glad to be home

Posted: August 9, 2010 at 5:13 pm

Hey, hey, hey! I’m back from our travels. How was everyone’s weekend? I hope fabulous. I look forward to being back to normal blogging and being able to visit you all. I also look forward to being back home with my darling girl and my kitchen. I have no problem eating a few heavier meals over a vacation, but it never fails to leave me craving the best stuff afterwards. Onto the rest of my recap, shall we?

I left you with the wedding rehearsal, but no recap of the wedding. Let me remedy that. The ceremony filled the room with love. The emotion expressed on the bride’s and groom’s faces spoke volumes. And the worship included within the ceremony displayed the firm foundation of their relationship. I love watching weddings and feeling like my own becomes reaffirmed.

Here are a few of my favorite shots of the wedding. Aren’t my friends just glowing with love? 🙂

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Look at those smiles!!!! I’m incredibly happy for them. Seeing my close friend marry a woman perfectly suited for him brings me so much joy. I had tears in my eyes when I saw his face as she walked down the aisle. They will no doubt enjoy a long life of love together. Love them both!

After the beautiful ceremony, we had a brief break back in the hotel room before heading to the reception. The reception venue overlooked a small lake and boasted amazing decor. It somewhat reminded me of our rehearsal venue, except at a lake instead of the mountains.

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After the cocktail hour, we moved to the main hall for a seated dinner, toasts, and then dancing. The meal started with a Caesar salad and a roll with an asparagus garlic spread.

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Then, the main course came out. Filet with potatoes and veggies. They simply brought out the meal without asking how people wanted their meat cooked. Pink does NOT suit me.

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I tried to force it down, but around 2/3 of the way through I made a mad dash for the restroom instead. From there the night was downhill. Shortly afterwards, the cutting of the cake came.

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I needed food because I had nothing in my stomach at this point and had a slice as soon as possible. I ended up feeling worse and getting a headache from having just sugar in my stomach. It tasted fabulous, but not so sure it was worth it.

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I had to leave not too long after that. I felt so terrible! I wanted to be there to celebrate with them as long as possible. We headed back to the hotel by 10 and I immediately crashed. I’m happy I got to see the first dance, cutting of the cake, visit with them, and enjoy some other good company though.

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Fortunately I woke up feeling better on Sunday. I took my time getting out of bed and getting ready to be sure. Then, knowing I still felt up to it, we headed out towards downtown Philly after another complimentary hotel breakfast. The trip started off a little rocky thanks to some bad directions, but we found our way. We started off in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

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Of course, we had to complete the obligatory Rocky climb. I didn’t pose like all the other people though. Haha!

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After checking out the views from the steps for a bit, we went around back of the museum to visit the Azalea Gardens and Boathouse Row. What a nice area!

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Then we decided to head down Benjamin Franklin Parkway towards 18th street to visit Rittenhouse Square and have lunch. It wasn’t too long of a walk, but it worked up my appetite. We had to search for a place to eat because apparently 1:00 on a Sunday equates to brunch around that area. Everywhere was serving eggs, eggs, and more eggs, I wasn’t in the mood for breakfast so the only decent looking option in the area was a pizza place.

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A very good pizza place at that. We decided to share a medium spinach, mushroom, and onion on whole wheat. I liked that the the veggies stole the show. There was very little cheese and sauce, which tasted perfect with such flavorful toppings.

Lunch took longer than expected, so once we finished we had to take a quick walk through Rittenhouse Square and start heading back to the car to leave in time to get to visit Peter’s friends for the night. That didn’t stop us from taking a pit stop for some fro-yo. I have eyed all your fro-yo visits for some time and knew I needed a taste of my own. I picked up a mix of vanilla and watermelon flavors with some strawberries, blueberries, and a few M&Ms on top. Soooooo good!

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It topped off our quick Philly day trip perfectly. Then we headed into West Chester to finish out the night visiting some friends we haven’t seen since our wedding. I don’t know them as well since it is a friend Peter used to work with, but I really enjoyed the company. I wish we had had more time to visit them. The few hours we did have to share a dinner with them in their home, play with their daughter, and sit and chat were wonderful though. And that about wraps it up. I really missed Makenzie, but this vacation felt more special without her. I joked that we could almost call it our “babymoon” vacation to get away and have fun before having the next baby. We had a great time…

  • What was the best part of your weekend?
  • What is the longest road trip you’ve taken? Was it worth it?

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60 Comments to “glad to be home”
  1. Mellissa says:

    I took a bus trip to Florida in college, 20+ hours on a bus. NEVER again!

  2. homecookedem says:

    Sounds like a great trip… though I’m sorry you got sick during dinner. Glad it didn’t last too long and you were able to enjoy the rest of your trip.

    Best part of my weekend was a picnic with friends and free concert. And one of our friends brought her cute little baby and I played with her all night long. Sooooooo cute!! 🙂

    Longest road trip I ever went on was with Andrew and a bunch of his friends about 6 weeks after we met. We drove up to New Hampshire to his family’s cabin. It took FOREVER!!!!!!! But very worth it!! 🙂

  3. Heather says:

    Aw man-why didn’t you feel well? I had 2 preggo ppl @ my wedding and they boyh had trouble with altitude sickness up in the mts where we lived. I felt so bad for them 🙁
    Gorgeous cake your friends had!!
    I used to live by the philly art museum back in the day! I’d ride my bike past boathouse row almost daily 🙂
    Hope you’re doin well and enjoying your time back home.

    • Tina says:

      There were so many people out over there riding their bikes and running. I loved it! I wish Atlanta was as nice as Philly.

  4. I’m so sorry you didnt feel good! It looks like a beauitful wedding, and you stayed as long as you could! I know they appreciated that.

    I took a roadtrip from OKC to LA with my dad–about 23 hours in total.

  5. Ahh too bad that you didn’t feel so hot Tina. But… you know I’d probably be in bed by 10 too and I’m not pregnant or a mommy. 🙂

  6. Glad you are back safely!

    The wedding looked like a lot of fun and that cake looks SO good! Wowza, I love wedding cake (well, cake in general:)

    The best part of my weekend was honestly just snuggling/cuddling with my sweet husband. We’ve been so busy lately (even *this* weekend was a busy one), but we had a few hours yesterday to just stay in and spend quality time together. I always look forward to that:)

    • Tina says:

      I know what you mean. Having just a bit of time to relax together is unbelievable. That’s part of the reason I loved this weekend so much.

  7. I can tell from the photo you went to Sweet Endings. Love it! Looks like you had such a great weekend. I also love weddings for how they remind me of my own love and commitment for my husband. I feel so close to him at weddings. Ahhh… love!

  8. Becky says:

    The wedding looked beautiful! Sorry you didn’t feel great during the reception. I can’t do rare meat either…ick. I’m glad the rest helped and you were able to enjoy Philly with your husband!

  9. you and your friend look like you could be sisters! and i love that red dress…you are the most beautiful pregnant woman! the longest road trips were every summer from lubbock, texas to the bay area of california to visit my grandparents! we would do 16 hours the first day and 8 the second day…my parents are crazy!

    • Tina says:

      That sounds like what Peter would do. He basically refuses to fly if he can drive. I’m glad it saves money, but it just takes soooo long.

  10. Samantha says:

    My favorite part of weddings is seeing how in love people are. The look on their faces when they realize that they are married beats dinner, cake and dancing combined!!!

  11. What a beautiful wedding! Love her dress!!!!! I always cry at weddings…like EVERY ONE I’ve ever been to! LOL, I’m such a sap!

  12. That pizza looks delish. Looks like you hit up the side of Philly we never made it too. Sorry to hear you weren’t feeling better for the wedding, but at least you got to be there and see the first dance and cake cutting. Hope you get some well-deserved rest!

  13. So happy you enjoyed your weekend and time in Philly! Not so happy that you felt sick at the wedding 🙁 But at least you got to have some cake, right? 😛

    Kind of random but…your girlfriend (the bride) kind of looks like America Ferrera (from Ugly Betty)! Doesn’t she?!

  14. cute red dress,and the wedding cake is beautiful!
    my other blog is tanyasdaily
    stop by the above blog is you have a moment….I know with you being a MOM that you can contribute something, so many catorgories to choose from…I would appreciate it!

  15. Aw, sorry to hear you weren’t able to stay long at the wedding. I can share your frustration with the red meat and the cake though. There’s only so much pink-ness I can handle with steak, and eating really sugary (albeit gorgeous-looking) desserts usually makes me feel pretty horrible as well. The bride’s dress looks gorgeous, as does yours! Glad you got to spend some time with your husband. The longest road trip I’ve ever taken was probably when I was much younger. It was a family trip to Canada’s west coast and we stayed with a bunch of friends at a cottage. I don’t remember it very much since I was so young, but my favourite road trip as of recently was going to Pennsylvania in February to go shopping at the Prime Outlets. Tax free shopping is the best! 🙂

    • Tina says:

      Tax free shopping is always a good thing! I had no clue that even existed outside of duty free airport shops or tax break weekends. LOL

  16. So sorry to hear that you got sick during the reception dinner! Pink meat doesn’t fly with me either…that on top of pregnancy: no wonder you were feeling ill!

    The second day looked like so much fun!

    My longest road trip was from Virginia to Northern California. I was moving to CA and we decided that driving was the best way to handle the move. I enjoyed it, but in general hate road trips and airplane rides (but love to travel)!

  17. Welcome back!
    Sorry to hear you didn’t feel well. I’ve been to too many events where the steak comes out way too pink 🙁
    Great pictures, that cake is gorgeous!
    I’ve been on two long road trips, the first from Vermont to Florida when I was nine and the second a big circle out west starting and ending in Denver when I was 12. Both were very fun and worth it!

  18. oh my – what wonderful photos!!!! And a great weekend you had (well except for getting sick that is)

  19. It’s so funny there were so many weddings this past weekend. I posted a wedding recap and I just went to another blog that had one too! I love weddings, they are so amazing!

  20. Jennifer says:

    I love your pictures. You look beautiful as always. I loved how you said that weddings seem to reaffirm your own marriage. I totally agree. Going to a wedding with my husband puts me back in that place where we once were and the many reasons why I chose to marry him. I’m glad you had a good time! The longest road trip I took was a vacation I went on with my husband and his family to Wisconsin. It took forever!! But we were in an RV, so I guess it could’ve been worse for sure.

    • Tina says:

      I would love to travel in an RV. That still was a long trip though and you probably get sick of being cooped up.

  21. It’s never fun not feeling well at a wedding! Sorry:( Our weekend was long as well, with a huge family gathering…but we didn’t have to drive that far!

  22. Oh no about the sickness! Glad you still had a great rest of the trip.

    Longest roadtrip was a 24 hour (straight) drive down to Florida during college for spring break. I drove over 1/2 of it since it was my car and I was paranoid. OH so painful.

  23. Hayley says:

    Welcome home!!

    What a beautiful wedding!! You also look beautiful and all glowy in your dress…I love all the sight-seeing pictures! I’m so sorry you were sick on vacation (YUCK!) but I’m glad the rest of your trip went well.

    The best part of my weekend was my baby shower on Saturday!! 🙂

  24. What a beautiful wedding!! I am so sorry you got sick and had to leave early!

    The best part of my weekend was on Sunday night we had all of our friends over to watch the Cowboy’s football game. I tested out my healthy bread pudding on the boys and they ate it up!! Success!

  25. Dorry says:

    You looked so beautiful in your red dress! Love it. Best part of my weekend was dinner with some of our best friends at our favorite placr for Tex-Mex. They have a 15 month old little girl and 3 month old twins at home so it’s a BIG deal for them to have a night out!

    Longest road trip as a kid – Dallas to the Grand Canyon, I think. As an adult – Napa Valley to Los Angeles. Definitely worth it. 🙂

    • Tina says:

      I bet they were excited to get out. I couldn’t imagine having twins and so close to the oldest child. They deserved a night out. Glad you guys had fun.

  26. Heather says:

    The wedding looked beautiful, sorry to hear you didn’t feel good for some of it though.

    Best part of my weekend was seeing all of my college girlfriends, all of us together in one place.

    Longest road trip was when I moved from IL to AZ…26 hours!

  27. Your friends looks so happy! Congratulations to them! I’m sorry you didn’t feel good, but it looks like in spite of all that you guys had a great weekend away!

  28. what amazing wedding pics..that cake, omg swoon!

    you look gorgeous, too, all glowing and beautiful!! 🙂

  29. I’m so sorry you didn’t feel well during the wedding (I completely understand the aversion to red meat!). You looked BEAUTIFUL though! Love that red dress!

    A pit stop for fro yo is always a traveling necessity…I’m glad you enjoyed yours! The watermelon flavor sounds wonderfully refreshing.

    The longest road trip I’ve ever taken was from California to Yellowstone National Park in Montana/Wyoming. I get stir-crazy during long car rides, but the scenery was worth it!

  30. I hope you’re feeling well soon!

    Wow, what a stunning bride! I love her dress. The detail/gathering around the waist is beautiful. Congrats to the newleyweds!

  31. I feel ya on not getting enough to eat at the wedding. That happens to me most times so I carry “hobo snacks”. The wedding sounds perfect though. So glad you had a great trip, but happier you are back with your little one!

    • Tina says:

      I’m so happy to be back with her. She made me sad though. It’s like she didn’t even miss me. Haha. I’m excited to play with her all day today though.

  32. eatmovelove says:

    Oh my – you stole my heart with that pizza! That cake!

    Thanks for updating about switching sites!

    Do you mind why you made the transition? And how you are finding it?

    I’ve considered changing my name, etc in the future, but fear I’ll lose (the little) readership I have, or that it would be complicated…did you transfer your previous posts?

  33. Shannon says:

    Looks like a perfect weekend (with the exception of not feeling well at the wedding). I’m glad you and your husband got some alone time together on top of the wedding festivities. You both look so happy and relaxed 🙂

    The best part of my weekend was part 2 of my baby shower. Such fun!

  34. That food looks amazing!

    You look so beautiful in that red dress! Glad you’re back home

  35. Sarah says:

    My longest drive to date was probably around 14 hours. I’ve done a few of those; some have been enjoyable and some not so much.
    I’m sorry you got sick! That meat did not look so great :(. I’m glad you were able to take care of yourself and get the rest you needed to recuperate quickly.

  36. Nichole says:

    Imma need more bump in those pictures. The color of your dress was PERFECT! And the pic of the groom smiling gave me goosebumps.

    Tell that cake to get in my face:)

    I am so glad the wedding was fun and you had a safe trip. Checking out museums is always a perk when traveling.

    The longest road trip I had was in college when we went from GA to Key West, totally worth what I remember of it.

    This weekend – um no complaints on the beach.

  37. Glad you had a great time! I once drove 24 hours to see Hanson in concert in Tulsa. Was it worth it? YUP! but I wouldn’t do it again. lol

  38. Tyler says:

    I have never seen watermelon soft serve before! That is awesome!

    The longest road trip I ever took was when my friends and I drove from Athens, GA to Miami for Spring Break. I think the total drive time down to Miami was around 13 hours, but we stopped in Tampa for a night and stayed with my friend’s aunt to break up the trip. Miami was amazing! Then, we detoured to Savannah for a couple nights on the way back up for St. Patty’s Day before heading back to Athens. So that week, with all different stops, we were in the car for over 24 hours! It was totally worth it 🙂

    • Tina says:

      Now THAT sounds like a blast of a trip. St. Patty’s in Savannah ROCKS! And top it off with Miami? My kind of college vacation. LOL

  39. Looks like a great wedding! But I can’t believe they didn’t ask you how you wanted your steak cooked. I am a medium-well girl all the way – even if people tell me it’s overcooked and takes away from the flavor. I do not care. I can’t stomach a bloody steak. Eww

  40. Angela says:

    I grew up in Philadelphia and love it there so much. I’m only about an hour and a half away so I still go home often. Reading your post made me really sentimental, my Dad works at the Art Museum, my sister got married in Rittenhouse Square, we always do the Rocky stairs in honor of our last name, Rambo, not the same movie but they’ve both got Sly! I want to go home now 🙂

    My longest road trip was probably to North Carolina, it was eight hours and we were going to see my boyfriends mom. It was the first time I was meeting her and the long drive actually helped to relax and prepare me!

  41. I’m actually from West Chester!! Funny- you were right around the corner. Sorry to hear about the bad food experience at the wedding, but it looks like the rest of the trip made up for it. Glad you had a great time!

    • Tina says:

      Oh man!!!! If I had known that we probably could have squeezed in a quick get together. I’m sure we will be back up that way sometime to visit Peter’s friends again though. Otherwise our paths will end up crossing someway. I just know it. 🙂

  42. Rachel says:

    I was out of town this weekend too! I stayed with a friend who just returned to the country after teaching English in South Korea for 6 months. It was great to spend some time together! I also met her wonderful family and met a cute bull dog that kept my puppy busy all weekend!

  43. Kelly says:

    So funny – I was also on the Rocky steps Sunday morning during my run! My visit to Philly for my friend’s bachelorette party was definitely the best part of the weekend!

    Longest road trip was from Boston to Hilton Head area in SC – totally worth it because it was a great, beachy vacation with friends!

  44. You looked absolutely beautiful. I’m sorry you got sick. Boo. Beautiful cake and beautiful wedding. I love weddings. Honestly, I get so emotional when the groom get emotional more than the bride. I don’t know why?

    The longest road trip for me was a 10 hour drive to Galveston, TX. I love that area but it was w/ an ex so no, it wasn’t worth it lol.

  45. What FUN pics! Looks like you had a great time on your whirlwind trip!! Love the froyo!

  46. Mac says:

    Longest trip…. 24 hours!! It was worth it though. It was my first time in FL and to see the ocean, plus I got to play basketball 🙂

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