Welcome to PA, y'all!

I feel like it's been 25 years since I last blogged. When in all actuality, it's only been since Friday. Apparently driving 1,300 miles in one weekend will do that to ya. It will also make your weekend recap not happen until Tuesday. Whoops.

This weekend my sweet, sweet friend Emily got married...in Pennsylvania. In case you've been living under a rock, I live in Eastern North Carolina - which is a long, long way from PA.

Emily moved to New Bern last summer to teach. And I tell ya what, James W. Smith has never been luckier to have such an amazing teacher and person grace our hallways. Seriously, this girl is the best!

And she makes a pretty hot bride too.

I wasn't planning on going to her wedding (because it was so far away) and was pretty sad about it because I knew it was going to be a night to remember. Until....another girl we teach with sent me a text message last week asking me to drive to PA with her for the weekend. 

Robbie was going to be out of town and I was already looking for a way to avoid being home alone so I said sure, why not. Then Robbie oh so kindly pointed out where exactly Pennsylvania was on the map. It's a long freaking way away. And we were headed to Erie, no less. 

But you know what they say - YOLO. So we rounded up two other teacher friends, piled in the car at 11:00PM Friday night....

drove through the night arriving in Erie, PA at the Econolodge (we travel in style I tell ya) at 10:45AM, ate lunch, showered...

and made it to the Catholic church by 1:45, ready to watch our gorgeous friend marry the love of her life. 

A few McFrappes later, we were headed to cocktail hour and ready for the reception to begin. Things get a little fuzzy after that, thanks to the 30 min. of sleep I was running on and the open bar. 

The reception was one of the most fun receptions I've been to. The food was amazing and every little detail had come together so perfectly. 

But the one thing that sticks out the most in my mind was how welcoming and friendly everyone was. The love that was in that reception hall was abundant. By the end of the night I felt like I had known these people forever. I feel so honored to have been able to meet such an incredible person in Emily but also in her family and friends. And to be able to share her special day with them meant the world to me. 

After making it back to the hotel around midnight and sleeping hard in our one king-sized bed, we woke up Sunday morning and started the trek back to North Carolina. Already missing our new "yankee" friends. 

It was a whirlwind of a trip but I loved every second of it and can't wait to go back!

Oh, and what do four sweet southerners get their northern soon-to-be bride?

His and Hers mason jar tumblers of course.

Hugs,