Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Congratulations, Katherine and Michael!

Phil, Jennifer and I spent this past weekend in NYC celebrating my very best friend Katherine's wedding to her perfect match, Michael.  The whole weekend was so much fun - we drove to NYC on Thursday and got in late, but that didn't stop Jennifer from checking out the lights of the city!  We started Friday off by meeting another one of my besties, Lauryn, for coffee and then headed to Central Park where Princess Jennifer got the royal treatment - a horse drawn carriage tour of Central Park!  Needless to say, she loved it.  We explored the city and then met another bff, Lisa, and her husband Will for lunch.   Jennifer was pretty exhausted and it was time for us all to head back to our hotels to get ready for the rehearsal.  After a little down time and some primping, Jen took her first cab ride to The Plaza.  There she met Julia, another flower girl, and they became instantly inseparable.  After the rehearsal, we all went up to the lounge for a drink and Jennifer got another first - her first Shirley Temple!  She took a quick power nap on Lisa's lap before we met up with Michelle, who is a good friend of Lauryn's and who was super awesome and offered to hang out with Jennifer while the adults headed to the rehearsal dinner.  Michelle met us at The Plaza, Jen was excited to have a night out on the town (with a curfew of 8:00pm!) and Phil and I jumped in a cab to Storico, the super posh restaurant located in the New York History Museum.  Dinner was amazing, we all got to celebrate the night-before-the-big-day with two of our favorite people, Katherine and Michael.  Phil and I had a great time, and we knew Jen was having a great time too when we got a picture from Michelle showing Jen getting her first manicure!  When we got back to the hotel, Jen was fast asleep.  We got up Saturday morning, I got my bridesmaid paraphernalia ready, and we headed to FAO Schwartz.  Jennifer had a blast checking it out and got to dance on the big piano from the movie Big!  Then we parted ways, I headed to The Plaza for hair, makeup, and hanging out with the girls while Phil took Jennifer to the Museum of Modern Art.  Before we knew it, it was wedding time!  The wedding was amazingly gorgeous and Katherine looked stunning!  Jennifer, Julia and the other flower girl and ring bearers did great walking down the aisle.  Katherine and Michael had a traditional Jewish ceremony and read their own vows.  It was all so beautiful, and the love on the faces and in the voices of Katherine and Michael was overwhelming.  After the ceremony it was party time!  The reception was a blast, the food was amazing, and Jennifer, Phil and I had so much fun dancing the night away.
We drove home Sunday and when Jennifer woke up Monday morning I asked "isn't it nice to be home?"  She answered "no, when are we going back to New York City?"
Zachary also had a great time with his Grandma, Grandpa, Nana and Papa!
These pics are all out of order but I can't stop looking at them, we had such a wonderful time!
Flower girls Julia and Jennifer hanging out while the bride and bridesmaids do their final touch ups!

Jennifer and Julia exploring The Plaza before the ceremony

Jen sneaking in a power nap at the reception ... it only lasted about five minutes before she was up and dancing again!

Primping in the bridal suite

The girls are ready!  Heading down to the ceremony from the bridal suite

Before the ceremony began - it was crazy gorgeous!

Flower girls and ring bearers doin' their thing in the ceremony

All the kiddos had a blast dancing the night away ... they danced from 8:30-midnight!

Princess Jennifer's place setting at dinner

FAO Schwartz salute!  This soldier was made of legos!

Phil, Lauryn, Jen and me at the rehearsal on Friday

Flower girls looking cute before the ceremony began

Cocktail hour!

Dancing on the Big Piano

Getting a manicure with Michelle Friday night

Striking a pose at MoMA
A princess carriage ride through Central Park
Another shot of the carriage ride
Striking a pose*
The perfect way to travel around the city
She got a lot of practice with her supermodel poses while checking out the city
At the rehearsal at The Plaza
At the rehearsal at The Plaza
The Plaza was so elegant, I couldn't resist taking a million pictures!
Shirley Temple at The Plaza
Jen got to sign the statue in The Plaza - can you find her name?!
Another one at The Plaza
Eloise at The Plaza
She *loved* the city!
Out and about
Lauryn and Jono at the rehearsal dinner at Storico
The happy couple!  The night before becoming Mr. & Mrs.!
Phil and me at the rehearsal dinner at Storico
One of the many nostalgic pictures at the tables at Storico ... this pic of me in my wedding dress is almost 10 years old!
The best friend a girl could ever ask for!

The beautiful bride before the ceremony - we all had so much fun in the bridal suite Saturday afternoon getting ready!
Auntie Katherine had all sorts of presents waiting for Jennifer when we checked into our hotel!
Zach had a great weekend too!
Checking out the sites from our hotel room
The view from our hotel room ... surprise - another hotel ; )
We sure did miss this cute little face!





















Sunday, August 11, 2013

Happy 5th Birthday, Jennifer Paige!

We all had a wonderful time celebrating Jennifer's fifth birthday!!  She has grown into such a sweet, smart, caring, friendly, outgoing, super cute girl with a flair for the dramatic.  She only likes to wear dresses or skirts, picks out her own clothes, loves everything princess but isn't afraid to get dirty and run around with the boys, likes helping her little brother, and gives some of the best hugs I've ever had!

Jennifer chose to celebrate her birthday at the Magic Wings Butterfly House at the Museum of Life and Science.  We got to the museum early to explore the exhibits for a couple of hours before heading to the party room where the kids got to learn all about butterflies, check out a blue caterpillar, and walk through the butterfly observatory where we got up close with some of the friendliest butterflies ever!  Then it was back to the party room for cake and presents ... Such a fun party!  I still can't believe my baby girl is five!







Saturday, July 13, 2013

Zach at 19 months

Zachary is 19 months old already!  I can't believe how fast time is flying by - so fast, in fact, that I haven't even had time to update this blog as regularly as I want to.

Zach is quickly becoming one of those crazy toddler boys who runs, climbs, jumps, and thinks it's funny to fall on top of everything!  He's made up his own language and uses very few real words, but we've figured it out and he's able to communicate what he wants.  He loves his blankies - both of them - and has to have them near him, or know where they are, at all times.  He understands, and is listening, to everything we say ... if we say that we're going to take the trash out, he runs to the trash can, points to the trash bags and leads the way outside to the trash bin!  If we say that we're going to take Amae for a walk he's the first one at the front door and always knows where Amae's leash is (good thing, since I usually don't).  He likes to try to do everything big sister does and thinks that all of her toys are the coolest ever.  He refuses to sit in his booster seat, has figured out how to scale up the side of his changing table, and likes to pick out his own clothes.  He's a smart little cookie and we can't wait to hear what comes out of his mouth as soon as he starts talking!
 
No more booster seat for this guy!  Even though he can barely see the top of the table

Sleeping with both blankies

Pretending to be on stage with sissy

Climbing all over at Little Gym

Walking on the balance beam like a champ!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

lake house vacay part two!

 There have been lots of fun rides on the "water couch" ... Jennifer even got flipped off for the first time!

 The weather has been perfect for hanging out on the boat

 These two cuties are inseperable!

 Having breakfast on the porch

 Cousins!

 We went to Dan Nicholas park in Salisbury and had tons of fun on the carousel ...

 ... and on the train ...

 ... we rode the train twice it was such great fun!

 Picking flowers at the yacht club ...

 ... giving their boquet of flowers to Granny : )

 Bryan and Nau in the kayaks!

 Daddy-daughter jet ski ride

 Zachie and Nana on the boat

 Zach got to sit on the jet ski, but no wild rides for him just yet

 Phil's parents joined us for an afternoon of "water couch" fun

Cuties!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Lake house vacay part one

We've been having a super fun vacation at the lake house with lots of family! This is the best kind of vacay*