When in Rome

I am back from a trip up north for my brother in law's wedding. It was a short trip but a surprisingly good trip. DH drove up to Vanderhoof on friday and the kids and I flew up on Sunday. We were supposed to drive together but we were heading up on the friday so that DH could go on a 2 day Stag camping trip and then I would've been stuck by myself for 2 days in a place where I knew no one. I'm sure I would have had fun but it just didnt make sense considering how busy I am at the moment. The drive up is long and I must admit I was dreading it so when DH suggested I fly I jumped at the chance to skip the drive. The kids were great on the flight and DH was only 20 minutes late to pick me up so not too bad... take him above kamloops and he starts to run on Kispiox time... drives me crazy! He rolled up in this humongous, dirty pick up with the bed full of who only knows what, in a dirty button up shirt, unbottoned and his hair crazy askew, smelling of smoke. I looked at him, looked at what might be the biggest pick up I've ever had the pleasure of riding in and snorted "when in Rome...." and off we went.

Arriving in Prince George was a bit weird... I lived in PG for almost a year and it is where I met Justin. Neither of us are from there and I can't say that we loved living there but it was where we met so there is some nostalgia. The airport is bigger and the town has changed but it is also still the same. As we drove down the strip DH was saying things like "remember that Wendy's and going there at 4:30 am for a bite to eat?" I didn't. After a moment I said "what on earth was I eating at Wendy's, I was a vegetarian back then?!" and he said " A baked potato". How does he remember these things? We weren't even a couple back then!?!!! I had to laugh.

After several stops (friends, liquor, anti-itch cream, bug spray) we found ourselves at our destination, some lake in the middle of somewhere. We had been told we were staying at a lodge but were unaware that a) there would be no bedding, b) there would be no towels and c) we needed to bring our own food. Yikes! A moment of panic as I contemplated how I would sleep on the mattress without bedding (forget the food!!) but all was resolved. We paid extra for bedding and towels and DH had bought food for the stag which was in the cooler of the big pick up truck that had since been returned to its rugged owner so he went down to someone's campsite and came back with food. It was somewhat cave man esque. The food was 3 loaves of bread, 1 kg of peanut butter, a big honking jar of jam and eggs and I figured I could make do on this. Our "cabin" was rustic but cute and right on the lake. In face with the flooding up there the cabin was extremly on the lake. As in the water was almost on our doormat.

We spent the next 24 hours madly preparing the hall and addressing issues that hadnt been addressed like: no one remembered to buy mixer for the straight alcohol - excellent; we had one bag of ice for the entire reception with 110 people; there was no table plan and the seating arrangement didn't work with the room size; no one remembered to bring tables for the caterer; we had no pins to pin on the stupid flouncy thing for the head table and the fish wasn't defrosted.

We managed to pull it all together and the wedding was beautiful. We had a great time but my highlights have got to be:
- hanging out with my SIL Amber
- being able to let my kids roam free as the entire resort was booked with our friends
- the salmon - bbq'd by some amazing cooks!!! yum!
- my BIL's words to his new wife, I cried like a baby
- seeing my DH in a tux and asking him in the reception line if I could take him home with me, good thing he said yes
- laying on the dock at 1:00 am and staring up at the brightest stars I've ever seen
- a truly interresting wedding with Aussies, Scots, people from Katar and as DH lkes to call them, the valley boys from the Kispiox valley all in this very remote place
- and finally the announcement from the Aussie MC that at cougar had been spotted in the vicinity of the wedding and that no it was not one of the female guests and to keep an eye on our children!

The drive home was pleasant and we stopped and spent the night in a wonderfully picturesque spot. Dh and I had a bit of time to talk through a few things that have cropped up recently and that was nice. And now I am home and reality returns for a spell....