Pennsylvania Wedding Picnic
Cody and I enjoyed our small wedding ceremony in North Carolina. Unfortunately, that also meant that we couldn’t invite everyone who was important to us. Cody’s side of the family is big, so his mom had the idea of throwing a wedding picnic in Pennsylvania. Cody’s parents did all the hard work - preparing tacos and their fixings, pulled pork, and pies of all varieties! Cody and I only had to show up and eat delicious food in good company! Thank you!
Being an introvert, I was a little nervous about how many people would be at the picnic. Whenever I asked, I never really got an answer. When Cody’s parents were putting out signs to help direct parking, I thought to myself, “Uh oh, I’m in trouble.” It ended up being about 60 people. And, I really enjoyed meeting everyone.
I always enjoy talking to Cody’s cousins, aunts and uncles. Many of us share a common interest in exploring nature, and I love hearing about their adventures. One of Cody’s cousins shared that he hoped to hike the entire AT with his son after he graduated high school. I hope we’re invited on that trip too!
Cody’s mom and dad have had so many experiences over their years of marriage. I frequently hear stories about their ski club, softball team, bowling league, and golf trips. I enjoyed meeting their friends and now being able to put a face to some of the people from these crazy stories! A few of them came up to Cody, exclaiming, “the last time I saw you, you were [gesturing a couple feet off the ground] this tall!” I liked how the picnic also served as a family/ friend reunion, and it was nice seeing everyone excited to reconnect with each other.
Some other fun things:
Our nephew reprised his top hat, this time coordinating it with a Hawaiian shirt and floral crocs.
Cody’s Aunt N was very insistent that we open our wedding present in front of everyone. We were so fortunate to receive the “most prized”, re-gifted family heirloom of a silver painted cherub pedestal. Although this is a perfect match to our home decor, we hope to bring this back to the next Christmas gift exchange for someone else to enjoy!
We spent the other days of our trip going to breakfast with Cody’s parents, going to the Hot Dog Shoppe with his grandpa, and enjoying a kid’s baseball game to cheer on our nephew! Our nephew has made us a couple signs for our wedding events. I was excited to make him one for his baseball game!
On our way back home, Cody and I took an 8-hour class on top rope anchors in New River Gorge. Our instructor, John, was great. Now, climbing outdoors seems more attainable, and I am glad we are learning safe practices. When we returned home, Cody wanted to go to the hardware store right away to make a practice anchor.