Travis and Callie's Wedding

Saturday, May 1, I wake up at 7:45, have my coffee and start the day with a stretch. Then I make Ritz Peanut Butter Cookies in case the Rood gang decides to come by before the wedding today. We have a light breakfast and my youngest brother Eric calls at 10:00 to say they are all in the parking lot at the hotel and are ready to come over to tour The Titanic. I ask him to give us a half an hour or so. Bob and I get in gear and clean up the breakfast dishes and get out of our jammmies.

Roods aboard The Titanic

Eric calls about 20 minutes later. They are lost somewhere west on Kingshighway. Then he calls again; they went too far east. At last they find us. My nephew Nathaniel is driving and has his wife Maria and my two youngest brothers Jeff and Eric. Soon my sister Carla pull up with Mom and Dad. Oh, how I have wanted my parents to see our home-on-wheels but we never tow it close enough to St. Charles, in the congested St. Louis metro area, for them to get a glimpse of it.

Kyle, Dane and Jeff relax in the living room

Reet and Mom enjoy a moment

My sister Carla and my nephew Dustin make themselves at home

Brothers Eric and Mark get set for the big photo shoot

It's like herding cats!

My second oldest brother Greg, his wife Lana and there son and his wife, Jason and Mary arrive too. Mark, the brother just younger than me, and his wife Michelle and their children, Kyle and Kara just got into Cape this morning and caught everyone as they were leaving the hotel to come over here to the RV Park or they would have missed the whole gang. Dane, my brother just younger than Mark, arrives with his wife Lori and their children Dustin and Callie. And finally, Travis, the man of the day, called Jeff or Eric on the phone and heard we were all over here so he stopped by too! It's great to see all of them. I think I counted 22 of us in all. That shatters our old record of having eight visitors over at once in Texas this year! I give tours of The Titanic until I'm hoarse.

My niece Kara greets the guests at The Waters Edge

Callie's Mom pins on Travis's buttoneer

My brother Mike and his wife Linda-proud parents of the groom

The groomsmen-Travis chose his sister Megan as his 'best woman'

Most of the mob ends up outside drinking Bob's Killian's Red. I actually get to serve Mom and Dad a cup of coffee in the living room! Aunt Carla and Dustin try out our queen-sized bed. We gather for a group photo in front of The Titanic. Bob and my brothers joke that we can send Christmas cards to Mike, Linda, Megan, Casey and Ethan who are absent. The family of the groom is busy getting ready for the wedding in a few hours. Hmmm...wonder why the groom is here? I'm just glad the lake surrounding The Titanic has dried up since last night. I'm so happy they all got to see our home-on-wheels. Now they can picture us zooming down the road.

My nephew Nathaniel seranades the guests

The crowd is seated

Travis and his Mom Linda

My brother Mike escorts our Mother in

The bridesmaids and flower girls await the bride

The bride arrives!

Greg asks us to go to Bob Evans for breakfast with his clan and Mark and Dane's families show up too. On the way there Jeff calls and says Eric left his phone on our end table. I tell him we'll bring it to the wedding. Bob says he just got a phone upgrade to a Blackberry! Lana has her favorite grilled cheese. Bob and I split the turkey/spinach omelet that we like. Greg has Bob's favorite chicken pot pie. We barely make it out of Bob Evans by 1:30 and the wedding is at 3:00! We need to leave for the wedding around 2:15. So we zoom home to clean up and get dressed. We remember Eric's phone on the way out.

Travis and Callie's wedding party at The Waters Edge

Callie and her flower girls

My nephew Travis and my niece Megan: Groom and his best man!

The M. T. Rood Family: Mike, Linda, Michael, Travis, Callie, Megan, Ethan and Casey

Travis gets a corner of Callie's towel to kneel on

Michael, Travis, Callie and Aunt Betsy

Aunt Betsy doesn't take long to get in her comfy shoes!

We arrive at The Waters Edge to find my niece Kara manning the Guest Book. The sun is trying to peek through in spite of the dire forecast. There is quite a bit of milling around until my nephew Nathaniel starts playing the piano and the guests take their seats in the screened-in pavilion. With the crowd seated the wedding party is ushered in. Nathaniel sings "This Is Your Song" and gets the crowd all teary-eyed. The ceremony is very moving. Travis and Callie wrote their own vows and I was very impressed. I especially like the fish decor behind the minister! That is so "Travis!"





A toast to the bride and groom!

Ethan sports his new Jimmy Buffett bib from Margaritaville New Orleans

My nephew Jason grabs a smoke and is left holding the bag!

Busted!

Callie, Travis and my sister Carla as she prepares to cut the cake

As we all file out I follow the professional photographer and take pictures galore of the wedding party with the lake in the background. Travis insists he is not getting a wet butt by sitting on the ground. They gave Callie a big white towel to sit on so I suggest they give Travis a corner of the towel. Voila! Problem solved. At last the party moves to the reception hall across the grounds. Travis's sister, my niece Megan, is the 'best woman" and gives a toast citing many of Travis's nicknames over the years. Some of the crowd yells out more. The food is great and my sister Carla serves the cake with Aunt Michelle's help. I enjoy the Red Velvet section.

Rood siblings family photo in age order left to right: Mike, Greg, Rita, Mark, Dane, Carla, Jeff and Eric

Rood family grandchildren and new great grandchild: Nathaniel, Kara, Kyle, Jason, Megan, Ethan, Travis, Callie and Dustin (Not present Mandy, Katie and great grandaughters Laura and Natalie)

Four generations!

The Outlaws: Lana, Michelle, Mary, Casey, Maria, Bob, Callie, Linda and Lori

We drag the Rood clan outside for our family photos. The photographer does a great job of corralling all of us. We even remember to have the Outlaw picture with Callie as the newest Outlaw. Several of my siblings remark that the Outlaws are starting to outnumber us!

My younger brother Dane sings and plays guitar for the first dance

Callie sings for her new hubby Travis as he dances with his sister Megan

Aunt Rita and Aunt Betsy like that old time rock 'n roll!

My brother Dane and his daughter Callie-not to be confused with the bride Callie!

My nephew Nathaniel dances with the bride

The band sets up and has way too much volume at first, chasing everyone out of the little pavilion where the ceremony took place. But they tone it down and continue on playing wedding staples. At their first break my nephew Nathaniel and then my niece Kara play guitars and sing. At the second break the band members start joining Nathaniel and Kara on stage to add instruments to their performances. At this point the band wakes up and kinda of says "Oh, this group likes real music!" After that the night gets wild. Carla, Mari Bess and I are happy that they play "Old Time Rock 'n Roll" just like at Megan's wedding.

Hoist that bouquet for the toss!

Time for the garter...

...Success!

The lucky recipients of the bouquet and garter.

Wait...my nephew Kyle is way too young. He has to finish college at Mizzou first!

My niece Kara steals the show!

My youngest brother Eric joins the band

My nephews Nathaniel and Kyle pound out a duet

Nathaniel, Maria, Carla and Mike cut a rug

Callie and her son Michael

Not to be outdone...Aunt Betsy and Travis

Time out to admire baby Ethan

We've all gone over the edge now!

Callie, Michael and Travis

It is a fun time. The weather was perfect. It starts raining while the band is playing but they roll down the canvas awnings to protect their instruments and play on. Bob and I head for home at 11:45. It's not raining nearly as hard as last night. Bob parks in the site next to us so we don't have to wade in the water. It's 12:36 p.m. and 70 degrees and muggy.