Straight from the Storks Nest: A Notre Dame Wedding

Brian's cousin and Patrice's oldest nephew, Eric, a Notre Dame alum, was getting married to a fellow alum, Sarah, in the Notre Dame Basilica and we couldn't miss it or a chance to shop in Chicago! Caitlyn and I headed out early in the week to meet Patrice and her sister Jane in Chicago for some shopping and eating on the Magnificent Mile. It was bitterly cold when we arrived (subzero temperatures) but I had packed well and we were able to get in several hours of shopping plus a trip to my favorite popcorn store, Garretts, without getting hypothermia or frostbite. After spending the day in Chicago, adding Patrice's sister Paula to our party and having the best steak I've ever had (Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab), we packed in the van and made the trek to South Bend, IN and Notre Dame.

We crammed in several events over the next few days and Brian joined us for the weekend - a bridal luncheon, pre-wedding reception, the wedding and reception. We were really lucky that Patrice knew someone who had a daughter at Notre Dame and she turned out to be an awesome babysitter. Caitlyn had no problem with us leaving, even saying goodbye to us when she got there. The wedding was actually held at the basilica on campus and it was truly a beautiful ceremony and extra special with Patrice's cousin, Father Kevin (the same priest who baptized Caitlyn) officiating. After the wedding and a brief break, we headed to the reception and had a wonderful evening out dancing. Yes, yours truly fell in love with Brian all over again when he flew out on the dance floor and busted a move in the middle of a dance circle. It was so unlike him and so adorable, I got those warm fuzzies all over again. And even though I was three months pregnant at the time, I spent most of the night with all the Mueller cousins on the dance floor (and paid for it the next day with total body soreness). I'm pretty sure I saw a few mouths agape in the crowd wondering what a pregnant woman was doing shoeless and busting a move.

We barely made it back to Chicago due to a blizzard that blew into town and sure enough, Brian and Katie were the only ones who managed to make it out as everyone else's flights were cancelled. So we hunkered down in the same hotel by the airport and extended our visit by one day. It was actually really nice to have some down time with the family before we left after cramming in so many activities. Caitlyn did a great job on both plane rides but it definitely took a toll on me. I was so exhausted after the trip that I vowed not to take another plane ride until after the twins are born.