There was a wedding. I was there with my very own lovely bride, Diane. So were my Brother’s, Jim & Jack and their brides, Donna & Wynette. It was a family affair. The bride was my Niece Steffani’s Daughter.

The trip to Nampa, Idaho was uneventful unless you consider how difficult it is for someone my age to drive a motorhome long distances without an occasional rest stop. I’m sure you’ve seen old folks bopping along the freeway in these huge rigs, wondering, as do I, how they manage to keep those things on the road. If you happen to be at an RV park when they arrive the mystery deepens when the drivers exit their vehicle and immediately grab onto their walker which their wives conveniently place at the bottom of the stairs. Watching some of them hobble around their rigs makes it a little frightening to know they were recently going 70 mph down a freeway in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that could cause untold amounts of damage should the drive become deceased while changing lanes.

But, that’s a story for another day. This day is about a wedding.

Maryssa and Matt have known each other since they were about 3-7 years old. I’m obviously guessing at their ages because I truly don’t know. I just know it’s been a long time even though I don’t know how old they are at this moment in time. Old enough to drink beer, I’m pretty sure. Not that they do, of course. Although, Maryssa is a teacher and I’m pretty sure most teachers drink beer. Or wine. It’s necessary.

The wedding took place at a very stunning outdoor venue that was created just for this purpose. Not just this wedding, but anyone who wants a wedding in a stunning venue. The date was chosen based on weather predictions about when the hottest day of the year was likely to descend on Nampa. I must say, they nailed it. It was very hot. Thankfully, there was a little hand fan on each chair to help with the heat. Daniel, brother of the bride, escaped to the shade of a tree and kept his tiny little daughter (Edith) cool with a battery powered fan. Everyone else just had to sit there and sweat.

Since the bride and groom waited so long to get married there were no small children in either family available to serve as flower girls or ring bearers. So, the Best Man filled in by taking charge of the rings and Maryssa’s Grandmothers (Donna & Mary) were the Flower Girls. It was pretty awesome watching them walk down the aisle tossing rose petals all over the place. It was evident they were having a good time.

The only downside was that brother Jim, one of the Flower Girl’s husbands, had to wear a nice white shirt with a tie. It was only a downside for him. He looked quite nice. My other brother, Jack, and I wore more comfy attire.

Then came the bride.

She was stunning, of course, and it was evident that the Groom, Matt, was on the verge of losing it from the moment he saw her coming at him. Many of those in attendance had the same problem. Either that, or they had sweat running in their eyes like I did, which stings a lot, making it necessary to wipe them with anything handy.

Here’s a look at the whole group …

The service was great, the knot was tied, and we adjourned to the adjacent patio, table 3, where we sat with Jim, Donna, Jack, Wynette, Jennifer, and Lydia. There was a place for Ruth, too, but she couldn’t make it. Too much turmoil in the country for a trip from Connecticut. But, she was there in spirit, I’m sure.

The food was provided by a Pizza Truck. It had it’s own wood fired pizza oven which produced some pretty darn good pizza. There was salad, too. Simple fare, but totally appropriate for this group.

The wedding cake was small, perfect for the bride and groom, and everyone else ate the many cupcakes scattered around their big cake. From a food perspective, it was totally unique in my experience and seemed to be just perfect for those involved. The result was a very relaxed reception.

There was open bar, too. The most popular item was Moscato wine. By the time the bar ran out of that, those who drank it weren’t very picky about what to replace it with. My favorite thing in the bar area was a neverending supply of popcorn. I just love that stuff.

A tradition at weddings is for all married couples to dance. As the dance progresses, the DJ announces that those who have been married less than 5 hours should leave the dance floor. This progresses as the numbers increase and the number of couples on the floor quickly dwindles until there are just a few left. In this case, the last three couples standing were my brothers, me, and our wives. Of those three, Diane and I left first at 53. Jack and Wynette held out until he got to 58, then Jim and Donna won with 62. Between us, that’s 173 years of wedded bliss. Kinda cool.

Jack did a great job of swing dancing with Maryssa, for a long time, and I danced with Diane as often as something came up on the play list that was danceable.

I also danced with our daughter, Jennifer, and granddaughter, Lydia, neither of whom I’ve had the honor of dancing with previously. It was really nice. Diane and I waited a long time for a good song to play so we could do our fast dance, but the music just kept getting louder meant for a younger crowd. So, we made our departure, wishing the newlyweds the best of luck.

The next day, Steffani, mother of the bride, had a brunch for everyone who attended the wedding. After eating we all watched Mr. and Mrs. Prosser open their wedding gifts. At the appropriate time, we left and went to Jim and Donna’s to have some brother/sister time before parting ways. We don’t often have the opportunity to visit as a group any more so that time is precious.

The next morning Diane and I departed Nampa, heading west. Destination, Home, with an overnight stop in Boardman.

It was a good trip.