Recovery Sunday

Sunday is definitely a day of rest after Stephanie Kanda's wedding yesterday!

Carolyn was off in the morning to have hair and nails done while I ironed my shirt and steamed her dress and my suit. It was then up El Toro road to the Rancho Las Lomas wedding site which is tucked into the hills above Cook's Corner and which is populated with caged parrots and other birds along with horses and even a zebra.

The wedding programs with Carolyn's rendering of Las Lomas looked great and they even included a thank you to her inside. We sat near the Gomes, LaVoie's and Leus with both Christina and Anne-Marie acting as bridesmaids. It was an outdoor ceremony which included the Jewish tradition of breaking a glass as a symbol that their marriage should be as difficult to break apart as it would be to put that glass together again.



The ceremony was followed by a cocktail hour outside on the patio and by the pool. We enjoyed catching up with Alex Gome, David Paul Leu, and Drew Kanda along with their parents before going inside for the entry of the wedding party and the first dances. Steph and Manny (Emanuel) obviously had been working on their moves!



And Steve held it together well enough to waltz his daughter around the dance floor, but it was a little more difficult, and he was a little more choked up, when he gave his toast to Steph and Manny before dinner. He loves 'his little girl' very much!

Dinner was tri-tip cooked perfectly along with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes, and we were up often to hit the dance floor or converse with our friends at various other tables. Or we would make our way over to the chocolate fountain to dip strawberries or cake for a little extra energy boost.

We were nearly the last groups to leave at around 11:30 and Steph and Debbie encouraged us to take some of the flower arrangements home. During the evening it had begun raining, and we were all thankful that it had held off until we were all inside, however, it was still raining as we left and we ended up nearly soaked as we waited for the valet after taking a bit of a walking detour!

Home around midnight, I hit the bed pretty quickly but Carolyn had a difficult time getting to sleep before 2 a.m. So needless to say, today has been rather low key with a spa soak, some college NCAA basketball, and an afternoon nap to replenish our strength. It's amazing what a night of partying and dancing can do to tire you out!

It was a wonderful day and evening, and we are happy for both the Kandas and the newly minted Pasternack's.

Update

I haven't posted in so long, I'm totally out of practice. Perhaps it's just because things have been rather normal lately, except that Bryce and Ashley were home for a week checking on job/church opportunities in the So. Cal. area.

Bryce enjoyed zipping all over the area in Carolyn's Mini Cooper while Ashley endured hours and hours of interviews and meetings or classes. We liked having them stay with us and got to have dinner with them about half the time they were here (when they weren't with friends or the Hales).

On Saturday, we hosted a Hales, Crockett, Bunker, Hutchins "make your own tostada" dinner which was followed by a few games of Catch Phrase. It's the most funny when you get clues such as "something I like" - could we get a little more information!

Then, John and Sally hosted a lovely last dinner for the six of us at Mission Viejo Country Club on Sunday.

It's now a little quieter at home and Gracie has no 'dog lovers' to annoy. Unfortunately, Carolyn came down with a cold which she's blaming on a British virus. Hopefully, the warmer weather we're having now will help her feel better.