Hey players.
So I started school this week with students. Nothing too crazy - they're all really, really small compared to my kids last year. Seem like a decent enough bunch, though.
But I'm not here today to talk about work. Nay, readers - I'm here to detail to you the course of events that led the Houghs to Michigan this weekend.
First of all, before I get started, I'd like to provide you with a link to my dad's website, where he was good enough to post a bunch of pictures up from the weekend. There's a lot of supplemental pictures on there that I didn't post here. Saves me a lot of time. Click Here.
Here we go.
My younger brother, Chris, decided to get married on the weekend I went back to school. Not necessarily my preferred weekend to take three days off of work (and drop $2,000), but what the hell - I'm the Best Man, he's my brother, and, in the end, that's more important.
So we flew out of Orlando on Thursday morning, setting off on what would be one hell of a long day of travel. I'll spare you the gory details, but you can imagine how awesome it was traveling with a 3 year old and 1 1/2 year old (pfft...).
En route to the O.I.A. Terminal, via the Tram
We're on a TRAM!!!
Bat Out of Hell
Hanging out, 8am...
Killing time in the Terminal...
SPIDERS!!!
Settling in before take-off...
En route to Michigan
Tray tables = endless fun.
The Care Bears... yes, again. This time in a plane!
Descending into the scenic paradise that is Detroit, MI...
Enjoying Michigan a Ford Fusion, drivers and common sense along the I-75 corridor
Entering the Mid...
As could be expected, we were thoroughly exhausted by the trek but nevertheless excited to be back in the Glove. By car, by shuttle, by monorail, by airplane, by bus, and finally by rental car, we finally reached Clare, MI around 5:30pm. The Houghs established headquarters at my Dad's house, where dinner, our siblings (with significant others/families), and good weather greeted us:
Cornhole and shenanigans in the backyard
The Cannonball and Blake (and some handsome guy)
Walking on grass that doesn't hide fire ants and snakes (and stab your bare feet when you walk on it) was a rare treat for our girls...
The Cannonball
Yours Truly and Godzilla
Aunt Annie and Cannonball attempt to destroy the infamous McNeilly Pond Bass
Oh shit, it's the Care Bears! Again!!
Utilizing the room in my dad's house that's used twice a year...
The Basement... on Holidays, one can find the Houghs here.
Bride and Groom (as of tomorrow)
Wouldn't be a Hough Family hoe-down without this...
...or this.
On Friday, while Yours Truly and the rest of the Borthers nursed hangovers, Kris and Alayna accompanied Lyssa and Cindy to some pedicure joint in town.
Morning after, poolside...
I don't know what this is... some of you chicks out there probably do.
Afterwards, later on in the afternoon once the girls had napped, the entire extended Hough clan traversed over to Pettit Park for Abby's Blessing (we had a similar ceremony for Alayna two years ago, up at the Sanford Community of Christ campgrounds waterfront). Once again, John and Jann Wolf were good enough to conduct the ceremony, with me and Kris' moms reading verses. We wanted to keep things short, so we were able to save Abby's soul from eternal damnation within thirty minutes.
Not too shabby.
Abby
The masses assembled
Alayna and Annie
In our family, Uncles have to wear green shirts.
Preparing to save infant's soul from the fires of Hell...
Grandmas
The Blessing
Following Abby's Blessing, we followed some of the siblings over to one of Clare's cornerstone establishments, the Dairy Phil, for ice cream, before heading over to the Clare Methodist Church for Chris and Jenna's wedding rehearsal. Both Kris and I grew up with this place, so it was cool to haul the kids over to scarf down some sugar in order to ruin their dinner later. But, what the hell... we generally come up to Clare for Christmas. Who the hell wants to eat ice cream in subzero temperatures?
Nobody I'd want to associate with...
Fans
Watching McEwan gridlock
Marcy (Kris' mom), Abby and Kris
Fortunately for everyone involved, the Wedding Rehearsal took nowhere near as long as Kris and I's rehearsal five years prior. Of course, Chris and Jenna were having a smaller wedding in a much smaller church, so I guess they didn't need to worry about as many logistical hang-ups.
Thank. God.
Alayna with Grandma and Papa John
The Hough Clan. Enjoying themselves.
Naps.
The Cannonball did not want to stay still for any of this. This came as a surprise to NO ONE.
The Wedding Wild Cards...
Best. Pizza. On. Earth. I will duel anyone who says otherwise.
...I'm serious. If you have some lame opinion about world's best pizza that in any way, shape, or form that contradicts mine, provide me your mailing address and I will come and I will fight you. To the death.
Having consumed 3,000 calories or so in a single seating, I accompanied my fellow borthers and groomsmen to a series of liquor stores for provisions and then set up our pre-wedding headquarters back at Dad's. Meanwhile, Kris took the girls to my mom's house in Midland in order to help them prepare for the morning's bound-to-be-horrifying task of doing Alayna's hair and making her put on her Flower Girl dress.
I cannot begin to describe how happy I was to not be a part of that process.
Back in the Basement...
So I started school this week with students. Nothing too crazy - they're all really, really small compared to my kids last year. Seem like a decent enough bunch, though.
But I'm not here today to talk about work. Nay, readers - I'm here to detail to you the course of events that led the Houghs to Michigan this weekend.First of all, before I get started, I'd like to provide you with a link to my dad's website, where he was good enough to post a bunch of pictures up from the weekend. There's a lot of supplemental pictures on there that I didn't post here. Saves me a lot of time. Click Here.
_________________________________________
Here we go.
My younger brother, Chris, decided to get married on the weekend I went back to school. Not necessarily my preferred weekend to take three days off of work (and drop $2,000), but what the hell - I'm the Best Man, he's my brother, and, in the end, that's more important.
So we flew out of Orlando on Thursday morning, setting off on what would be one hell of a long day of travel. I'll spare you the gory details, but you can imagine how awesome it was traveling with a 3 year old and 1 1/2 year old (pfft...).
Boarding the O.I.A. Terminal Tram
En route to the O.I.A. Terminal, via the Tram
We're on a TRAM!!!
Bat Out of Hell
Hanging out, 8am...
Killing time in the Terminal...
SPIDERS!!!
Settling in before take-off...
En route to Michigan
Tray tables = endless fun.
The Care Bears... yes, again. This time in a plane!
Descending into the scenic paradise that is Detroit, MI...
Enjoying Michigan a Ford Fusion, drivers and common sense along the I-75 corridor
Entering the Mid...
As could be expected, we were thoroughly exhausted by the trek but nevertheless excited to be back in the Glove. By car, by shuttle, by monorail, by airplane, by bus, and finally by rental car, we finally reached Clare, MI around 5:30pm. The Houghs established headquarters at my Dad's house, where dinner, our siblings (with significant others/families), and good weather greeted us:
Our rental - 2011 Ford Fusion
Cornhole and shenanigans in the backyard
The Cannonball and Blake (and some handsome guy)
Walking on grass that doesn't hide fire ants and snakes (and stab your bare feet when you walk on it) was a rare treat for our girls...
The Cannonball
Yours Truly and Godzilla
Aunt Annie and Cannonball attempt to destroy the infamous McNeilly Pond Bass
Oh shit, it's the Care Bears! Again!!
Utilizing the room in my dad's house that's used twice a year...
The Basement... on Holidays, one can find the Houghs here.
Congratulatory cigars from a cigar shop on Orange Blossom Trail I frequent...
Rowley and Cindy
Rowley and Cindy
Wouldn't be a Hough Family hoe-down without this...
...or this.
__________________________________
On Friday, while Yours Truly and the rest of the Borthers nursed hangovers, Kris and Alayna accompanied Lyssa and Cindy to some pedicure joint in town.
Morning after, poolside...
The Hough Toes get some attention...
Who knows why she keeps making this bizarro face...
I don't know what this is... some of you chicks out there probably do.
After the Pedicures, Kickin' out Ya-Yas with Nana
Afterwards, later on in the afternoon once the girls had napped, the entire extended Hough clan traversed over to Pettit Park for Abby's Blessing (we had a similar ceremony for Alayna two years ago, up at the Sanford Community of Christ campgrounds waterfront). Once again, John and Jann Wolf were good enough to conduct the ceremony, with me and Kris' moms reading verses. We wanted to keep things short, so we were able to save Abby's soul from eternal damnation within thirty minutes.
Not too shabby.
Abby
The masses assembled
Alayna and Annie
In our family, Uncles have to wear green shirts.
Preparing to save infant's soul from the fires of Hell...
Grandmas
The Blessing
Us with the Wolfs
The majestic Tobacco River
The majestic Tobacco River
Following Abby's Blessing, we followed some of the siblings over to one of Clare's cornerstone establishments, the Dairy Phil, for ice cream, before heading over to the Clare Methodist Church for Chris and Jenna's wedding rehearsal. Both Kris and I grew up with this place, so it was cool to haul the kids over to scarf down some sugar in order to ruin their dinner later. But, what the hell... we generally come up to Clare for Christmas. Who the hell wants to eat ice cream in subzero temperatures?
Nobody I'd want to associate with...
The Hough girls try out the Phil's ice creamery.
Fans
Watching McEwan gridlock
Marcy (Kris' mom), Abby and Kris
Thank. God.
Alayna with Grandma and Papa John
After wedding practice, we got to hit up yet another famous Clare establishment for the rehearsal dinner - Buccelli's Pizza. If God Himself slung pizza in some sort of a holy pizza contest where deities were allowed to enter and compete, he'd definitely earn himself a big, shiny silver medal when up against Buccilli's. After all, he's God, right? I bet his pizza would be awesome.
Best. Pizza. On. Earth. I will duel anyone who says otherwise.
...I'm serious. If you have some lame opinion about world's best pizza that in any way, shape, or form that contradicts mine, provide me your mailing address and I will come and I will fight you. To the death.
Kris and the girls, about to head to Midland with Mom and John
I cannot begin to describe how happy I was to not be a part of that process.
Back in the Basement...
Borthers
The briar calabash Chris gave me for a Best Man gift (a much-appreciated gesture, as I never made it out to the Smoker's Club on this venture - something I always try and do while traveling back to Michigan).
Who wouldn't want to marry this guy? Am I right, ladies?
The briar calabash Chris gave me for a Best Man gift (a much-appreciated gesture, as I never made it out to the Smoker's Club on this venture - something I always try and do while traveling back to Michigan).
Who wouldn't want to marry this guy? Am I right, ladies?
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