After a slow start to the day Saturday, we had to hit the ground running. T. Bone had tryouts for a World Series team in the morning and a regular conference game in the afternoon. My Uncle and hubby spent the day sweating in the sun. The Red Sox lost the game, but T. Bone was one of 12 little leaguers to make the team. We just got word this morning. Unfortunately, if the team is fortunate enough to advance all the way to state, the championship game will be played when we are in Cape Cod. The coach asked if we would consider leaving our star catcher home. We put the question to T. Bone. Without a nano second of hesitation, he agreed that he would forfeit this family vacation he has very much been anticipating IF his team needs him. THAT, folks is how much my boy loves baseball. It's really quite an amazing thing...his passion that is. His achievement is just as awesome as is the fact that he truly appreciates what an honor he has just earned. When I brought up the sad fact that cousin Knox would be disappointed if T. Bone isn't able to join us at the cape, he reminded me that it may not come down to that. Then he went on to say, "But it probably will Mom because our team is A-W-E-S-O-M-E, and every single player R-O-C-K-S!" Of course, he doesn't exactly know which of the 20 or so sluggers that tried out for the team actually made it! Miss Bit's reaction upon hearing the news was to say, "I'm really happy for you T. Bone." Be still my fast beating heart!
After a quick brunch, the girls made a trip to every one's favorite corner store to stock up on some very important things like copious amounts of candy, a Fourth of July light up tiara, hair bows and a peace necklace. It was my Aunt's idea to take her on a little spree since she wasn't in on the golf outing the day before, and of course, my girl likes to shop...she is the definition of kid in a candy shop.
The new babysitter arrived right on time. I think we all fell in love with her like immediately. What 13 year old tells you that you look beautiful and hopes you have a good time? And then plays with the kids ALL night long and somehow manages to keep two 9 year olds (T. Bone and Miss O.) who bicker like they are siblings and a 5 year old (Miss Bit) more than just happy, but also entertained? And then doesn't get mad that you are almost an hour later than anticipated because she was very much enjoying a show on the Food Network? I think she was worth every penny, and we paid her lots of pennies. So many that I'm seriously thinking I might quit my job and take up babysitting again.
We enjoyed cocktails on the club's rooftop deck on the most glorious of June nights. We then made our way down to the beautiful ballroom. It's the same regal room we celebrated our marriage in almost 15 years ago. The tables were decked out in festive tablecloths and the flowers were stunning. I was happy to see the bells of Ireland in the bouquets on each table. The salad was so delicious that almost everyone at our table cleaned their plates, and the other courses were also impressive. I wish I had one of those velvet cake balls right now.
The bride and groom were beaming all night long, and I was (am) so happy for them.
When the band picked up the tempo, the dance floor was the happening place to be.
My Mom's brother eventually found his happy feet. He's a dancer thanks to childhood ballroom dance lessons that he took side by side with his little sister.
There was a whole table of my Mom's closest friends who are some of my favorite people too.
This picture of my Dad's sister captures the mood of the night.
This is "The Dancing Fool." Think Elaine Benes. He's her male counterpart and maybe just even a little more over the top and out there than her when it comes to dancing. He never left the dance floor, and yes, he did completely saturate his sport coat in sweat. We decided he could start a business and market himself as the life of the party promising to keep people on the dance floor no matter the tune. You could do any old outdated or uncoordinated move you wanted and all eyes would still be on him and his crazy moves. My hubby took like 10 photos of him he was that entertaining.
Toward the end of the night, the band started to play Proud Mary. I recognized the song immediately and immediately the significance of Rolling on a River did not fall on deaf ears. My Mom was there just as she promised, and that realization filled me with complete joy. The irony of the fact that the bride's mother's name is Mary also was not lost on me. She lost her mother to the same awful disease that took my Mom several years before meeting my brother.
At the end of the night, we held hands in a circle around the happy couple and we serenaded them to the tune of All You Need is Love. Truly it was the perfect end to a perfect night celebrating their union.
Sunday the kids were eager to wake up their Dad so they could give him their Father's Day gifts. Miss Bit gave him a tin of his favorite Virginia peanuts. She wanted them open so she could sample them before breakfast. T. Bone picked out a waffle iron as his gift. He's been talking them up ever since he had homemade waffles at a friend's house a few weeks ago. When I suggested that maybe that was a gift for him and not his Dad, He reasoned, "Well, I'm gonna make him waffles for breakfast on Father's Day." And that is just what he did (with my help). They were good too. 
After breakfast, we spent some time in the yard enjoying the beautiful day before heading to my Aunt and Uncle's for a kitty and pizza fix.
After so much quality family time this weekend, I truly feel blessed. My kids are blessed too...blessed to call the man they do "Daddy." He is an amazing father. A man we celebrate everyday.
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