A Brother/Sister Roadtrip

3 years ago - and the last weekend I spent with my family before
we became a party of FIVE!

Cheers to...EVERYTHING!

Three years ago, as I was just one month away from my wedding day, both of my parents and my brother came out to New York for the weekend while my soon-to-be husband was at his bachelor party in Key West.  The four of us woke up early to have mimosas, we camped out on the couches, we went to Rolf's, we sat on my patio and read the newspaper (my dad may or may not have fallen through our very warped patio furniture...sorry pops, but it still makes us all chuckle), and we attended a very chilly opening day baseball game at Yankee stadium. It was just your regular little family weekend, but it was one of the most memorable weekends I've had in my life.  It meant the world to me to have all three of them there as our little family unit before everything changed forever and I was a married woman!  I cried my eyeballs out when they left because I knew the next time I saw them, I'd be starting my life as a Mrs., and that was the last time it would ever be "just the four of us" ever again.  

This is where my husband was while I got
a valuable sibling weekend!

It's pretty safe to assume that men are not this sentimental, and I'd argue that boys aren't as sensitive as the girls in the weeks leading up to their wedding (I cried every day....pretty much for 3 months until my wedding day).  And with my brother's work schedule, he probably doesn't even have time to think.  So when Garrett told me that he was going to be doing some work in Connecticut last week, I knew that this was the last time I could spend time with Garrett, just the two of us, before everything changed FOR HIM!  Unfortunately, our parents weren't there, but this was a little brother/sister road trip to get in some quality time before the next time I see him....which will be the weekend he walks down the aisle to his beautiful bride!

Garrett booked his flight into NY, where he met me at my apartment so that we could take a little road trip out to Connecticut with the big guy (Winston, not my husband....he was at Wrestlemania in New Orleans....and he was definitely enjoying himself...a lot, see the photo above for evidence!).  It was the first time I had ever driven our new Jeep!  We hit some horrendous traffic on the FDR, which added about 30 minutes to our commute, but it also gave us more sibling time!  We spent the better part of 2.5 hours talking about anything.  Our plans for our futures, our jobs, our upcoming travel plans, our pups & in no time we were in Connecticut for some more family time. 

We had so many things to celebrate with our Connecticut family.  Birthdays, upcoming weddings, and a new addition to the honor roll - so naturally that warranted a big family dinner and some martinis - right?  Our time in CT was also starting so show some early signs of spring!  While we still bundled up a bit in sweatshirts and boots, the sun was shining & if you look hard enough, the trees were debuting they tiniest, happiest green buds on their skinny, naked branches.  And after what felt like almost 4 full months of hibernation, we were all happy to get some sunshine....especially Winston!

At the end of the weekend, after an early Italian Sunday dinner (Gram's meatballs are delish!), I drove home by myself (like a BOSS, I might add...despite the vehicle fire on the FDR that scared the bejeezus out of me!) appreciating the quick weekend not only with some family, but for some extra time with my brother.  In just a few weeks, the DuPont side of the family will grow from five to SIX, and it promises to be a crazy wedding weekend out in Long Beach CA.  I'm not sure if we'll be able to squeeze in any more quality time before they say their "I DOs", so that quick road trip was extra special to this big sister, because even when he becomes a husband, he'll always be my little brochacho.  I'm SO grateful for that quick road trip....SO grateful.