Aftermath

Sunday, June 8, 2014: Jacob and Danielle drive away,

headed toward their honeymoon resort in Phoenix.

I have loads of wedding pictures to sort through before I begin blogging them, so I thought I'd begin at the end.

After the reception on Saturday night, we loaded up all the wedding gifts and

stacked them on our hearth until the happy couple could come to open them.

The newlyweds came over on Sunday afternoon, the day after their wedding, to open their presents while their parents, siblings, and assorted other relatives enjoyed sharing this occasion with them. They got many beautiful gifts, as well as a generous amount of money that will be useful for both the honeymoon and furnishing their home after their return. 

 

I was so busy scribbling a list of their gifts and the givers as they were revealed, I completely forgot to take any pictures of the bride and groom opening their presents! That is so NOT like me!

Chris unloads the newlyweds' gifts at their home.

All I can offer is a couple of pictures of their new things as Dylan, Chris, and I loaded them into my car and delivered them safely to their new home after Jacob and Danielle left for their honeymoon. My most abject apologies!

[Funny side note: Jacob and Danielle stopped at a gas station a few blocks from my house on their way out of town, and Danielle left her cell phone there. A Maverik employee called her mom, who had already returned to Snowflake, so she called me and I went to pick it up. Danielle didn't even notice it was missing until they reached Phoenix! We'll keep it safe for her.]

A few of the gifts stacked on a counter in the newlyweds' home,

locked safely away until their return.

After our final guests left, I put away some things and straightened up around the house a bit before heading to bed. And then I slept the so-glad-the-wedding-is-over sleep of grooms' mothers everywhere.

 

By the next morning, life felt pretty normal again. Almost drearily so. The house was oddly quiet. The corsage and boutonnieres were starting to wilt on the shelf. The sink was full of unwashed dishes. Laundry hadn't been done for a week. Crushed potato chips were sprinkled in kitchen corners.

My countertop covered with washed dishes,

not including those I'd already dried by hand and put away.

Before the gift opening, we'd served a spaghetti dinner (quadrupled recipe)

to 41 guests in our home, along with leftover salads from Saturday's luncheon,

so there were lots of large pans and big bowls!

So I rolled up my sleeves and plunged in. All our dirty clothes have now been laundered. The kitchen is sparkling again. The house is clean. I went shopping and ran some errands. Then I returned home to a house that was still too quiet. I'm sure I'll get used to it. Dylan and I had time for a nice, long mother-and-son talk, so there are positives.

The last items on today's list: Return the rented vests and ties to Bridal Fair,

and put away the vases and silk flowers we used on the luncheon tables.

And that's how the wedding saga ends. Dylan told me he really likes the message on a plaque Jacob and Danielle got for their new home:

"Every story is beautiful, but OURS is my favorite."