Thursday, September 17, 2015

Siiri & Eerik's Wedding


Ed and I headed up to Toronto to celebrate the wedding of Siiri & Eerik. They live on the grounds of an Estonian camp, where they spent summers as kids. It was great to see them in their element and they looked so happy together. There was a bonfire get together Friday night, followed by the wedding on Saturday which included a procession to a ceremony in the woods and a reception under a large tent. When we saw the centerpiece of shot glasses and a bottle of vodka frozen in a block of ice, we knew it'd be that kind of party! Jill, also friends with Ed from college, gave the best Maid of Honor speech I've ever heard. We could feel the love for Siiri and Eerik all around and it was fun to witness some of the Estonian traditions like button sewing, diaper changing, group dancing and the kidnapping of the bride. It was great to reunite with some friends we hadn't seen in years.

Ed with Jill & Traci
Single file to cross the swinging bridge

On our last day and a half, Ed and I stayed in downtown Toronto to sightsee. Toronto seemed very clean, friendly and pretty much American. Unbeknownst to us, we chose to drive into town just before the start time of a Blue Jays game at Rogers Stadium. Also unbeknownst to us was that our hotel was literally overlooking Rogers Stadium. So that's what all the traffic was about! After checking in, we avoided the crowds with an escape to Chinatown to enjoy some authentic cuisine with Traci. We then explored a couple parts of the city on foot and ended up at the waterfront where we stumbled upon an outdoor concert with Tango dancing, local crafts and artisans and a hot sauce festival.


Ed and I really enjoyed our time together but were also ready to come home to our boys. Thanks to Grace and Tisset for taking such good care of them! I was overwhelmed when I came home to Morgan who immediately threw his arms around me and shuddered in tears for several minutes. Now that's a nice welcome. Needless to say, both he and Dean were happy to have us back. It was a great trip and congratulations Siiri and Eerik! We miss you here in Austin, but we are happy for your new life together!