Busy Weekend

Today was Kris' Bridal Shower which was hosted by her Bridesmaids. Because many of her friends live outside the area we decided that our house would be the most central place to hold the event. Our only task was to clear out the furniture in the family room so we could put 20+ folding chairs there to accommodate the guests. The girls planned everything else including food, games etc. They did a great job and everyone had a wonderful time.

Meanwhile Keith called tonight to let us know he is going with some other airman from his base to Utah for a week in early March. They will be helping with a training exercise that will include fighters from his former base in Idaho. He will return before the wedding which is a good thing since he is one of the Groomsmen.

This And That

First some news from the south. Keith has put his name on a list of Airman willing to go to Italy for three months this summer. They will be there to assist with some aircraft upgrades. There are seven names on the list and only five will be going. Let's hope that he gets to go. How often do you get a free trip to Europe.

Wedding plans are still on track with little things continuing to be checked off the list. All the plans are set to get Grandma from her room at the Health Care Center to Sell Chapel. The social workers have arranged for one of the home's vans to transport her. Being able to have her attend was one of the reasons that the chapel was chosen so we all hope that this works out.

From Far And Wide

As the RSVP's arrive we are glad to see that friends and family will be coming from all over the country to help us celebrate. In fact some of Kristin's friends are arriving from as far away as California while Charlie has family coming from places like Virginia and Michigan. It is going to be a great time to see old friends and make some new ones as well.

Even some of the people who have agreeded to help are traveling a long distance to Lancaster. Ryan the ceremony reader is flying in from LA. Maybe he should get a special prize for most miles traveled. Teresa our family hair stylist has about a two hour drive. We are so blessed to have friends like these.

The Little Things

They say the little things add up and I guess that it's true. Things that we did not really think about six months ago now need to be completed within the next few weeks. It's many of these little things that will make the day so special for everyone. What little things you may ask. Well how about making sure everyone is served the meal they are expecting. See if you can figure out how that works when they drop that favorite dish in front of you. Then there are the final meetings with the DJ, the Eden coordinator, the cake lady etc. Add in the fittings for dresses and tuxes and you see that there are not a lot of free days between now and March 29th.

Even with all this going on we still took time out on Sunday afternoon to meet Kris and Darlene, an old friend from Danville, for lunch in York. A local Greek church holds a Greek Fest every February and all of us enjoy the homemade food. Good food and good conversation always make for a wonderful afternoon. Can't wait till next year.

Well enough of this I have RSVP's to get entered into our excel file. By the way the Petit Filet has taken a 4 to 1 lead over the Salmon. Of course the final tally is not in yet so check back for updates. We should have results by early March.

There's Music In The Air

Yesterday Kris and Alan spent the afternoon working with the organist to finalize the music for the wedding. It took about two hours to make all the decisions but with the help of a very talented musician the process was a very plesant one. The pipe organ in the chapel is a wonderful instrument and will add so much to the service.

While we were there we went up to the nursing home to begin the process of trying to have Alan's mother attend the service. Since her health is in question we will not know if she can attend until that day. However we need to have all the plans in place since she will need special transportation to the chapel and back again. Although it is only 1/2 a mile away pushing her there and back is out of the question. Alan's brother and sister-in -law will accompany her that day if she is able to attend. Let's hope all goes well. She just turned 90 and this is her only granddaughter.

Weekend Off

We took a break from wedding planning this weekend and spent some time doing some of the other things in life. On Sunday we joined Kris and Charlie in Hershey for the town's Community Days. Since it was such a nice day our first stop was at the zoo. While there we ran into an old friend who has been working there for over 30 years. Kris took some great pictures of the residents and I even got a couple of good shots.

After that it was off to the Auto Museum. None of us had ever been there and again it was just nice to get away from planning for a while. We ended the day with a stop for a mid day lunch before heading for home.

Meanwhile Keith is in West Virginia with a group of guys from his base. They took a few days leave, which they planned last fall, to hit the slopes. Not quite the same as out west but skiing with friends is always fun. We just hope that they found some snow at the resort and that the slopes are not all just ice covered.

Early Election Results

In keeping with the election year theme and with 15% of the votes recorded, Petit Filet and Chicken hold a 3 to 1 lead over Salmon. Remember however these are early exit poll results and it is still to close to call. So make sure you cast your vote with your RSVP. As Mayor Dailey used to say in Chicago "Vote Early, Vote Often". ( OK I'm dating myself with that one...I saw it on the oldies channel )

In other news plans continue to go forward. Our friends Donna and Dave have agreeded to do a unique suprise project for us at the wedding. I could tell you more but then I have to have Keith........well you know the rest. They are joining a group of family friends who are helping us make this a special day for for Kris, Charlie and all of our guests. We thank them all for what they are doing. Without everyone's help we would have lost what little sanity we have left.