Oklahoma trip

Last weekend we went down to Oklahoma for our cousin David's wedding. There, that's about all you'll hear about the wedding. Don't go to weddings to visit with the bride and groom, or the bridesmaids or groomsmen. If you're one of them you'll get to see a lot of each other; if you aren't, don't go unless you know plenty of people. Fortunately for us, we went as a family, then met up with at least half the extended Hoyt family.

On the way down: Mommy drove; Daddy kept track of our progress on the GPS and every turn and interstate lane necessary; Ardith played computer games on her laptop; I wrote pages of Spanish diary; and the kids watched DVDs on the special Long-Trip Entertainment Center (which has a fascinating history of its own).

Friday night we arrived at the Hampton Inn with a good hour and a half before the rehearsal dinner to exult in its luxuries and start running into various Hoyts and Baneks around its corners, in its halls, and entering its elevators. That is, David's relations pretty much took over the hotel over the weekend... at least its lobby and pool.

(By the way, why do some people get to go to the rehearsal dinner without doing any work for it? at least suffering through the rehearsal?)

The rehearsal dinner was very delicious, and our table's party especially fine company: not just Ardith and Jason and Kendra, but also our cousins Ryan, Beth, and Chris, and Greg.

The wedding was lovely. Kendra, Carolyn and I got front-row seats, because there wasn't enough room in the row for our family and Kendra and I showed up late. Fortunately this meant being dismissed almost first, which gave me time to go find my station as punch server. It was a very fun job, greeting and serving some hundred people, seeing how many cups of punch several fathers and mothers could manage. It was kind of cold though, handling ice, punch, and ice water in a practically air-conditioned room... by the time I was off-duty I was shattering and chaking. I mean I was shaking and chattering.

Friday and Saturday night we older cousins took over the lobbies for some great games. Apples to Apples, Liverpool Rummy (left to right: Derek, Beth, Kendra, Erin, Erica), Settlers of Catan... and more Settlers of Catan (Catan fanatics, left to right of second photo: Chris, Greg, Ardith, Ryan, Jason, Taylor).

Sunday was skipping church and traveling back. Repeat paragraph #2 of this post, except include Jason among "the kids" (= everyone sitting behind the front row; does not refer in any way to maturity levels, we think).

(Intermission: waiting for video to upload, visiting Jason, Kendra and Derek in living room to see what's happening in Jurassic Park II, just to say I saw it.)

Here's a little video clip to give you an idea of what it's like to watch Jonah in the van.

Hope that let you experience the trip a little!

(P.S. I hope you have "Flash 8 or newer" so you can view the video. Guess who doesn't.)