Chicago. Again. Good Times.

So this past weekend I made my second trip to Chicago in as many weeks for as many weddings. This time around--the amazing wedding of Suzanne Marie Page to Barrett Christopher Thomas. Suzanne is one of my dearest, closest friends from years gone by at Taylor, but even moreso, she has been a kindred spirit, whom I usually talk to nearly every day.

The weekend was very full, very crazy, and very fun, and by Sunday afternoon, after a Bachelorette dinner cruise, hours of floral arranging and wedding prep, a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, hours of hair/makeup prep, hours of wedding photos, hours of standing and looking pretty and hours of dancing, I woke up exhausted to the very core of my being to realize my strep throat from a few weeks back had returned. Blaaah. (BTW, you can see lots more wedding photos by clicking here.)

The weekend was not only good because it was a celebration of the marriage of two good friends, and lots of time with twenty other good friends, but because on Sunday, I was able to spend the day with Beth, Pam and Renee, my college roommates from four years at Taylor. We were able to spend the evening together in South Bend (where Pam is getting her Doctorate at Notre Dame, and where Renee is working after having returned from Bolivia).

At the end of it all, it feels like over the last three weeks, I have seen so many people whom I love, and got to spend, on average, about five minutes with each of them. I don't know whether to be grateful or exhausted. I feel both.



This morning Bronco and I sat down, and I blinked and realized that I have a meeting this afternoon with my youth pastor, and that school and youth group start tomorrow. I feel exhausted and behind the 8-Ball for this school year already. But. As soon as the exhaustion fades, and I can get into AHS on Thursday and see my kids, I know I will be thrilled that I get to start another school year! Football Friday Night starts this week, so already my senses are overwhelmed with bouquets of sharpened pencils, airhorns, and brand-new Trapper Keepers.