pre-wedding activities at the shumways

While in the bay area we spent a lot of good quality time at Grandma and Grandpa Shumway's house.  I didn’t take many pictures of all the hanging out we did, but these kind of capture the essence:Isn’t my mother-in-law’s garden gorgeous?  So lush and artistic.  Abounding with delicious foods. A few days before the wedding we got to take a quick trip to see Great Grandma Marge.  She lives in an assisted living place just through the tunnel from the Shumways.  She was so kind and gracious and thankful that we came.  She was happy to meet Peter, and, as you can see, he was pretty interested in her.  This baby seems to have a connection to his grandparents.  We spent a lot of time eating good food.  We didn’t make Charlie’s goal of going to In-n-out 36 times, but we did hit most of Jeff’s bay area food hit list and had some awesome food at the Shumway's.   Everything from “Grandpa Food” which consists of a lot of squeezy cheese and summer sausage to awesome home made meals by Nedra.  The kids spent lots of quality time reading Calvin and Hobbs with Grandpa and watching all kinds of YouTube videos, including nearly every road runner episode.  Grandpa Shumway sure knows how to keep them entertained!

Nedra had them busy on puzzles and books and crafts.  Hazel even got to sew something on her own, which put her over the moon.  And of course, Jeff and John and Grandpa spent lots of time getting the Model A all spiffed up and ready to go for the wedding. 

We had a fabulous rehearsal dinner at La Note the night before the wedding.  It was delicious, and so great to have some time to celebrate the happy couple and get to know some of the wedding party. 

The best part of the night was that Nedra arranged for our kids to be picked up by various babysitters and carted off to do fun things so that we could have a nice peaceful adult dinner.  Everyone was so well cared for and so happy.  The big kids went to dinner and to see the Smurfs with a fun newlywed couple from their ward. Emmeline and cousin Joss ate at Wendy’s and went home to watch a dvd with some good friends of Nedras. And little Peter spent the night with a young expecting couple who lived just down the road from the restaurant so that I could have the maximum amount of time away from that little sucker.  The arrangements were pretty genius,  I hope one day I’ll be a mother-in-law with that kind of foresight.  The wedding day started with a big waffle breakfast, Shumway style.  Grandpa Shumway collects old waffle irons and jumps at the chance to put them to use.  We don’t mind one bit, and Hazel is always especially thrilled because waffles at the Shumway also means an abundance of bacon, and that girl loves her bacon. After breakfast we took at trip to Tilden Park and road the steam train.  I love this Shumway tradition.  My kids look forward to it on every trip out there.  We had such a great time with the McFarlands.  Oh, how I wish we lived closer.  I love little Maddie, though, how can I call her little, she is taller than me!  Hazel looks up to her big cousin so much. And Charlie certainly looks up to Will. Look at him in these pictures, trying to be all cool and big and legit. Jeff and the little kids were stuck in the back of the train, see Jeff poking his head through?

A trip to Tilden wouldn’t be complete without a few rides on the old, beautiful, real (they don’t make them like they used to) carousel.  Isn’t that thing amazingly beautiful?  Look at the detail.

Emmeline chose to ride on the dog.  Good choice little girl.  Wouldn’t you want to ride on a beautiful dog like that? I love this picture of Karen and Grandma Shumway.  I wish I could remember what they were both looking at.And I love Em in this one.  Her little hand grasping Jeff’s finger.  She is a finger grabber.  Never holds hand, just fingers.  And she holds on for dear life when she’s a little nervous.  And here’s Hazel with her beloved horse.  Perfect fit for this little missy. And here is Peter.  Yes.  I laid him on the cement floor so that I could take pictures.  He didn’t seem to mind one bit.  And don’t you think the color of the cement make him look gorgeous?  And this isn’t anyone we know.  But, I loved it that this girl rode the carousel like that.  That’s exactly what I feel like doing on a carousel.  She is feeling every bit of it.  I wish I knew who she was so I could send her mom this picture!

And on we went to the big event……(coming next post).