Audra's Wedding

Last weekend, I was able to go to my friend and roommate from college, Audra's, wedding in North Carolina. After 5 years with my frequent flier card, I'd finally earned enough for a free trip and finially lived somewhere where it was an option to use the miles. I flew in to Norfolk, where Lindsay and Zack picked me up from the airport. I spent the night at Lindsay's and spent the day getting lost on CNU's new campus - I tried to find my favorite English professors only to find IT Services and the Athletics Departments in their offices - they were in an entirely new building. (Side note - I learned that my favorite professor, Dr. Tracey Schwartz, succumbed to cancer on August 1 of this year.) Lindsay also showed me the new Greek "houses" and we were able to get into the Phi Mu house and find our senior year composite photos. (Lindsay's taken on the task of disbursement.)

We drove to NC on Friday night and attended the post-rehearsal-dinner-bon-fire. It was so great that we did this because I was actually able to hang out with Audra and get to know the bridal party - which made the wedding more fun. Saturday was the wedding, and after an interesting lunch at Spiritual Connections Cafe - which was opened because a man, Curtis, had a dream that he should open a restaurant and call it Spiritual Connections Cafe, and proves that not everyone is cut out to be a restaurant manager/owner - we attended the wedding with moderate amount of Phi Mu drama. The wedding was held at Magnolia Plantation, and it was perfect - it just oozed Audra-ness.

Audra-ness: A memory quilt.
Guests were asked to write a memory of the couple on a square using a fabric pen.
The squares will be sewn together for Audra and Josh to enjoy together.

 "You may kiss the Bride."

Newly married Mr. & Mrs. Noone

Phi Mus in attendance: Lindsay, Megan, Amy, Johnna, Sarah, Chelsea, 

Annie, Whitney, Berda, and Melanie.

Sarah and I

Josh and Audra Noone

Phi Mus singing Picture a Girl to Audra

Phi Mus with Audra

It was so great getting to spend quality time with Lindsay, getting to see Audra, and spend (a tiny amount of) time with Sarah. It made me really really miss being on the East coast and the accessibility of driving-distance. 

the Weekend

Dave and I had a nice uneventful weekend together. On Friday night, we drove up to Fresno to celebrate the birthday of one of Dave's fellow-JO's (Junior Officer). There were about 10 of us, Laura and I being the token wives. We ate at Ruth Chris' Steak House.... I've not been a fan of red meat or chicken since getting pregnant, so I had the vegetable options, with a crab-cake starter. In case you've never been there or heard of it, this restaurant basically sells only steaks, with seafood options to satisfy the wives, or girlfriends that will inevitably get taken there. It's also very expensive: $10 beers, $18 appetizers, $42 steaks. Ouch. The cheapest thing we ordered was the $9 creme brule. Oh well. We don't spend that much regularly, and it was a special occasion. After dinner we went out to a bar, and were home by 1am.

On Saturday, we hung out. Didn't do much. Slept in, for one. We had dinner at a friend's house; they'd gotten up at 6am to start brisket, and again, not being a fan of meat currently, it was good, Dave really enjoyed it.

Sunday was church, where we (I) had a minor melt down. We spent the afternoon in Fresno, attending Triple-A baseball game of the Grizzlies, the field-team of the San Fran Giants. The Grizzles won 7-6, through some anxious innings.

We got a call on Sunday evening from the genetic counselor from Clinic Horrid. The Amnio results confirm that our baby has Trisomy 18. As odd as it sounds, Dave and I were relieved. We've prepared ourselves for Trisomy18, and if it had been something else, like something hereditary, we would have been broken all over again. No word on the gender yet. I've got a doctor's appointment on Wednesday morning, and hopefully the amnio results will have gotten to her by then so she can tell us more information.

On a happy note, I saw a video of one of my sorority sisters being proposed to. So sweet. Made me cry tears of joy.