a busy week...

Last week was a busy week traveling from NC to Boston/Maine, back to NC, and then to Florida. From Friday to Friday I only spent one night in my own bed.  I took 6 different plane rides (oh, the next time I'm pregnant, someone please remind me that it's not a good idea to fly when you're experiencing nausea already...the outcome is not good...but I'll leave it at that).  But, all this jet-setting was worth it.  I was able to see one of my dearest friends get married, my dear cousin get married, and also had a successful work trip to Orlando.

I arrived in Boston on Friday afternoon, a little later than expected due to a delayed flight.  But, I was welcome to the airport by the precious face of my niece Ava:

So, the first wedding was last Saturday evening.  It was a beautiful wedding in Beverly, MA.  Mallory has been a close friend of mine since my family moved to MA in 1999.  Mallory was a bridesmaid in my wedding but her bridal party consisted completely of family members (cousins, sister-in-laws) and that made it really special.  My dad officiated which, of course, made it even more special ;)  Mallory looked beautiful.  The reception was at a country club in Georgetown.  I have to say, it was one of the most memorable receptions I have even been to.  About halfway through the reception, the fire alarm started blaring.  We were all instructed to evacuate the building.  We found out later that a decorative pumpkin with a candle inside had caught on fire.  But, thanks to the fine work of the firefighters, we were able to re-enter the building about 15 minutes later.  The rest of the reception was wonderful, including the pumpkin cake!  It was certainly a night that will not soon be forgotten by any of the guests!

Mallory dancing with her father, Dave

here comes the firetrucks!

The beautiful bride and I

The second wedding was Sunday afternoon at Point Lookout in Northpoint, Maine.  My cousin and her now husband could not have asked for a more perfect day for a fall, outdoor wedding.  The temperature was in the high 60s with the sun shining.  It was definitely one of the prettiest wedding venues I have even been to.  It was a wonderful day of watching my cousin get married and visiting with lots of family that I don't get to see too often.  

dancing with my dad at the reception

The picture quality isn't great but it's the only picture I took with the beautiful bride!

my cousin Max and niece Ava

I made the wedding cake for my cousin in my mom's kitchen without any of my usual utensils...it wasn't my finest work but I was pleased with the outcome!

the gorgeous view from the wedding venue

I think this is how we all felt by the end of the evening!

I flew back to NC on Tuesday and spent the evening with my husband but had to head out again Wednesday morning for a work trip to Orlando.  We had quite the time actually getting to Orlando after a long delay in our first flight from Greensboro to Charlotte caused us to miss our second flight from Charlotte to Orlando.  Needless to say, we spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how we would get to Orlando before Thursday (we were initially told there were no flights available).  We ended up switching airlines, flying standby to Atlanta, and then (after missing 2 more standby flights) finally catching a 4:50pm flight to Orlando (our original flight was 1pm).    But, we made it.  After a long but productive day and a half of training sessions, we made it back to Greensboro with no problem.   I'm not sure I have even been so thankful to sleep in my own bed!