My Brother's Wedding

The boys and I landed in Albany late on Friday, May 22. On Saturday morning we drove to my house, had lunch, changed, quickly cuT Isaac's hair, and went to Conor's wedding. I snapped these pictures between Warrensburg and Stony Creek, when I was still captivated by the curvy roads and green everywhere.  Growing up, going anywhere looked like this. Now I can't believe I used to live in a place this lush. And while I love visiting and taking in the scenery, I now prefer more open spaces. (Actually, I really loved the Utah mountains. In terms of scenery, they were a perfect compromise between the Something of my youth in the Adirondack Mountains and the Nothing of my adulthood on the High Plains of Colorado.)

The wedding was held at a camp in Galway.  Don't be deceived--it only looks warm. In actuality, the breeze was frigid. 

I kept trying to get a good look at Natalie, as if a glimpse of her would tell me all about her. (We didn't meet until after the ceremony.) But, there was a lot going on and she was pretty anxious before the ceremony began.  (For the record, the wedding itself is a tough place to meet and get to know a bride. And who wouldn't understand? From all I've seen, weddings are pretty darn tough to pull off. Thankfully, I was able to see Natalie a couple more times while were were in NY, and I like her a lot. More importantly, I can see how much Conor likes her, and how happy they are together.) This was the best photo I was able to take during the ceremony itself, which was nice. Their friend did a great job of marrying them and giving them good counsel interspersed with some humor. And what bride and groom don't need a little humor and lightheartedness on such a stressful, special day? 

I really like this pic of Conor and Natalie with my parents: 

The reception was held a little ways away from the lake, within a clearing where there was a pavilion. We were sheleterd from the wind a little and it was beautiful and relaxing.  Natalie had made this flower garland and it was really pretty--rustic, but elegant.  The pictures don't really show how nice everything looked. She created perfect atmosphere. 

The food was absolutely awesome!  I was so impressed. Natalie's brother, a professional chef, made prime rib, red potatoes, zucchini, salad with slivered almonds, and trout. (This is what I remember. I may be off a little.)  The h'ourdourvres were different cheeses, fruits and veggies, gourmet crackers, etc.   I sometimes forget that my brother is very particular about food.  He was also a chef, and he likes things done right. It showed!  All of the food was cooked over an open flame in the pavilion:

(If you look closely, you can also see more of the flower garland in the top right photo. Plus, there were lights strung above the seating area, and in the dark, they looked really pretty.)

I thought this bar was creative and fun.  There was also lots of lemonade and soda. 

I really, really enjoyed the reception itself. The best part, other than being there for Conor and Natalie, was seeing my Uncle Drew and Aunt Suzanne. I hadn't seen them for (are you ready?) TWENTY SIX years!  We visited them when I was 13 or 14, and it wasn't until I was in college that my parents were able to start visiting them every couple years. Now, they see each other once or twice a year, typically when my parents travel to and from Florida. (When I was about twelve, Uncle Drew took a job working at his best friend's family's sawmill in South Carolina. They packed up their three young kids and moved from Vermont to the south. They had three more kids there, and both my dad and Drew were busy working and providing for their families. Until they moved, Uncle Drew and Aunt Suzanne were a regular part of my lives; before they were married, Uncle Drew would visit us and play with me. Afterward, we visited them in Vermont often, they visited us sometimes, and for a couple\summers I spent a week with them and their little people. So, I was really, really happy to see them at the wedding. I had seen three of their girls on different trips to NY, but I had missed Uncle  Drew's laid back personality and easy way of speaking and Aunt Suzanne's fun sense of humor. It was awesome to have that all come back in an instant, to feel their love and friendship, and to talk with them as adults. I'm blessed with a great family!

I was also able to see my cousin Rena. I'd seen her and her husband Mark six years earlier in NY, but this visit was even better. I got to meet her little boy and my other cousin Lauren's daughter (Lauren and Rena are sisters. They ended up marrying cousins from Vermont, so now Rena and Lauren live near each other in the same area their parents first lived years ago. Cool, huh?!)  Rena looks a  lot like my dad's mom, who died when I was just eight, probably just before or just after Rena was born.  They share the same high cheekbones and sparkly eyed smile. Rena is beautiful, and she's a great woman who believes in God and family. So fun to see her and her family!!

This is Rena dancing with her niece, my second cousin, Noelle. 

This is a poor-quality photo, but I love the Droddy resemblance. Uncle Drew (aka Isaac Andrew Droddy, after Isaac Clegg and Andrew Droddy, my two great-grandfathers) and Conor look alike. And they both resemble my dad. Kinda fun that they're all bald, too!

(Photobombing behind them is Conor's good buddy Jason Whittaker, who, crazily enough, became my good friend Trudy's stepson when Trudy married his dad. Conor and Jason grew up together. Because of the wedding, Trudy and I are now facebook friends. It was great to meet Jason again and to hear about Trudy. I haven't seen her since I left NY in 1992. She was my best friend from age 4 or 5 till about 13.)