My cousin was getting married in the Georgia resort community of Big Canoe, and it presented the perfect opportunity for a Byrne family reunion. It was the first time the extended family was together since my Grandma passed away in 2014.
My parents found a large house for many of us to stay in, and I’ll admit to being a little apprehensive about so many people – two of them noisy small children – staying in one house. But it turns out my parents found a great property. A large house with plenty of space and each of the bedroom spaces tucked away to afford opportunities for quiet naps and/or down time.
We had such a wonderful weekend! Time in the woods with Nana and Poppa, seeing family we rarely get to see, gorgeous early fall weather and a beautiful wedding as a capstone.
Landon was asked to be the ring bearer shortly before the wedding. After scrambling to find a gray suit, we crossed our fingers and hoped our “Thank you for asking; he’d be delighted to participate” didn’t bite us in the rear end. After all – not being a fan of crowds or unfamiliar people – he’d either do a model job or flat refuse to participate.
He did a great job practicing at the rehearsal, but quickly lost interest when he saw the expanse of lush green grass outside the pavilion that was just begging to be run through. The backdrop was stunning and we snapped a few nice photos.
After the rehearsal, it was back to Big Canoe for the rehearsal dinner. It was a casual, BBQ affair by a small lake – which ended up being a bit comical from the standpoint that half the crowd took the “still a rehearsal dinner” stance and wore Sunday clothes and half the crowd took a “but it’s BBQ!” stance and wore t-shirts and jeans.
It was a fun evening and the setup was perfect for the children in attendance. My aunt and uncle set up a little crafts table with markers, bubbles, etc. and it was a bit hit. The mild weather was perfect and the fun lasted well into the evening. Eventually the children started to melt and we headed back to the house and called it a night.
The rehearsal dinner wasn’t without a typical “Holmes family moment”. We were thrilled we were able to meet my uncle’s girlfriend, Michelle. My aunt passed away many years ago and my Grandma often said how much she wished Uncle Mike would meet a nice lady. “But where is he going to find one?”, she’d say. “The Boy Scouts? The Knights of Columbus?” It was a sentiment we all shared. Uncle Mike is a real catch – affable, kind and with a true servant’s heart. He and Michelle have been dating for awhile now and share many of the same interests. She is lovely and we are so very happy for them.
So back to the “Holmes Family Moment”: We had met Michelle briefly earlier in the afternoon, but the rehearsal dinner was the first opportunity to spend time with her. Shortly after setting our things down at the table, Hannah threw up everywhere right at Michelle’s feet. Poor thing had gotten carsick again. Welcome to the family, Michelle!
I left Hannah with my mom and ran to the car for a change of clothes, thankful I had brought a set. Arrived back at the table…to Michelle on her hands and knees with a giant wad of paper towels helping my mom and aunt clean up the mess. Bless them all.
Landon helped Michelle, Uncle Mike and Michael make breakfast the next morning. He was so proud to help make the pancakes!
(And yes, we had two Mike’s and a Michael in one house, lol)
After breakfast we took a hike through parts of Big Canoe, enjoying the scenery and checking out the natural rock waterslide. It was closed for the season, but it sure looked like fun. And cold! Even at the height of summer I bet the water would be freezing.
We enjoyed more family time in the afternoon and then it was time for the wedding. The wedding was short and sweet, taking place in an open pavilion. The scenery was so pretty!
How did Landon do? He was a rockstar! He did such a good job, walking slowly and carefully down the aisle. He spotted me encouraging him, ran up to give me a big hug, and then took the pillow with the ring up to the officiant. We were so proud of him!
After the ceremony, we tried to take advantage of the pretty surroundings for a few photos. That didn’t work out so well. Squirmy kids, distracted parents. We tried.
The kids had a great time at the reception. They danced their hearts out on the dance floor!
At one point, I really wanted to tour the Tate House, where the wedding took place. We were in an addition created for receptions and formal events. I had missed the “official” tour that took place while LJ was taking wedding photos.
So my dad and I walked through the cocktail area to see if we could get in the mansion. Turns out it’s connected by a hallway, so we walked right in. It was “closed” and all the lights were off, but hello light switches. It was way better than an official tour because we went slowly and poked around in each of the rooms. We didn’t disturb anything, of course, but took our time to look at the architectural details and the decor in each room. I’m fairly certain we were not supposed to be giving ourselves a self tour, but oh well. It was really cool.
Sunday was another leisurely morning with family before we headed back to Atlanta. Mike and the kids went home; I drove straight to Decatur for my SIL’s wedding shower. (yes, that was a serious hike…)
Another interesting tidbit from the weekend – it was the day before Hurricane Irma hit Atlanta. The weather all weekend was perfect, mild and sunny. But the weather predictions were dire. We had house until Monday, but everyone left Sunday afternoon in advance of the storm. It was a wise decision as we learned later in the week that Big Canoe was hit hard by the storm, with power outages and so many downed trees many of the roads were impassable. It was sad to see the pictures after we had enjoyed such a fun weekend – and hard to believe.
Also good to know if we had stayed during the storm, we sure as heck weren’t going to starve…
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