Barrett & Sam's Wedding Weekend Part 2

The wedding was in an airplane hanger in Santa Teresa(just outside EP). The decorations were very festive and the party was full of surprises(a flyover or two!!). More pics:

All dressed up and ready to go

Lauren takes a turn at photography

The ring bearers

The wedding party

Happy Couple and the folks

Who would have thought these folks could clean up so nicely!

Cousins and the girls

Gorgeous sisters!

Loved seeing Brandon, Rob & Lenetta!

Dancing the night away

Eating the Longhorn cake(next to dancing, the girls favorite part of the night!)

Story of the night: Lauren goes up to Grandad and asks for his corsage "I need to wear it so people know who I am". She then proceeds to dance with anyone on the dance floor(stranger or not).

Barrett & Sam's Wedding Weekend Part 1

Barrett and Sam were married on July 11th in EP. In what was a fun filled weekend, the girls walked down the isle like pros and the happy couple celebrated with all their friends and family.
Queenie and Grandad hosted the Rehearsal Dinner at our second home in EP, the "G&R"

Love the decor

Aunt Funny loved it a little too much

Girls had to touch each and every pinata

Love their Grandad

"Party Pic!"

Sam and Lauren

Two handsome guys

Cousin Rob and Lenetta!! So loved getting to see them!

Girls and the aunts! What a beautiful bunch!

The best man speaks

Slide show is soon to follow...lots of embarrasing childhood photos

night-night

Kate

This time of year I always think back to how it all began. Kate coming early, three months in the NICU, and the scariest nine months of our lives. Time and her amazing spirit have dulled the reality of all that we went through. Recently, I read some of the updates I sent-details of how many cc's she was able to take that day("up to 5!!"), a breathing "set back", or when she finally hit three pounds. Five years ago, she was so fragile and small but those are not words we could use to describe this beautiful thing today:

Miss Legs

Fourth of July

July was wild. We had the 4th of July, Barrett's wedding, Kates birthday and camps galore.

It has also been a record July as far as heat-all but four days where 100+ . The girls and I spend most afternoons inside counting down the days until we get to Idaho.

We spent the night of the 4th at the McMahans. In what has become a great tradition, they cooked out, the kids swam(and made new friends), and there was an awesome light show to end the evening.

Sunday we had another round of fireworks with Queenie and Grandad. Aunt Funny and Eagle brought the fire power and the girls had a ball setting the grass on fire. Sparklers were the biggest hit of the afternoon...

San Antonio Zoo

Thursday we made the journey down to San Antonio. It was a "girls only"(or as the girls called it "no boys allowed trip") and their friend Reese came with us. They had a ball! One(my sleeper) got a little tired about three hours in and we called it a day(and still did not get to see everything!). Can't wait to take them back-
Some pics:

The "no boys allowed" brigade

Inside the butterfly exhibit(one of their favorite sites)

Meeting the leopard

Taking a breather to watch the enormous fish!

Loved the flamingos(good thing because they were everywhere!)

AN ELEPHANT! Talked about seeing him a lot of the way home

Rhino eating his lunch(fascinated the girls)

On the train

End May-June begins

The girls finished school, Queenie and Grandad left for Idaho, the bride/groom returned from Jamaica and things settled down into heat and humidity.

Some pics of what has been going on(besides pool visits, bike rides, lots of artwork, a little thing called CROCODILE DOCK and lots and lots of A/C!!):

"Graduation" at their preschool

Kate and her duck Fu-Fu(looks like they are headed to prom??)

My ducks visit the Austin zoo

One of my dearest friends, Alyssa visits(the girls are still asking when we are going to lunch with her again!)

Splashing in the backyard(thanks Gary, Christine & Ryan for Kate's birthday gift!!)

Wedding

May-post wedding is pretty much a blur for me. I can safely say that I have finally recovered from being in bridezilla's wedding...it was awesome-every person involved did amazing. Laura was absolutely stunning and it was a fabulous night.

The girls and I practiced walking down the isle for about two weeks. Dan and I were so sure that only one(the youngest) would actually make it all the way there...we were wrong. Both girls stole the show as they pranced down it but stood silently by me(in front of everyone) throughout the ceremony. I got so many complements about them that night-melted my heart. We are so proud of them and how they acted not only during but after the ceremony.

Here are a couple of pics from the night

Loves her Aunt Funny so very much

Dan the fix-it man of the night

Girls, Granny and Eagle's mom

Girls and their Granny

Pretty girls

Ready for the isle(or her close up?)

The happy couples(both happy because this event is almost OVER!)

These three danced the night away!!