Topeka Trip (1 of 3)

It is the year for weddings. Blake, Brad, Kristen, and Starla all are getting married this year and someone from our family is in each wedding (if not multiples). March 31st was Blake and Sarah's wedding and our first trip to Topeka this year. Kristen and Starla are also getting married in Topeka so we'll retrace that bit of highway a few more times this year.

Karl had been slotted as the best man since the start which he was actually really excited about since he ends up officiating a lot of the time which means he can't goof off because he has to be the serious pastor. He took full advantage of his unpastor title and pretended to lose the wedding bands during the ceremony but did put the pastor hat back on a bit during the best man toast which was fairly appropriate. A few weeks ago Ruben was asked to be the ring bearer since Erin, Josh, and Amos were not going to be able to come to the wedding and Amos had held the ring bearer position. Ruben obliged and we were lucky to have friends who gave us a cute little suit to wear so we didn't have to worry about renting a mini-tux. However during the day on Friday, Ruben started acting sick. He wouldn't take a nap, he half slept as Karl carried him in the sling around the zoo, he fussed incessantly, and finally threw up on me about an hour before the rehearsal dinner (right after I had changed into my rehearsal dinner clothes, of course). We kind of wrote Ruben out of the wedding at that point and asked Kye to step in at least for the rehearsal and perhaps even for the wedding the next day. Ruben stayed home with Papa, who ended up just holding Ruben either walking around the block or laying on the couch for the next six or eight hours.

Rehearsal went fine, but the flower girl didn't like the wagon and Kye didn't like Karl so how exactly everyone would get up the aisle was left up in the air. Thankfully, by morning Ruben was acting better (at least not puking), so we put him in his little suit and prayed that he would make it through the service. Somehow or another, someone convinced Ruben and the flower girl that riding in the wagon was fun and they sat quietly when their turn came. The only problem was that Ruben didn't want to get out of the wagon and Karl and I had a pretty messy Ruben exchange but all went well until Papa mentioned the wagon to Ruben during the vows and Ruben thought that meant he got to go back to the wagon which resulted in Nana's taking him to the nursery. Have I mentioned that Uncle Kory is the best in Ruben's estimation? Unfortunately, every time Kye sees Ruben getting Kory's attention, he wants it too.

Sunday was great because we got to go to the Palm Sunday service at First Christian Church. I don't remember the Phelp's gauntlet being quite so scary as a child. After church, it was definitely time to get spoiled by Nana (seriously, three days in Topeka and no spoiling yet). Easter baskets and an awesome Easter egg hunt with healthy snacks in the eggs. Not to mention a great photo shoot.

 
 

As a closing thought...every town should feature awesome Mexican restaurants with $.99 margaritas. We've lived a lot of places, but nowhere has come close to the $.99 margaritas of Topeka, Kansas. Thankfully, we'll be back at least twice more this year!! Now that is worth the 7 hour drive.