Wedding Bells

It was a big day!

Keith's wedding day brought rain to Iowa - about time! Too little, too late for many of the crops in Iowa. And Creston missed a lot of the precious moisture. We drove to Des Moines in a steady rain, but by noon it was over.

Jud and Kara had arrived in DSM Friday night. Kara worked in Seattle again this week and flew into the DSM airport where Elroy (Judson David) picked her up. They went to the horse track that night - one type of sporting event Kara seems to enjoy. Jud reported they lost about $20 each - not bad for a night of entertainment.

Kara is shocked at our ribs

We met them at Jethro's in Waukee - their first experience at the joint. Mama made the decision to have a fruity rum drink and the waitress talked me into upsizing it for $1.25. Bad idea but delish. Good thing we ordered wings to eat while I started on it or I would have been schnockered (yes...that's a word). Paul and I ordered the Fred Flintstone car tipping over size rack of ribs. And oh the jalapeno creamed corn!

We decided to save $250 and stay at my roomie Joan's - did I mention she's the best landlady ever? We had booked rooms in Altoona, but McKims cancelled theres as they were playing in a golf tourney Sunday a.m. We hadn't been able to get into the hotel the wedding party had set aside. But judging from the shape the wedding party was in when I last saw them...I think we made a good choice. I bet the hotel was wild and crazy!

Anyway we got ready for the ceremony and left for the other side of town about 3 p.m. for the 4 p.m. ceremony. Waukee, where Joan lives, used to be west of DSM and Altoona, wedding site was east. It all runs together now but is still a long drive as DSM goes. We got good seats!

Keith is a good hugger - gets it from his Momma

I got a little choked up when Keith walked his Mom down the aisle and hugged her. The wedding was elegant and simple. The pastor did a nice job and I liked the ceremony. It took about a half hour. My favorite part is when the happy couple is introduced! Keith and Kelsey made their way back in and ushered all the people out of the church. Then they took a party bus around town for a while.



The vows were very well done, colors beautiful

I always love the joy on the bride and groom's faces on the way down the aisle!

Mom of the groom is a hottie - my bestie, Deb

We drove to the reception and staked out a table with Weis's, Hydes and McKims. We had a couple drinks, keg beer was free. I stuck with water after that. It's amazing how much less awesome I am at dancing when I've had less alcohol...Love Shack just wasn't the same. Still, a good time was had by all. I love seeing the Imming girls - Deb's sisters. Not sure when I'll see them again now. I may just need to be adopted by them, so I can hang out.

What's up with the youngsters thinking they have to drink and dance at the same time?!? Is it because they are so careful about not drinking and driving? The dance floor got drenched from all that spilled beer and the bride's poor dress was sodden by the end of the night. 

Group shot - my homegirls - Lucy, Joan, Diana

The Boyz. Jud, Michael Hyde, Caleb Brus, Keith, Greg Irr, Ben Weis, Tyrell Miller

It took a lot of beer but the boys finally got up to dance. The groom had to drag them to the dance floor. Evidently their dates (and wife, Greg is married) must not have had much sway in that area. It didn't stop the Moms - we just dance with each other when we felt like. Sometimes it pays to be an old chick! My physical therapist would have been proud of the moves I was busting! Diana always has to lead me on the line dances. I'm nothing without her.

The boys plus girlfriends, wife, and one unknown (Ben's date)

The parents slowly began to trickle out. Poor Dan Miller took a spill off his tractor that morning - breaking his wrist and two ribs. He also had a black eye. So he and Denise left pretty early. McKims and Hydes headed back to Creston around 10. Paul and Donna Pals were there with Seth and Connor but no Kyle, who is Keith's age. Perhaps he was traveling for work.

We hung on to the end - waiting for Jud and Kara who were having fun hanging out with the guys and their girls.  We got a big kick out of seeing the old gang having a blast.

It was a beautiful day for a beautiful couple. I bet Deb is relieved it's over. And now she has 2 daughter in laws. Seems like just yesterday we were talking about working St. Malachy Bingo together...my how time flies!


Keef gets married tomorrow

Keith Peterson that is. He was Jud's best buddy early in life (Jud called him Keef and Keith called him Gud) and they were school and teammates all through school, until they graduated. Then, Keith went to the dark side. That's what we Cyclone fans call Iowa City. He came by it naturally - his daddy is a University of Iowa grad and the extended fam members are mostly Hawkeye fans. So he couldn't help it! Big bro Brett graduated from Iowa too.

Jud went to Ames of course and became a Cyclone as was his legacy. He took a lot of heat for it growing up. After all the Hawks won 15 football games in there, giving them bragging rights and garnering most of those Iowans without a legacy allegiance as fans. So both Amy and Jud (and Scotty and Ryan), in their little Cyclone gear were teased relentlessly. It was pretty hard on Jud - yes some of us have pretty thin skin.

Anyway, despite their differences in fandom - Keith also favored the White Sox and Raiders, while Jud liked the Giants and the Cowboys, Jud and Keith were friends. After all they were both first St. Malachy Knights and then Creston Panthers together. Keith was old for the class with a July birthday, and was a good athlete - maturing earlier than Jud. He lettered in many sports and was awarded the Boys All Around Sports award for high school. He was also a good student - honor roll.

Our son was talented too, but took a while to mature, both emotionally and physically. That held him back - but we are so proud at how he stuck with sports despite not starting. And he came through too graduating with honors, despite a rocky start in high school (Midterm Ds in English and Spanish...-parents freaking out). I think that spirit has served him well in life.

Maclaine, Keith, Connor, Jason, Jud

Jud and Keith had a talented group of classmates - nice kids too! I'm excited that several of them and their parents will be at tomorrow's big event in Altoona. You get to know people traveling with them to sporting events and watching games. Greg Irr, Michael Hyde, Ben Weis, Caleb Brus, Tyrell Miller, and probably a couple more I don't know about should be there. Even though we live in the same town (well most of the week) as their parents - we don't see them all that much. Life gets in the way.

Jud and Kara will be there - I'm looking forward to that. Dan Miller, the McKims, dancing. Who wouldn't love all those things? Along with a few cocktails. I can even do all my moves now that I can raise my right arm above my shoulder. It's painful, but hey after a couple drinks...

Keith has done well at college, studying finance. When he graduated he landed a job at The Woodman in the Quad Cities, and my friend Deb, his mommy reports he likes it there and is doing great. I'm not surprised.

Keith was always a charming little guy - and cute! Towhead blond, big blue eyes and a cute grin. He was kind of a lady's man - even as a youngster. He started dating Kelsey (she too attended Iowa) before his senior year of college, after playing the field for a while. From what Deb reported, I knew this one was serious! Jud and his girl Kara got to meet Kelsey (as did I) at brother Brett's wedding last summer. She's a cute girl and I wish them all the best. (Except when their team plays ISU...) We broke down and got them a Hawkeye Longaberger basket at as a wedding gift so how's that for an olive branch?

No Slow Ride

It was retro night in Creston when Foghat came to town. It was a fundraiser for McKinley Park - the beautiful city park perched across from our home. A few years ago park board people came up with the idea to host a big concert at the old band shell that's been somewhat refurbished. Funds go towards fixing up both the park and the lake - a great cause. Amazingly, they've been able to attract some pretty good but, yes, past their prime bands to our little burg.

Last year it was Marshall Tucker. We were in San Antonio with McFees and Higgins, but I heard they weren't all that great. This year? Foghat! Okay - there was only one original guy, the drummer. And when interviewed for the article in the paper he said something like "rock and roll is slang for copulate and nobody is unhappy when they're copulating" Um, Kyle (article writer), did you look up that word? I hope you don't get a bunch of nasty letters from old folks.

The event day didn't start out too promising, weather-wise with rain. But that put all the farmers in a good mood. That makes everyone else happy because they don't have to put up with mopey farmers asking my husband, "When are we going to get rain"? Like he's the dang rain god...We went to evening Mass and Bobbie and Jeff came over for a drink with munchies after. We could hear a warm up band playing as we sat at the kitchen table and chatted. Odie was nervous - the music sounded a bit like thunder!

We headed over about 7:30 p.m. Mayor Woods took our tickets - there were lots of volunteers helping. Sponsors had forked over $ to help pay for the band. Fareway and the Knotty Pine were cooking up sannies. There were a couple bevvie booths and for those with special wristbands, beer and hard lemonade was available. For $3! Take that DSM...it's not $6! And we didn't pay to park. I got a Summer Shandy tallboy and we made the rounds to decide where to park our chairs. We saw Deb, Baileys and Stormy's Mom. It's fun to chat with people you haven't seen for a while.

McKim's hometown buddies came to visit

McKims were parked at a sponsor table as Don had purchased 10 tickets, so we set up our chairs in front of that area. The band wasn't bad - played some Collective Soul and some other recognizable stuff. Foghat was due at 9 p.m. Deb's hubby Larry was heading back from DSM where he'd been for son Keith's bachelor party dinner. Jud was at the event along with many HS buddies. Larry didn't stay for the party bus part of the night. Jud did! Can't wait to hear about it - not too many details though...Keith and Jud have been friends since age 3.

Keith, Jud - First Communion - thus the ties

I wasn't expecting all that much from Foghat frankly. Despite the fact that there's only one original guy, the good news is that the band has filled in with a bunch of talented musicians. The bass player - excellent! Guitar player could rock. Vocalist could play guitar and sing. None of them were spring chickens either - probably in their 40s and up. A big bouncer stood guard on the stage, and a ring of volunteer stage guards helped keep the drunks off the platform.

We started out sitting in our chairs a decent distance away. A nice couple from Marshall town was near us - they said they'd come to celebrate their 29th Anniversary. He was a Lennox Heating/AC guy and his wife commutes to work in a downtown DSM bank. I told them it's our 30th this year, and Deb and Larry just passed theirs in May. We bumped knuckles! The guy said the secret is to keep having fun together - and doing stuff like this. I have to agree! They didn't know any of the Marshalltown people I know like Pam Blake and Casee Piel. He said if Casee is a cop he'd like to keep it that way...anyways...fun to talk to them. (On a funny note, my new friend said he'd found Southern Iowa to be..."different"). Ha! We like it that way.

view from afar

view up close

Jeff decided we'd better go down close to the stage to get the "whole experience". So we did. There were a lot of drunks down there, but it was a fun way to see it. I enjoyed watching the band members work their instruments. And during the instrumentals some of the dancing couples were working it too! We had to move for a fight at one point. A small shaven head guy in leathers and tats was drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade dancing by himself near us. I got a kick out of that...c'mon man. Harley guy can't choke down a Bud? A group of nerdy young guys took of their shirts and gyrated together - yep that's going to attract the chicks. Susan Dunphy came over and yelled, "I'm having a flashback!" Agreed!

rockers

crowd was crazy

There were a lot of people I didn't know. And many I did. More of my homegirls showed up - Pat and Susan. The band played songs I didn't know so well and then the faves - Fool For the City, I Just Want to Make Love to You, and lastly, Slow Ride. Flashback for sure. I love live music!  Fun night in Crestonia.