Wedding Weekend Down South

I alluded to our destination wedding weekend last weekend.  Well, my oldest cousin married his bride on Saturday in Lumberton, MS.  It could not have been a more beautiful day for a wedding!  Friday night, before the wedding, we were invited to the rehearsal dinner.  My dad officiated the ceremony, so he also stayed for the rehearsal.

Mama and Millie Janalee

Everything was held at his aunt's beautiful home.  I can't remember the details, but it was an older home with so much land!  There was a pond in the back and a fountain in the front.  Dustin and Lee tossed coins into the fountain making a wish.  Ha! 

Dustin and Sheila

My aunt, her sister, and my cousin prepared the food for the rehearsal dinner, and it was so delicious!  Lots of southern food with a "to die for" dessert!  Sadly, I didn't try any dessert.  I was busy with a touchy little bitty.  Millie Janalee was starting to be in the throws of her cold.  Plus she had traveled 5 hours earlier that day.  She was tired and not into the cool evening where everyone was eating but her.  Ha!

Millie Janalee and Uncie Lee

I took her upstairs to the nursery to change her diaper, and my cousin's little girl joined us.  She entertained Millie Janalee with an Elmo jack in the box.  Until it began to terrify Millie Janalee!  Ha!  Anna Claire looked up at me and said in her very soft voice, "Oh no!  She's sca-wed."  I rocked Millie Janalee for a little while, and Anna Claire began bringing stuffed animals to help the "sca-wed" baby.  Then all the "kids" headed back to the hotel while my parents and grandmother started rehearsal.

Kristin and Lee

If you don't follow me on Facebook, you don't know how I feel about our newest purchase.  The greatest travel invention EVER!  I ordered this iPad car hanger on Zulily a while back, and we used it for our trip.  I downloaded some Baby First and Sesame Street episodes.  Oh. My. Goodness!  There was never a whimper or cry.  I didn't use it until Millie Janalee got restless...and at night of course.  She's not a fan of riding in the car at night.  I will never travel without it again! 

We woke up Saturday morning and gathered downstairs for the hotel breakfast.  It was yummy, and the company was fun.  Our family always eats hotel breakfasts in our pajamas.  So what if we range from 24-60 years old!  We are usually the only ones wearing pajama pants and slippers, but that's okay.  We're also the only ones laughing and talking at such an early hour.  Millie Janalee entertained us and everyone else.  We leisurely began getting ready for the 2:00 wedding.

Millie Janalee ready for her first wedding.

This was Millie Janalee's very first wedding!  She looked just precious.  Unfortunately (or fortunately...depending on how you look at it), Russ had to stay home and work.  So I took lots of pictures and sent them to him throughout the weekend.

Waiting for the family in the hotel lobby

My little princess!

The wedding was very sweet.  We all cried as we watched my cousin see his bride for the first time walking down the aisle.  The weather could not have been more perfect!  It was 80 degrees and sunny!  The breeze was blowing occasionally, and the scenery was to die for.  I was devastated that I left my "big camera" charging at my parents' house.  I still had my little camera, and I did a little editing to make the pictures look a little better.  It was the perfect setting for beautiful pictures!

Mama and Millie Janalee

"Well, what happened was..." - Millie Janalee and She She

Kristin and Lee

Maw Maw, Millie Janalee, Paw Paw, and Susu

Dustin and Sheila

The food was great, and we all enjoyed hanging out on the back porch overlooking the pond and huge back yard!  Millie Janalee stayed very entertained.  Oh...I should talk about Millie Janalee's behavior during her first wedding.  I was quite nervous about it as our family does not think it's all that cute to have babies crying or "talking" during weddings.  I actually had a nursery available during our wedding.  Since we were out of town, there wasn't a babysitter option.  When we arrived, I found that there was no side aisle to sit near for an emergency exit.  So, I sat on the center aisle.  I knew it was nap time, so I was hopeful Millie Janalee would take a bottle and fall asleep.  We had a bottle prepared with the air already pushed out, but I wanted to wait until it was needed.  So I gave Millie Janalee her stuffed butterfly to play with while we waited.  As soon as the family began walking down the center aisle to be seated, Millie Janalee was interested.  She wanted to touch them all.  And she did touch a few.  Oops!  Then, she wanted to talk to them.  So I quickly grabbed the bottle and began feeding her to prepare for that nap.  She took her bottle, and finished it just as the father of the bride gave her away.  You know...just in time for the quiet part.  So I began rocking her with her little lovey next to her face.  She burped. [oh dear] and began closing her eyes.  But, she was humming herself to sleep.  Soooo....at this point, we started popping yogurt melts into her mouth to keep her quiet.  Every time she began to hum, we popped another one in her mouth.  She remained quiet through the entire wedding!  I told Mama that if we attend many more weddings, Millie Janalee would blow up like a blimp!  Ha!

PawPaw's boutonniere turned Millie Janalee's play thing.

There's nothing quite as refreshing on a warm Spring day than Diet Coke in a glass bottle!  Kristin and I loved the little touches throughout the wedding.  And, we're big fans of these striped straws...in any color!  I think most impressive were the teeny tiny silver forks for the cocktail wienies!  So cute!  The wedding was decorated beautifully in reds, black, and burlap!  So pretty.

Sisters

Millie Janalee loved her first Spring day!

Maw Maw has only been with both her great grandbabies twice, so we took the opportunity to snap a picture of the occasion.  Trying to get two little ones to pose and smile at the same time...or at all...is always fun!  Ha!  As you can see, Mamas needed to join them.

Anna Claire, Amanda, MawMaw, Millie Janalee, and me

Now, I'll get to my pictures of the bride and groom!  They were so happy to finally be husband and wife!  I didn't see them too much at the reception, because I'm sure they were visiting and talking with everyone.  But, I did get to visit and take some pictures before they drove off.

Casey and Kellie Jo

Tossing the garter...

Leaving...

My other cousin also drove off from her wedding in this classic London car.  I loved the signs hanging in the windows...

Casey's aunt drove them off as they left the wedding.  We blew bubbles as they ran out, and the kids took that into full bubble mode after the formal exit.  Ha!

Following the wedding, our family decided to find a place to eat before our 5 hour trip home.  And some of us wanted to change clothes.  We took a suggestion of a friend and ate at Walnut Circle in Hattiesburg.  It was delicious.  Millie Janalee was pretty overtired, so my mom, Sheila, and I spent our time feeding, rocking, and entertaining her.  She really wants to stay awake and play with us so badly when there's something going on.  Bless her!

After dinner, I spotted a great spot for some pictures before loading up.  Millie Janalee's first Spring day...and probably the last one for a while according to the weather.  She was having so much fun sitting in the grass.

Auntie Kristin even got down there and played a little...despite her severe allergies to all things outdoors.  Obviously, Millie Janalee hasn't developed that grass allergy as of now. 

It was a great weekend wedding family affair!  The only cousin left is....Dustin.  That may be awhile.