November 27, 2012

From Virginia to NY and back again..

I have to say, Thanksgiving holiday has to be the worst time to travel! But family is so important to me and I just couldn't miss Thanksgiving dinner at my brother and sister in laws or my cousins wedding. Going from point A to point B which in this case is Virginia to New York and back again is becoming a real pain in the ass and has become especially difficult for my Mom as she ages. Realistically what should be a seven to eight hour drive tops ends up being a ten to eleven hour drive due to holiday traffic. It is truly horrible.

But staying home and missing the festivities isn't really an option. Who could miss the opportunity to hang out with these ladies?

My niece Alex, my cousin Jeanmaire in blue,
my sister in law and my niece Sydney in the front left.

I like to cook and frequently host holidays and parties at my house. But my brother and sister in law do such an amazing job on Thanksgiving dinner and that gives me the freedom to have a bit of fun baking.

The picture below is a yummy new recipe of a pumpkin yeast dinner roll that I tried for the first time this year. They taste as good as they look! I got the recipe on the blog beyond kimchee. If you'd like to check out the recipe yourself just click on the blog name and it will take you to the link for the recipe. We just made one small change in the original recipe because my nephew is deathly allergic to any tree nuts and they were the ingredient she used for stems, we substituted dates.

pumpkin yeast rolls
And the wedding; I just love weddings don't you? My cousin Howie and his wife Lorraine's son Brian got married to Lauren. Young love....sigh. They are a stunning young couple aren't they? They're off to Hawaii for their romantic honeymoon and then back to New York City to their new life in their new apartment.

Lauren and Brian
And the reception was at an amazing and elegant country club on the north shore of Long Island. We drank, ate and danced the night away in celebration of this young couple starting their lives together.


Standing is my fathers sister Marie
on the left his other sister Genevieve and my Mom
I always have the best intentions when I go to one of these big family affairs to take tons of pictures, however I spent just about every minute on the dance floor dancing or catching up with family and old friends from the beach who were also guests. Oh and then there was the jerk on the dance floor but that story deserves a separate post. But I did get this picture of the Aunts! 


17 comments:

  1. That's a whole lotta time in the car Jen, but it seems well worth it! I do love weddings!

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  2. I can't tell you the last time I've been in a car THAT long. I'm not even great with short trips. There's a lot of crazy people on the road!

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  3. Even staying for a week it's a hard trip! Very hard on mom especially. Every family wedding is such an event even she didn't want to miss it!

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  4. You were experiencing it, not watching it and nobody can fault you for that!

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  5. Congrats to the newly married couple! Wishing them many years of happiness together! Sounds like a wonderful trip, except for the traffic, but time spent with family at the holidays is always a wonderful thing indeed!

    betty

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  6. I intensely dislike long car travel too - especially if it involves driving in congested traffic (as in through the SF Bay area) . Sadly, the thought of it can be enough to deter me from going places but I would not miss a wedding of a niece or nephew. We are at the place too where pretty much every year for the past five years there has been a wedding to attend - with one scheduled already for Oct 12 of next year! I really enjoy participating in those family events and yes, I will deal with the traffic in order to be part of the celebration.
    PS - I especially liked the photos of all the beautiful women in your family! Thanks for posting!

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  7. Beautiful ladies ..... and the groom too!

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    1. Their heads are swelling Ariana :) but you're right they are very beautiful woman inside and out!

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  8. I can totally feel you about that damn NY traffic. Especially, I-95!!!! By the time they finish rebuilding that highway we'll be in nursing homes...lol
    You have a beautiful looking family. Although, traveling north bound is a pain you have to admit once you're there, spending time with family makes it all worth the while. Ha-ha about taking pics. I'm glad to see someone else who loves to socialize with crowd & totally forgets to take pics. That's so me! Sounds like you had a great time. Congrats to the Newlyweds! I'm going to tryout that pumpkin bread. Mmm...

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    1. I swear I took my camera to that wedding and didn't leave the dance floor but to go to the bar of the bathroom so much for taking pictures!! Oh well I DID have the best of intentions I look at it this way I did burn calories :) btw, you're gonna love the bread/rolls they're great! I'm planning on making them a regular item on the Thanksgiving table-or my brothers table!

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  9. My husband is from upstate NY... we've driven there from SC four or five times. Thankfully, the last time, with 3 children now, he had the sense to realize maybe flying was a better option. 16 hours (at best) one way... CRAZY!

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    1. My next wedding is in March you can bet I'll be flying the friendly skies with that one. It's just becoming too much especially like with what Sonya said the construction just makes it worse!

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  10. I agree that spending time cutting a rug with family is way more important than picture taking.
    I've never had to drive very far to visit family during the holidays. I can imgaine that it's chaotic...but you're right...the end result is worth it.

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  11. This wedding was a blast. They had a band not a DJ and they were awesome to dance to and boy did I ever!!

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  12. Looks like you had a great time, despite the super long drive! Can't wait to hear the jerk on the dance floor story. :)

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  13. Wow you had a busy Thanksgiving break. I totally feel you on that traffic. Going to VA of us was a breeze but coming back home made me what to pull my hair out. But I can't complain - I wasn't the driver.

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  14. I love weddings too. Beautiful bride and groom. On the newest post, good for you for dealing w/ the drunk. Most people just walk away from them. This is one reason I hate alcohol - stupid behavior. It's ruined my husband's family.

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