We're all grown up and havin' babies...

...and boy, o, boy, is it FUN!

I wish I could write captions for each of these. Feel free to write your own in the comments! Taking a picture with 4 babies is hard enough - doing it with your camera on self-timer? Yeah.

Sebastian: Whoa, this camera is the funniest thing I've ever seen!
Katharina: I guess I'll just sit here. I wonder when they'll realize I'm not even in the picture?
Ralphie and Mama: Let's blink at the same time so we look like idiots together.
Angela: O, I'm just so happy to be a mother!

Ashlee and Angela: Let's smile and act crazy for the camera, even though the kids aren't even looking at us!
Philippa: Boy, I've never seen Auntie open her mouth so big...

Ralphie: These stupid amber beads are choking me again...
Katharina: Uhm, this is getting kind of scary guys...

Ralphie: Who do you think has a better deer in the headlights stare - me? Or Auntie?
Ashlee: Let's all shout like we're on The Wiggles!

Katharina: Really, guys, I don't like this one bit.
Ralphie: I solemnly swear I did not take one sip of Uncle's scotch.
Sebastian: I could just do this all day!
Auntie: Can you smile THIS big, children?

Ralphie: I may, perhaps, have inhaled some of that cigar, though.
Philippa: I just love my mama soooo much.

:-D :-D

Really, the fun never ends.

Family

It's hard to summarize a week with my family in pictures... I had over 100 to choose from.

Ralphie and I spent last week in Michigan with my family. It was restful, relaxing and enjoyable. Good conversations, good fun. Always lots of laughter.

Blessed to have all of you in my life!

The Wedding of the Year

Good things do happen in Ohio.

Like our wedding, for example. 

And this wedding.

If you've ever been in a wedding - your own, or as a bridesmaid/groomsman - you know that a wedding most certainly isn't just the long awaited date. Months before there is all the planning - colors, flowers, honeymoon destination, setting the date, choosing the venue, and the menu, and the church. Then the bridal showers, and perhaps moving into a new home, and when the week-of this long await event finally arrives, there are bachelor and bachelorette parties, setting up, decorating, airport trips, the arrival of family and friends, the rehearsal, the rehearsal dinner, getting ready, taking pictures AND THEN the wedding. By the time the actual wedding arrives everyone usually breathes a huge sigh of relief, and then from sheer excitement that the wedding has actually happened they are able to muster a little more energy and enjoy a darn good reception. 

And that's why long ago someone invented the honeymoon - an idea which was really, only for the benefit of the families of the bride and groom. They needed some way to get the bride and groom away so that they could recover from the chaos. Enter honeymooing.

But all joking aside, this wedding was wonderful. 

It's not every day one of your best friends marries one of your husband's best friends.

And all that chaos I was talking about? Well, it was actually a blast. From the girls end anyway, there were lots of giggles, and hugs, and O-my-word-your-getting-married squeals.

Thursday night Ashley and her young lady friends enjoyed a pretty picnic-y dinner near a Lake. Wildflowers, fresh fruit, meats, cheese, olives, funny games to play, pretty gifts to open, and three sweet babies to love on. It was a delicious, lovely evening.

 Today a bride, someday, a wonderful mother.

 Meanwhile... the guys were doing what guys do best.

Eating pizza and chips...

 ...drinking soda and beer...

 ...playing poker...

 ...and solving all the world's problems.

They had fun... I guess. ;)

______________________________________________________

Then the wedding day came, and went. Too quickly. It was beautiful, from start to finish.

They are so in love, it's contagious.

First Dance to I Can't Help Falling in Love with You

Father-Daughter dance to Cinderella

My parents dancing the "anniversary dance"
They'll celebrate 23 years at the end of this month!

Reunion of friends 

My brother Nick and his girlfriend, Rose - they came all the way from NYC!

Grandparents and Grandbabies :)

They were all pleased to see her smash that cake in his face! 

Your wedding is just the beginning... Ashley and Josh, may the Lord give you every blessing!