I was so lucky to get plenty of girl time with my mom and sister. We took Medyk for a walk, let him play soccer while watching the Blues (in his jersey!), went shopping, went to dinner...girl things. Twice, we went to my aunt and uncle's house in Stillwater to gather barvinok, periwinkle, for the place settings at the reception. Periwinkle is traditionally used in Ukrainian weddings, symbolizing eternal and faithful love, and, lucky for me, it was overtaking a corner of their garden. It turns out that my grandfather had actually planted it many years ago! My aunt and uncle's backyard is gorgeous (it's where we had my bridal shower!), and summertime has made it even better, full of green. My sister and I jumped in the pool both days, and were so relaxed and happy to savor two afternoons at one of our favorite places from our childhood.
One of my favorite things we did was have a baba's vechir, which translates to "old ladies' evening" at my mom's. When we were little these evenings used to be more frequent; every month, a group of fantastic women (NOT old ladies) from our Ukrainian community would get together, drink wine, and cook or bake. Just for fun. Just to talk, get together, and stay connected outside all of the other activities they were already so busy with. I, of course, wanted to be a part of that group as a little girl, and looked forward to these nights just as much as the adults. As we grew up, everyone became even busier, and these nights stopped happening. I was so, so happy to be able to reconnect at our own baba's vechir before the wedding. These women have all played, and continue to play, such an important role in my life. I've looked up to all of them since I can remember, and now they have their own kids who are much more grown up than I like to admit. We had a wonderful night...perhaps Medyk felt a little too much love, but it was still perfect.
It's hard to believe this was all three weeks ago. Time flies. We miss you all so much!
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