www.aTopThrillDragsterWeekend.com

Zero to 120 MPH in less than 4 seconds. A few seconds later, you’re 420 feet in the air. In the race for pure adrenaline thrills, there is one winner: Top Thrill Dragster. Nothing else compares to this high-horsepower shot into the sky. From a standing start you’re launched forward, then straight up, then straight down and back to the finish line. The ride may be over in 17 seconds, but it’ll stay with you forever.

Nope, we didn't go to Cedar Point this weekend (although we heard a radio commercial for the Hallo-weekends which made Nick a little sad), but our weekend can only be described as a fast roller coaster ride!

Like this ride, our weekend had an Aggressive Thrill Rating of 5.

For me it involved staying 4 nights in 4 different locations, saying hi and bye to some of my dearest friends/family with only a few hours in between. For Nick it was a thrill to be back under 1 roof with his best friends and roommates from college. I can only imagine......

Thursday began at work in Denver, Tyler and Nick picked me up at work after working my butt off to get 2 days worth of work done in before 11:30 on Thursday. We arrive at the airport a bit early so Tyler can make it back to class on time only to find out when we get to our gate that our flight is delayed 2.5 hours. (Instead of taking off at 2:50 we would be leaving at 5:30). Once on the plane we were informed that there was weather affecting our flight which would delay us 10 mins in the air but caused is an extra 45 mins on the ground getting gas calculated and added to our plane (scares you a bit when they inform you that there is only enough gas to get you exactly as far as they're planning to go!)

Needless to say by the time our flight landed in Detroit at 10:30pm (instead of 7:30) our 1:00pm lunch of Chinese and Quizno's had run out. Nick waited for our checked bag, and I rode over on the shuttle to pick up our rental car (my first ever rental car - a black Chevy Cruze!) I had a lot to learn about driving a car 20 years newer than the one I drive every day, such as unlocking the door for my husband to get in or popping the trunk (suitcase ended up in the back seat).


Saddened that we had lost a good 3 hours + of hanging out with our friends we journeyed on. I dropped Nick off in the Denny's Parking Lot, where I got to see and hug Gavin (the groom), Ben and Matt for the first time in 2+ years!  I left Nick thinking I wouldn't see him til he walked down the aisle at the wedding and turned back around heading back down I-94 2 exits to see Melissa (a friend from childhood who followed me to SAU and married an American too). She is pregnant and tired so I knew she would be asleep when I arrived at her house for the first time! She woke up at my knock at the door enough to show me around her house and make plans for me to meet her on her lunch hour the following day before heading to bed. Since I our flight had been delayed so much, I got way more of my reading done than I planned and was too close to the end not to finish it, so at 3:30am I closed the back cover of the book and pulled up the covers on the bed.

Friday morning I got up bright and early to see her off to work and then got dressed to go pick up Mel at her in-law's house in Horton, MI. We hadn't seen each other in a very very long time. After many e-mails the last couple weeks, trying to restore our relationship we carried on conversations over Tim Horton's coffee and Canadian Maple donuts as though it had only been a week since we'd seen each other. After a quick pit-stop at the Wal-mart across the street of a blow-dryer (Mel) and deodorant/gift-card and wedding card (me) I dropped her off at Spring Arbor University for Lunch with her husband and father in law (who works at our Alma-mater). I again turned around had headed right back to Jackson for Melissa's lunch hour. 

We met at the Meijer, got lunch for her and a few supplies for her work, then drove over to Joann's for some other supplies, first driving through Tim Hortons for another coffee and 10 Carmel Timbits, then I popped into Biggby's Coffee for some Michigan Cherry Coffee beans then back to work for her. After that I headed to the business office back at SAU to meet up with Mel and visit with the staff I used to work with there. From there we headed too Anna WilkinsoTabone's office. (You starting to see the roller coaster of Hi!-nice-to-see-you-Bye-ness... that's a word right?). Anna was our RD when I was an RA in College and I love her. We chatted about all 3 of our lives for about an hour or so. 

From there we popped over to see if Brewer was in the office; he wasn't but his secretary said that he was teaching a class today so we popped our heads in the back while he was teaching and it was quite funny how long it took him to recognize us. Mel was his TA for a couple classes, and he officiated both of our weddings (my 1st wedding only). Then we walked over to the park where the groomsmen PLUS lots more boys were playing... you guessed it: Ultimate Frisbee. They all fought over who got Mel on their team and I took pictures! We giggled over how much weight these shirtless guys had put on since 4-5 years ago when they graduated, especially comparing them to the young skinny freshmen they were playing with! That was a bonus because like I said earlier, I didn't think I would see Nick until the wedding.

 

 

From there I left the pack and headed to my Favourite Crazy Family: The Pollaks. They have moved into a new-to-them humongous house, and they're expecting a boy in December. She's having another rough pregnancy and is unable to even pick up her children. Landon who needs extra help is at the mercy of other adults right now. I was greeted at the door by 3 rambunctious wonderful children jumping and shouting my name! I couldn't wait to hold them in my arms and spoil them with my love! It's hard to share your love with that many people (6.7 total) and be helpful at the same time. Hailey gave me a tour of their huge house! They have 3 playrooms for the kids with rooms to spare! It's wonderful for them!

Brooklyn is obsessed with the movie Annie, and for months now has been introducing herself as Annie and their dog as Sandy (but her real name is Benelli). She sings "Tomorrow Tomorrow" at the TOP of her lungs pretty much all day long! 

Once the kids were in bed, the 3 adults went into there's-a-4th-birthday-party-here-in-the-morning-and-the-whole-house-needs-renovated mode. Nick and I were up to 3:30am finishing the stripping of the wallpaper, priming, edging and painting their huge kitchen and dinning room around their beautiful cherry custom cabinets.  Whew! What a night! By the time we were done you wouldn't have known hours earlier every surface was covered with tools, wallpaper remnants, putty dust and other random stuff!

I woke up Saturday morning by a 7-year old jumping on my bed, followed moments later by a 4-year old jumping on the bed, followed by a 27 year old.....!  Nich and I moved more furniture down stairs, clearing out the main front 4 rooms for the party, I took Hailey to the store to pick out gifts for her brothers, and got ready to head to the wedding. Hailey helped me pick out jewelry, how to wear my hair and even helped me put my dress on. She kept pulling it down the rest of the 15 mins I was there (apparently she thought it was tooo short!)

12 paragraphs in and we're finally to the point of the weekend in Michigan.


I had an hour drive to Cold Water, MI where I met up with Mel and Tyler's Girlfriend whom I had not yet met. I sat one row in front of Mel because neither of us (both photographers) were willing to give up the aisle seat.

We double teamed it, I took pictures of Gavin's face as she walked down the aisle and she got the Bride.

The Look of a Man seeing his Bride!

 The wedding was a bit long, but plain and simple. The pastor apparently was brutal at the rehearsal (stuck in his ways, not open minded). Nick was 2nd in command, Ben being the best man and the other guys were ALL Ormston/K12 guys! The newlyweds drove off in Gavin's dad's little red classic sports car after about 5 attempts at starting it!

Mel and I hung around for Pictures at the church, then went with wedding party to a park and then headed over to the reception to get our seats as it was first come first serve.

We were definitely late, but all the other Spring Arbor friends had gone for coffee so we beat them there. We originally found a table that could sit 6 of the 8+2 little ones of us. But after staring at this empty table in the front left corner for a while, we realized it wasn't actually reserved like we thought it was. I checked with the mother of the groom and we quickly claimed that table for all the Spring Arbor people! At our table was: Matt's wife and daughter; Erin and Cole, Dave and Lynn and their boy, Katie and Chris, Mel, Jessica; Tyler's girl and myself.

Christina is going to be an Optometrist so their favours were soo clever!

I LOVED how they dismissed table to get their food. All the tables had a little sign listing a song; Can You Feel the Love Tonight or Sunrise, Sunset or That's Amore etc. and when you heard your song played it was time for your table to go get food. The food was delicious - mashed potatoes, carrots, salad, and either pulled roast beef or Teriyaki chicken. The boys danced like crazy people and sang to the good songs out loud! They had sooo much fun being together again.

We were the last ones to leave, besides the parents of the B&G and headed back towards Jackson where we stayed in the hotel that both sets of parents were staying in. Woke them all up quick to say hi, before showering and heading to bed.

Sunday we hung out and talked while eating breakfast at the hotel, then browsed pictures on the laptop at the pool/hot tub. Then drove to Ann Arbor area because their is nothing to do in Jackson. We went to Ford Lake, a beautiful place I've been to many times, but Nick's parents had never been.

 

We enjoyed leisurely walking, chatting and enjoying each others company.

By then we were hungry so we went to Bob Evan's - they don't exist here in Denver. There were sooo many things on the menu I wanted. We stayed their longer than normal but we got there at the end of the lunch rush so we could just hang out and not feel rushed.

Since both sets of parents have a 3ish hour drive home, they both left from there. We checked out my mom's new car first! Then met up with Adam and Cheryl and Ben and Chris and Katie in Ann Arbor - UofM territory. It was nice to see them all again, and then we went back to Adam and Cheryl's apartment for our last night in Michigan. Their new apartment is so wonderfully decorated and cozy! We shared a Jets pizza, and watched the Emmy's.

We got up at 4am this morning, which is 2am Denver time, and flew to Denver. No issues this time. I got dropped off at work, and proceeded to work 6.5 hours after being awake since 2am. Halfway through this afternoon we realized Nick ended up with both sets of key's (well Tyler has his set) so even though I am at the same location as my car, I can't drive it home and even if I could get a ride, I can't get in my home. So my boss is driving me to the school where Nick will come out and give me the keys. I will go pick up our kitty, take her home, then pick up Nick after class at 6pm. We will probably come back here to work so I can drive my car home so I can drive it back all too soon tomorrow morning.

After a wonderful-looked-forwarded-to weekend, tonight we have to stay away long enough for the beginning of the end of the most looked forwarded to TV season premiere 10 years in the making! HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER!!!

We can't wait!!