The Reception

We were among the last to arrive at the reception because of pictures, and we also had to take the bride and groom in our car. I was really glad that we got to do that.

We dropped the kids off at the bottom of the hill, and they took a golf cart up to the house. Then we went and parked, walked to the driveway, and took a golf cart up to the reception. Their driveway is on a steep, twisty hill, so they had drivers in golf carts taking the guests up to the reception. I thought that was a good idea.

The band was playing when we arrived, and people had already started eating. The wedding cake was in the dining room, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The icing looked like flower petals, and the bridesmaids' bouquets surrounded it. The groom's cake was on a sideboard in the living room, and it was decorated with things from the forest--ferns, mushrooms, squirrels, and so on--to symbolize camping in the woods, I guess. It was Italian cream, which Russell had requested. The bride and groom cut both cakes, and I tried to get some good pictures, but I don't think they turned out so well.

Then everyone just ate and visited and listened to music. Callie threw the bouquet, and Kaci caught it. Callie and I jokingly told Kaci that was cheating since she already knew that she was the one getting married next.

Later in the evening, the band took a break. Of course, Timothy and Trey being who they are, they were up on stage in a second. Tyler and Jay joined them. Then they all started chanting "Russell, Russell," until he joined them as well. So with Timothy and Tyler on guitar, Trey on keyboards, Jay on drums, and Russell and Timothy singing lead, they sang several numbers. It was priceless, and I will always treasure that in my heart. I have informally christened the group "Russell and the Groomsmen." After about three numbers, Russell had to leave to change, but Timothy and the others kept on playing.

The couple ran from the house to the golf cart in a wave of sparklers. It was really nice. A car drove them back to Oxford to Russell's house--now Russell and Callie's house. The next day Russell called to say that they were in Atlanta, and they spent the night at a bed and breakfast there. They planned to leave Atlanta on Monday afternoon so that they could fly at night. They wanted to fly at night not only to sleep, but also to arrive in Paris in the daylight and be a little easier to find their apartment.

They called Tuesday morning--it was afternoon there--to say that they were there safely and in their apartment in Paris with a rooftop garden view of the Eiffel Tower. Except for one email, we did not hear from them again until they were back in Atlanta Wednesday afternoon. They drove on in to Oxford Wednesday night and were absolutely exhausted. We are anxious to sit down and visit with them as soon as we can.

So now I have a daughter-in-law. I really like the sound of that.