. He said he enjoyed it but declined an offer to go again.
Bravery isn’t the lack of fear, its doing what needs to be done in spite of the fear.
He’s a very brave kid.
When class was over, I wrapped him in a towel to warm up and we went to the baby pool so Babydoll could satisfy her love of flopping around in the water.
After an hour at the pool, we changed back into our clothes, picked up the cooler Megan had packed for us and took it into the playground. I set up dinner on a bench near the toys and we ate dinner between climbing up a toy rock wall and going down twisty slides.
If there’s anything in the world cuter or happier than a two year old, mastering a playground designed for ages 5-12, shouting “I did it! I did it!” as he races across the bridge he’s supposed to be too small to reach, I don’t know what it is.
After her hour in the pool, Babydoll was ravenous. She ate most of the picnic for the three of us while dashing between swing sets and slides.
Babalouie was not interested in food, just getting back up that rock wall.
We left when the mosquitos came out but not quite quick enough. My shoulders and upper arms are a mass of itchy bumps.
At home, the kids got in their jammies, I put The Incredibles on TV and they both passed out laying on top of me on the couch. It was grand.
Ty and Megan had gone out for her birthday. Ty had set up a surprise party for her at our favorite pizza place in the state: Frankie’s Pizza in New Hope. Megan thought they were just going out for drinks so she was completely surprised to find the back room packed with friends!
That was how we began our close of July. Saturday, we crowded into the van and went to Wisconsin for a family wedding.
The venue was about 100 miles from home and most of the family had rented rooms nearby. Jay and I felt no need to make a weekend of it and Ty and Megan likewise, didn’t want to spend the whole night away from the kids.
Meg came to our house to hang with Babydoll and Babalouie while we went off into the great woods for the adult only ceremony.
I know there are people who don’t like being told their kids aren’t welcome at every event in everyone’s life and they certainly have to right to decline invitations that don’t include Precious and Cargo but none of us are in that category.
Sometimes, you just want to leave the kids with a sitter and have some fun.
The wedding was wonderful.
The venue was a hunt club deep in the woods. The facility had several modern log cabin style buildings including an open air pavilion where the dinner and dance took place. The ceremony was for 4:30 in the afternoon and when we arrived, before 4:00, we could hear but not see that some of the club members were out and about, enjoying the firing ranges.
The ceremony itself took place on a long, sloping lawn between the main building and a large, beautifully landscaped pond. Gorgeous, colorful gardens and walks surrounded the pond which was backed by a large stand of trees that separated gun ranges from each other. There was a small stage under an archway for the bridal couple and celebrant. I don’t know if that’s permanent or not but it was perfect.
I tried to get a picture of all the Pivecs, seated in a long line on the lawn but there were too many of us.
The Brides were both gorgeous.
Dayna wore a sleeveless, V-necked, white sequined sheath and Sara wore a strapless pleated Grecian gown with sparkles at the top and princess styles waist.
The attendants all wore shades of medium blue, the dresses clearly their own choices. I love that! Weddings are supposed to be fun occasions, not excuses for girls to force their friends to buy expensive, uncomfortable outfits they don’t look good in. Everyone looked good on Saturday and yes, there was a man in the wedding party: he just wasn’t a groom.
I always cry at weddings.
After the ceremony, (“I now pronounce you married” is what the celebrant said, btw) there was a cocktail hour, followed by a sit down buffet style dinner in the pavilion.
The pavilion was decorated in blue and yellow, with blue, yellow and white paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, along with strings of lights. The tables had white clothes, bright yellow runners and clear jars filled with all different flowers as centerpieces. It reminded me of Katie and Adam’s wedding at the orchard a couple of years ago but with Dayna and Sara’s own personal touches.
Katie and Adam agreed that a gun club in the middle of the woods that also hosted parties was sort of their dream-life. Hey, its possible, kids.
We Pivecs filled three tables and represented very well. Jay gave a short toast at the beginning of the dinner.
Everything about the dinner was excellent and when all the speeches had been given and the cupcakes eaten, some of the tables were cleared away and the dancing began.
After the sun sets out in the woods, it gets really dark. The kind of dark you just can’t get in the city. The pavilion and surrounding structures gave off just enough light to make the party comfortable but not enough to diminish the beauty of the summer night sky if one ventured to the edge of the lawn.
After an hour or so of music, we all did venture out to the lawn at the edge of the pond. Luminaries had been provided and we were all instructed in getting them set up and lit. For a half hour or so, we floated what must have been 50-70 mini hot air balloons up and over the woods. It was very cool! The night was such that we could watch as the luminaries floated up and away. The breeze pushed them all in the same general direction and the amount of fuel each held ran out about a half mile away. A steady stream of light floated across the sky for nearly an hour as we watched them float above the woods and wink out. I did see one plummet to the ground still lit. Something breached a seam, I guess. Good thing we’ve had plenty of rain in these parts. I see why Megan referred to the luminaries as “prairie fire starters”. Luminaries on the vast, dry prairie are a very different proposal from luminaries in the big, wet woods.
After the balloons were all aloft, we returned to the pavilion for more dancing. At one point, Zack declared it the best wedding yet!
“Well,” He said as he danced “I guess the best wedding is whichever one you’re at.”
It was our first same sex wedding as a family. Aside from their being no groom, it was like any other wedding we’ve attended.
As I’ve said before: there’s a difference between the political and the personal. Whatever the cultural ramifications of the decision that marriage has nothing to do with the creation of children, Saturday was about two people pledging to spend their lives in service to each other’s happiness.
That is always a reason to dance.