Well, Tadd and I made it back home from our whirlwind visit to New Jersey for my friend's wedding. We woke up at 5:30 AM this morning and did not get to our house until 11:30 AM. My muscles ache, my feet are killing me, and my eyelids are struggling to stay open. The good news? My heart is exquisitely full.

We had a blast! I got to catch up with people I haven't seen in years...a LOT of years. I actually went to middle school with the groom and his twin brother, and we were friends all through high school and college. It was incredible seeing the people they still keep up with. Even more incredible was seeing these people gathered together out of love for the couple.

One of the worst things about getting older is traveling different roads than your friends. I mean, we all used to be inseparable at one point or another in our lives. Now we only see each other at weddings. I’m not going to be moving back to NJ anytime soon (dealing with traffic over the weekend was enough to remind me why) but I do get a little sad when I have to come back home. We have some wonderful friends in Charlotte, but it is nice to be with people that have known you and your quirks for years and years and years...and they still like you and miss you when you are gone. No one was horrified by my loud talking. Everyone there actually knew where Rutgers is located. Everyone could pronounce "Manalapan". People knew the joy of eating at a diner and what lox is. No one assumed New Jersey and New York were the same state. And most people there would play along if someone shouted out, "Let's play a game..." especially if alcohol was involved.

It isn't exactly the same as before. After all, we've all changed a bit over the years. We have a few more or less pounds, a little more or less hair. We have jobs and mortgages to pay. We have spouses or are about to have spouses. We have children or are adding more to our families. At some point, we had our heart broken and mended back together stronger than before. We had dreams that we put on a shelf when we realized they weren't what we wanted and create new ones as we further define ourselves. We think about the future and where we are going next. Still, I could not help but to think about the good old days back in school hanging out at our houses while our parents chaperoned or back in college marching in uniform and deciding who to take to the fraternity social. And here I was thinking that I was too young for nostalgia.

Ok, enough of waxing poetic. On to some pictures!


The reception Hall


Beautiful couple...



Or Gangstas of Love??



Next two down the aisle...



Tadd and Me



The Cool Chicks...all grown up


Did someone say Manalapan?



Me and Mrs. Vincenti, the best elementary school teacher EVER!



I unfortunately do not have photos of her, but the amazing Irish Folk singer, Fiona Malloy sang during the after-party. I will never be able to think of "Schlitz" in the same way again. All in all, it was a fabulous wedding. I love you guys and here's to years worth of happiness to you all!! We'll have to think of ways to get together once the weddings are through.