Weekend Travels

We have been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time.   We traveled to New York for the weekend to celebrate the wedding of a good friend from my college years.  We knew it was going to be a bittersweet experience, as we were excited to spend time with friends, but nervous about leaving our Molly overnight for the first time.  She stayed with my Mom, and she could have cared less about us leaving-- she waved by intermittently while playing with the room of toys at my parent's house.   When we called to check in, she would say "hi Mommy, hi Daddy, I love you" and quickly move back to her previous task.  I'm constantly amazed by the resiliency of children.  Honestly, this time away harder on us than it was for her!

Jesse and I enjoyed some quiet time together and had lots of time for talk- it was so nice.  We also spent time enjoying the company of friends, who were such a huge part of my life for so many years.  It was gratifying.  I love that regardless of the amount of time apart, when we're reunited, it seems as though we've been neighbors all along.  

We met at the hotel on Friday evening, after the Rehearsal, and spent hours talking and reminiscing.  Saturday, we spent the afternoon a a local winery, which just happens to be the oldest winery in America.  It was a beautiful location, and we tasted some great wine, again- in the best company :)

The wedding took place north of New York City, at the most beautiful venue- an old remodeled mansion in a country setting.  The wedding ceremony was beautiful, the food was unbelievable, and the bride and groom were seriously so, so happy.  I always try to leave that reality somewhere for the bride and groom- "in the best and worst of days, always remember the joy and love you felt today".  Because marriage is tough, and at the end of the day, relies on the deep rooted love you have for each other.  Love never fails, right?!  It was seriously a gorgeous evening, full of love and fun.  (I opted not to take my camera, because I'm really not good with it and didn't want to spend the entire evening trying to figure out how to get a good shot).   I could not be happier for this new couple.

And likely the best part of the weekend was the giant hug from my Molly the minute I walked through the door.  Talk about unconditional love.  That girl :)

So here's to a new week and new beginnings all around.  A new marriage of friends, and a new job for me.  I'll take all the prayers I can get!

Happy Monday,

Lisa

My Aunt Duty

When my first nephew was born, my sister gifted me a picture frame which read "Aunt: like Mom, only cooler".  I still have that frame, but now it holds a few more kids faces.  I love my aunt duty more than I could have imagined.  Obviously, my Mommy job is awesome, but my sister's children mean the world to me, too. 

I thought about this post yesterday, when I was on my way to pick up my sister's oldest son, Quinton, from his daycare.   My sister had a minor surgery, and though I was making them dinner, I wanted to help ease her recovery time by watching one of her boys.  It's so natural for my Molly and I to walk into that daycare just to pick up one of my nephews.  And their face when they see us--seriously, my heart.  And they pile into my car and home with me without even a question.  I love that. 

As their aunt, I want to be a memory of warmth and security.  Of smiles and fun.  Of stability.
Because they are so much good for me, I want to be good for them.  They offer so much to my Molly, still an only child, because they're more than just cousins-- they're friends.  That bond will forever be there, because they're family, but I pray that it won't be forced, because they're friends, too. 

I enjoy my time and relationship with my niece and nephews more than I realized, and I just hope to always let them know how much they mean to me.  Especially with another nephew on the way, my heart's already making room for that sweet boy, and I hope he'll always remember his aunt full of love and warmth.  Because everytime I think of them, my heart is just full :)

See those sweet faces?
I'm not kidding, they're just the best.

I thank God for this Aunt duty, it's pretty awesome.

xo,

Lisa

First Weekend in November

It's a boy!  Another boy!  What a sweet way to find out.  Honestly, my first glimpse at that ultrasound image had me thinking boy- and he is going to be quite the cutie! :)  My sister was so surprised, as she's been thinking girl all along.  What a pleasant surprise!  Now onto planning a baby shower for a boy!

My sister had some of the cutest decorations and props for this party- it was adorable.  And of course, the kids just loved it. And that cake was fantastic, not only as a reveal tool, but it was delicious.  I always stay close to Molly after the cake's been cut- she's really good at sharing.

My sister's big Gender Reveal Party was the perfect start to our weekend.  Although it's a two hour drive, we so thoroughly enjoyed it.  I was so proud of Molly, a new potty-user, who did quite well- two accidents the entire day, and both were caught before they were total disasters.  And that included lots of juice and cake and fun.  So we'll take it :) 


I'm such a newby DSLR user, and I'm seriously in awe of photographers.  We were indoors the majority of the time during this party, and I spent more time than I wish to share changing and rechecking ISO and shutter speeds, and quite frankly, I still couldn't quite get it.  I've got so much practicing to do. 

I got some nice quiet time stuck in the car with my family this weekend.  I used to dread it--worrying about toys and snacks and motion sickness, but I told myself to stop worrying so much.  And I prayed for a nice, enjoyable trip.  And it really was just that.  We sat and talked.  We enjoyed the last few leaves of fall.  We really enjoyed each other.  I hope Molly always remembers these sweet trips :)

Jesse and I are in for another road trip this weekend, and I am so, so excited.  A good friend from college is getting married, and though I really just love weddings, I'm really going to love the people we're about to see.  And it's our first time leaving Molly overnight- eek!  That means lots of snuggles are in the cards for this week :)

Have a great week.

Lisa