Day 2

They came. They saw. They slept on the floor.

Day 2 came and went with a in a flash and a couple bangs and some karaoke to finish it all off.

Started the day with coffee on an anchored boat with Penny to watch the sun rise over upper herring lake.

After that we made a big breakfast and had a relaxing morning. Played guitar, went on some boat rides, visited with friends and relatives, discussed wedding details, etc.

Then everyone started showing up and things got a little hectic.

My dad called and said my step sister hit a deer. Jon took a ride on in a row boat and disappeared for a few hours. Fred went on a rescue mission and towed him back in. Then a large group of my extended family got stranded on a pontoon when the propeller fell off. Another rescue mission. Then we got word that our good friends Sarah and Drew got 2 flat tires somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, Michigan and had to get a hotel room because they couldn't find two tires that fit their car.

And other havoc broke out as well that fixed itself along the way. So, no big whoop there, but it seemed serious at the time.

But after the smoke cleared, everything started falling into place and the day was a win overall.

Our rehearsal was very nice. Julie nearly cried. It was probably the highlight of my day. Not the crying, but the mock ceremony. Everyone was beaming as we walked down. The sun had just started getting low in the sky so the grounds were illuminated.
Real nice. Like a movie.

Then we drank, and ate, and had a karaoke party. Good times.

Packing/Driving/First Day

Today is Friday.
Today we leave for Arcadia.

The drive took about 5 hours after some traffic back ups and construction. All in all it was a nice ride up.
Beautiful fall colors and some interesting small towns along the way. Julie got really happy seeing cows and horses at farms during the ride. The closer we got, the better and more exciting the ride became.
Or maybe we were just more excited.

The house we're staying in is bigger than I thought it would be. 4 floors of hardwood and old pictures on the walls. Ancient looking doors converted into bathroom counters. Modern appliances and futons in almost every living space.
Needless to say, Julie and I claimed the master bedroom and told everyone else to keep out.

Fred and I took a drive out to Traverse area right away to pick up tables and chairs. A very 1930's feel to all the surrounding areas. Old houses. Old buildings. No one out and about at 5 pm on a Friday.

We're not in the suburbs anymore.

When we got back we made dinner and settled in for the night. More people came and everything went smoothly for the most part. Don't get me wrong, it was a little stressful at times - putting 14 people in a house together that usually don't stay in a house together can do that to people.
But over all things went well based on the fact that it could have been a lot worse.



And we made it safely. Here's some proof.