How Much Can You Do in A Long Weekend?

Start with a red-eye flight from San Francisco to Raleigh, North Carolina.  Family gathered for our first wedding on the Miyat side.  No, it wasn't me.  My cousin Alex got married on May 18th, in sunny, rainy Sanford, North Carolina.  My Aunt and Uncle hosted a great rehearsal dinner at the Carolina Brewery.  Plenty of food and drinks and a room full of amazing people.

The family spent the weekend in Pittsboro, North Carolina ... its apparently historic for something.  We were split into two completely adorable bed and breakfast inns.  At the Rosemary House, breakfast was served family style in the dining room where we all ate together every morning.

 The day of the wedding we walked around downtown Pittsboro and spent the afternoon at my Aunt and Uncles, having North Carolina BBQ for lunch.  The wedding ceremony was at 5pm ... just as the rain rolled in.   Though they say rain is good luck on your wedding day AND I've heard cloudy days are perfect for pictures! 

After the ceremony, we ran for cover in the basement where the party resumed.  We partied all night long which made waking up early to drive home the next morning not ideal.  The good news is, we get to do this all over again next year for Tyler's wedding!  Thanks for throwing us all of these parties Portia and Shawn :) 

I rode, key word-rode, back to Illinois with my parents after the wedding.  It is a 13 hour drive if you don't stop.  We stopped.  And where we decided to stop was .... Louisville, Kentucky!  

As we were driving around the University of Louisville, we noticed, literally across the street from the football stadium, was Churchill Downs.   Well we had to stop there!  We were about to walk around the grounds and even get into the stands of the track.  We could only imagine what it would have looked like a couple weeks earlier during the Kentucky Derby!

By the way, it was so HUMID there.  *sigh*

We also drove through Edinburgh, Indiana.  This is where my grandmother grew up.  We saw the church my grandparents got married in and the old farmhouse she grew up in.  She called it her old stomping grounds.

Finally we made it back to Illinois close to midnight on Sunday.  Monday I got to spend the whole day with my brother!  We visited my Mom's first grade class, had lunch with Dad, and got ice cream from our favorite local spot.

Had a chat with Abe.

And a drink with Jack.

For dinner we had reservations at the House of Grandmoo.  Best spot in Springfield, Illinois.  I won't torture you with the menu, but I will say we had individual french silk pies for dessert.  

I spent another day with my mom, posing as a first grade teacher.  Per usual, I made sure to stop at my favorite spots and have lunch with my friend Brandon.  I even got to see a storm, which I say I miss all the time.  I probably jinxed myself.  Luckily this giant storm cloud I saw at the airport when I was departing didn't affect my travel .... until I got to Minnesota for my connection.