Exactly a week ago at this time I was driving to Bristol, Rhode Island to be the wedding coordinator at an event that the bride and groomed had dubbed “My Big Fat Clambake Wedding”. Before dropping Drew off I was sort of sick to my stomach all day about leaving him (and he was going to be with AJ for the night, for crying out loud). It was the longest I’d ever been without him, and AJ and I are hardly ever away from each other for the night. As soon as I said my goodbyes to Drew and started driving I knew I was doing the right thing… I needed and wanted to be “Professional Jen” for a weekend. I wanted to run around and meet the bride and groom’s needs and be straight out for that entire Saturday. I wanted to to run the show at the rehearsal and I wanted to do last minute crafts with the bridesmaids Saturday morning. Theo, the bride, kept apologizing to me for how disorganized she was and how she was making me do too much… but let me tell you, it was a dream. I loved running around, I loved wearing my professional navy dress and pulling everything together, I was in heaven and I had missed that feeling…
But let me tell you, that Friday night (between the rehearsal and wedding) was lonely in the big bed by myself. I didn’t have anyone to snuggle with and I didn’t have a little guy to kiss incessantly before hunkering down for the night. I’ve been really wondering about my purpose and who I am now that I’m a stay at home mom with fewer event planning gigs and more time to just veg (if you can call it that) with the little guy. My days consist of sweeping up Cheerios, running errands, cleaning, feeding Drew, cooking dinner and doing laundry. I feel like a 1950s housewife. And as I was away from my guys this past weekend, I realized how my life doesn’t have to be a diacotomy. I can be both an event planner and a stay at home mom / wife who is trying to rock that job. I’ve struggled with not bringing in a paycheck but tt’s been funny, I’ve seen God provide financially more this month than I ever have… we’ve seen Him provide for us with just AJ having a full time job, with the rental income we have and with side jobs I pick up. I’ve been blown away by how completely confirmed I’ve felt about the decision to leave my job at Gordon. I missed Drew and AJ so much that day and a half I was away from them that it made me realize how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a stay at home mom… I love the jobs of a 1950s housewife BUT I also love being able to pick up side jobs so that while Drew is napping or at nights I can do some “professional” work. I guess I’ve figured out that my purpose doesn’t have to be completely single-minded. It’s okay if my purpose (right now) is to be the best mom and wife I can be while seeking out jobs to do on the side to help bring in income for the Migonis Family… I’m not a career woman anymore but I love being able to still use my gifts from my past full-time career.
There is a lot of rambling for you… I guess today was one of those moments I used the blog for more of a journal than anything else, so forgive me if it doesn’t flow or make oodles of sense. BUT before you go, let me share with you some photos of the wedding. I’m not joking, it was like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. When I walked up to the house they rented the first person I met was Theo’s dad. He was holding a can of WD-40 and had just sprayed the hand of one of Theo’s good friends because her hand hurt. Does anyone remember the scene where the father in “MBFGW” sprayed everyone with Windex????
Theo (short for Theodora) and her hubby Blake rented this enormous house right on the water in Bristol, RI. It was heavenly, except for the bizarre decorations consisting of Christmas ornaments, bunnies, cats and life size bronzed jungle animals.
Here is the house from the back. I’m on their back lawn which goes right out to the water. It was the most perfect day and if I wasn’t getting paid hourly I would have laid down in the carpet like grass to tan and hoped someone didn’t hit with with a bocce ball.
I made these photo displays and Theo hung their initials, which she had cut out of foam and covered in moss. The placecard table sat right in front of this gorgeous tree.
This is their back lawn. Now don’t you wish your lawn and view looked like that? Mmm hmmm, I just about passed out, and then remembered that at my house our view is an old fence, our neighbors house and six rediculous chickens (not to rag on them too much, because they are giving us half a dozen eggs daily). Theo wanted lawn games set up over the lawn for people to play during the cocktail hour. She found these bamboo garden markers and I made the signs out of chalkboard paper.
I wish I remembered to get this next photo after all the chairs were returned from the cocktail tables but, oh well… the off white linens looked crisp with a chocolate satin runner and hydrangeas and candles running the length of the table. It was simple elegance at its best.
Theo had the great idea to do some garland made with babies breath around the grounds to dress up a simple stone wall. It looked so bridal… 🙂
One of my favorite parts of the evening was when I finally stopped running around and sat down next to Theo’s Greek uncle (everyone on her side was Greek, and hysterical, I might add). He told me he didn’t like lobster and snagged me two lobster tails. Yep, it pays to become friends with the Greek Uncle. 🙂
