The Wedding of the Halks

As you know one of my best friends Mandy got married on October 15 and I flew back to Florida for the wedding. And it was epic!!

So lets start at the beginning.

I got into Atlanta late Wednesday, and Josh arrived about 2 hours later. After a great nights sleep, we woke up, got our rental car, got an AMAZING, AMAZING breakfast [more on this later], and then got on the road to Gainesville.

Upon arrival in God's Country, we went to hang out with the family I nannied for through undergrad. These two children and their parents are like family to me and I love them more than words can say. Or as K [the now 7 year old girl, who was 3 months old when I first started to take care of her] says, "Love you finity finity."

That afternoon K had swim practice. Yeah, my little girl is on the swim team. And gets to practice in the same facility as the UF swim team.

I am SOOOOO proud!!  [also this is the only picture I will be posting of the kids, because this is the internet and there are some sick people out there.]

After watching her swim a bit, we walked over to the Swamp [aka Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, aka the UF Football field]. UF is one of the few schools in the country that leaves their stadium unlocked and lets the general public in for any variety of things, mostly to exercise/run stadiums.

 Where I sit with my bestie Amanda!! It has been too long since I have seen a game from these seats. That changes with the 2012 season, mark my word!!

So pretty!! 

That night we ate delicious Leonardo's Pizza and garlic rolls, drank a lot of wine and laughed a lot. It was wonderful in every way. 

The next day the wedding craziness started. With eyebrow waxing, manicures, and pedicures. But first, I got to go to Sonny's and get some yummy bar-b-que!! 

And then it was rehearsal time: 

 And then the fun that is the rehearsal dinner!!

 The good looking couple!!

Me with the Bride! 

With two of my best friends. My Mandys. 

Saturday was WEDDING DAY!! So consider this a photo dump... 

Bridesmaid Breakfast

Cutest little favors and decorations!! 

Hair and Makeup Time!!

The lady who did my hair started by "teasing [my] infrastructure." That resulted in my hair looking like this. She took her job very seriously!! 

 The cake toppers. Mom, the numbers in the bottom right are the wedding date. I wondered at first why they were not the same as the Scrabble numbers, but then I figured it out!!

The beautiful bride pre-ceremony

The beautiful bride post-ceremony 

The wedding was perfect and everything that Mandy always told me she wanted from her special day. I am so honored that I got to be there and be a part of it!

The Sunday after the wedding, my folks came down to Gainesville and we spent the Moses [two of the most important and influential people in my life], their daughter, son-in-law, and two-year-old grandson. I hadn't seen the little baby in over a year and he is no longer a little baby. He is a walking, talking, precious little toddler that I absolutely love and adore. 

Josh, Frank, and my dad watching football in 3D

The day mostly consisting of watching pro-football and lamenting the current state of college football [okay not all of college football, just the Gators loss the previous day to Auburn]. 

On Monday, Josh and I went back up to Atlanta to fly back to our current/respective homes: Austin and St. Gallen. 

He told me not to look sad and pathetic when I took this picture right before we said good-bye. So I made this ridiculous face...

Another awesome part of the weekend is I got to eat some of my favorite American classics [other than the pizza and bbq already discussed]:

 Zaxbys 

 Chick-Fil-A

A Choco Taco 

And Collard Greens with Cornbread [my absolute favorite!!]

And on that subject, we go back to that wonderful breakfast we had in Atlanta and a little comparison for all of you to really get to appreciate what its like to live in a place like Switzerland, or even Europe as a whole: 

 My breakfast at the Starbucks at the Zurich airport: a croissant and an Earl Grey tea. 

Cost: CHF 11.00

Conversion Rate [today]: $12.50

Breakfast at the Heathrow airport when I returned: a croissant, Earl Grey tea, and apple juice

Cost: GBP 7.00

Conversion Rate [today]: $11

Breakfast at restaurant by the airport in Atlanta: 4 pieces of delicious crispy bacon, two fried eggs, cheese grits, a biscuit, and a sweet tea. 

Cost: $3.50
Hells yeah!!

Now I recognize and respect that you will always pay more for a meal in an airport with the convenience fee and all, but still!!! That breakfast is one I will never forget, it was so so so so good