The Two Days Before

Thursday, May 18, it snowed.
It didn't just snow. It was completely overcast and freezing. Below freezing, actually.
We had to cover all the plants and dig out winter coats again.

I knew it was coming, of course. I had been watching the weather religiously. 
It was also the day all the rental equipment was delivered and two of my best friends - Stephanie and Carmen -  left their homes many hours away.
Ariel called what seemed like a dozen times.
     There's standing water where the tent should go.
     The ground is now ok. Guys aren't here yet.
     When should I change my shave and haircut to?
     Where do you want the dance floor? 
We drove out to the venue after work, at his insistence, so I could tell him where I wanted it, even though tomorrow would have worked just as well. He just needed to know now.
There was a distinctly new feeling that, for once, I was the one holding him together, less stressed out than he was, rather than the reverse.

Friday he went to get his shave and haircut, so we didn't get out to the venue until almost noon. Stephanie was with us, having gotten in late the night before. Neither of the boys remembered her, though we were so close (proximity and relationally) for eight years. We would leave in just an hour and a half to get Carmen. But in between those two things we needed to phone conference with the officiant, which really left just about an hour. Not much time to get anything done, but we'd purchased flowers on the way down, and worked feverishly to get them all into eleven vases and one bouquet.

Stephanie and I drove up to Castle rock together to get Carmen. Although there was no snow at the venue, the further north we got, the colder and more snow there was. I was updating guests who would be leaving Saturday, not wanting them to think it looked like that at the venue, but wanting to be realistic (though optimistic) about the next day.

This was the first time Carmen and Stephanie had ever met, coming from two different walks of my life (high school and Texas). Thankfully they hit it off (ultimate proof: they are now friends on Facebook). That doesn't always happen, and although I hadn't spent any time worrying about it, I know sometimes one friend meets another friend of that friend, and wonders what her friend has been drinking to have ever become friends with that friend.

Conversation started around Carmen's life, since I'd caught up on Stephanie's on the ride up, but of course we all inputted. It was all-around wonderful, even though life's hardships were a theme.

We dropped Carmen's things off at the house, grabbed the boys and headed back to the venue. One of my favorite moments of the weekend happened on this ride in the car. Benjamin, after listening to the three of us go back and forth together (as well as teasing him), said, "Oh my gosh, Mama, it's like having three of you!"

Mwahahaha!

Still watching the weather religiously, it had not warmed up, though it continued to say it was supposed to for Saturday. My fingers were double crossed.

With the tent up, Ariel could string lights, set up the dance floor, and hang chandeliers. I thought lights would be adequate just around the just-above-head-height perimeter. He though the bars to the peaks needed to be strung as well. And might as well... it turns out I'd purchased WAY to many white Christmas lights in December. And he was right. With all the poles lit, it was going to turn out to be gorgeous.

Now all it needed to do was warm up.