I couldn't make this up!

Life always has a way of keeping things interesting! This week was no different from any other - keep your eyes open and you will be thoroughly amused! The story... Little S doesn't ride the bus (the story why for another time), so I put Little G on the bus and then put Little S in the car and drive her EVERY DAY! Well, I am usually dressed and ready for the day when I do, but there are exceptions and thursday was one of those days (I blame hubby, but that too is another story!), anyway, I drove her in my pjs, robe and slippers, hair on top of my head in a clip and traces of yesterday's mascara under my eyes! At the last minute, I decided to invite the dogs to join us - Divit is a Jack Russell and Napoleon is a mini dachshund mix, so both are about 10lbs - they gleefully hopped in the car! The drive there was uneventful, sitting in the carpool line, inching forward, we got to the front of the school and put the dogs in the back seat of my Buggy so they don't accidentally get loose on us - or so we thought! Divit, who at 12 1/2 is a grouchy old man most of the time, squeezed out from the backseat behind Little S's seat and ran out to join the crowd heading into the building! You would have thought he was wielding a machine gun - it looked like the parting of the red sea! People were scattering everywhere - mind you again, we are talking about an 11lb Jack Russell Terrier, not a doberman or rottweiler! He stopped to pee near the flagpole then crossed back over the carpool line and headed out into the parking lot! At this point Little S is frazzled trying to catch him, so I told her (still from the car - I'm in my pjs remember!) I would deal with it! At the same time, a friend is coming out of the school so she offers to help try to catch him! I pull out of line into the parking lot just in time to see Divit poop in an empty space! My friend was cracking up! I'm yelling at him through my window, he takes a look at me and takes off again - brat! At the same time, this man is getting out of his car in a nearby spot and getting ready to walk his son into school! Of course Divit decides to jump into their car! I buzz around the parking lot to the next row of cars and hop out to grab him! I was looking good! I apologize profusely and grab Divit just in time to see Napoleon jump out of the car and buzz past me! Thankfully HE has more respect for my authority and actually came back to me! I'm sure that we were quite a sight to behold! Thankfully I am at a point in my life that I am able to laugh at myself because it was really hysterical - a scene straight out of the movies!! Tho my old man dog is a lazy grouch most of the time, he did show a little of spunk for those 10 minutes or so!!

party on.....

The vows were said, the couple's wed, let's party!!! This picture is me and my dear friend E - ok, technically she was my mom's friend first - from before the time she dated my dad even! Even so, E and I have become good friends all on our own, but since we live so far apart, it was fabulous to get to spend some time together! We had grand plans of spending an afternoon together, but things were just too crazy, so that didn't happen, sadly. Anyway, this is proof that we were actually near each other for more than 10 seconds!! Someday we'll get that afternoon we planned!

My new nephews P and T practicing some sort of secret handshake - I guess it's not a secret now - ooops!!

the happy couple sharing a private laugh! isn't that view gorgeous?

my darling family! ain't they cute?

look at those eyes! what a doll!

THE cake

Baby sister bride's slice - what a nice touch! my piece didn't have any writing but it was super yummy!!

my new BIL toasting his new family - 4 boys - wow! baby sister is totally outnumbered!!

BIL dragged Little S out on the dance floor - she's so shy, but I could tell that she was very pleased - she even stayed and danced with a few other people afterwards - a first for certain!!

Big S has a minute bit more dance experience than her sisters but she was a little shy getting out there the first time too - it didn't take her long to warm up tho!!

NEVER to be outdone by her sisters, Little G was cutting a rug with BIL before long too! How cute are they?

Baby sister bride and darling nephew J have some serious dance moves - I suspect that they had practiced a bit beforehand!!

It is always dangerous for the band to take a break and leave the microphones unattended - as you can see! bridesmaid K, E, L and G were not shy and certainly that out does talent any day ;) actually, they weren't all that bad! L sang us a tune in the van later that night on the way back to the hotel - she can definitely carry a tune! thanks for the serenade!!

next stop, San Francisco.........

wedding day continues...

Getting ready is always half the fun if you ask me... especially if you are with people you enjoy and there's champagne and food!!! Baby sister ask me and the girls, bridesmaid K and mom to hang out together most of the morning and get ready together!! Hair is done, make up, obviously not done yet!!

I've got my dress on and nephew comes in to help him mom! Baby sister decided on REAL buttons all the way down the back of her dress and although mom and I started, we were glad for the help and he was so darn cute, but they were pretty hard to do, so he gave up rather quickly - I don't blame him, I would have too if I'd thought I wouldn't get in a heap o trouble for letting her go down the aisle with the back of her dress half open ;)

strong enough for a man, but is it strong enough for wedding day jitters? sweaty palms are one thing, sweaty pits are quite another!

bridesmaid K and I got to wear these super cute shoes! Aren't they darling? They hurt like a mother after about the first 30 minutes and my dogs were seriously barking by the time the ceremony started, but they looked good and that's all that really matters, right ladies??

Baby sister checking herself out in the mirror - I think she likes what she sees!! Look at all those dang buttons!!!

Big S was the junior bridesmaid - isn't she just beautiful? Her bouquet was a smaller version of mine and bridesmaid K's!

Little G and Little S in their flower girls' dresses! the baskets they are carrying are covered in moss and full of rose petals that they tossed on the aisle and they walked down - ok, the job requirements are obvious but restating them never hurts for those rare few who don't know what a flower girl does!!

Baby sister bride and darling nephew!

Mom and Baby sister bride

Now that's what I'm talking about!! I loved Baby sister's bouquet too!!

close up of the flower girl baskets

Dad seeing Baby sister bride for the first time ready to go down the aisle - he's so sentimental!!

And here is where I stop! I do not have any pictures of the actual ceremony since I was standing up there with Baby sister bride and her Hubby to be, but they had a fabulous photographer named Tiffany Fosnight of Adeline and Grace Photography. You can check out the pictures that she took at her website here http://adelineandgrace.com/slideshows/morris/ !!

the beginning of a beautiful day....

The big day was July 31 in Napa Valley California

a at a lovely little place tucked into the hills called Auberge de Soliel. We met at the couple's bungalow for a morning of beauty prior to the big event! Baby Sister was sweet to include all of us! The girls and I all got our hair done as well as K (the other bridesmaid) and our mom! Of course there were beverages...

Little G had her hair done..... loving the attention!!

Big S went from natural curls to long, straight locks.... she looked so grown-up!

Little S went from straight to curly (ironic huh) and was feeling so pretty!!

I begged them to stop at this point! I thought it looked Fabulous, but they insisted on continuing - I think they didn't want me to upstage the bride!!!

Again, the stylists would not listen to me - I really thought Baby Sister should have gone with this look, once again I was overruled!!

So, that was part of the preparations.. I want to drag this out as long as possible, so you'll have to stay tuned! You must remember that as a photographer, I took over 1500 pix in 13 days! I will not be photoshopping anything for you viewers - you get to see my life in the raw reality that it really is! The editing will be for posterity!!!

Day Seven, Napa Valley California - part one

The countdown continued and after a day full of last minute details, it was time to concentrate on the details that really mattered - the wedding ceremony! We met at Auberge for the rehearsal and the happy couple were beaming!!

Baby Sister, Hubby to be, his three boys H, T and P and my nephew - soon to be one big happy family!! Check out the view behind them! It was an amazing place to stand and look out over the valley!

Of course I had to take a picture of my three crazy girls too!! Look like trouble don't they!

Little G and Little S practicing walking down the aisle together - they were the flower girls!

Big S walking down the aisle - she's got the red shirt and white skirt on - I know it's far away, but I wanted to show the whole decking area where the ceremony was going to be!

I loved this part of the ceremony! Dad walked Baby Sister half way down the aisle then her passed her off to my nephew for the second half. It was a really special moment!

Then my nephew passed her off to Hubby to be! Also very sweet! Hubby to be ready to make this happen for real!

Later that night, all the wedding guests who were in town gathered at a place called Hall Rutherford for the rehearsal dinner. It began with a cocktail hour and I actually got someone to take our picture before I ran off to take pictures of everyone else!

The Canadian faction of the family (well not all of them, but the representatives!) - my aunt S (mom's sister), my uncle M(mom's brother), Mom, my uncle's wife J, Dad, my cousin C

This is what boys ages 10 to 14 do at a cocktail party....

and what the girls do.....

We then had to walk down the hill to the "cave" where dinner was to be served - hubby and Little S were so cute!

That is the end of part one. Sorry, but the "cave" was so amazing that I decided to divide things up again - too many fun pictures so you'll have to wait until tomorrow!

Day three, Hollister California

So, day three of our adventure led us back to Hollister, not the store with the anorexic models in "hip" clothing, but the REAL Hollister where REAL people live - the place we LOVED for almost 3 years! Big S had one very special friend during those years - they met the very first day of preschool which just also happened to be 9-11. Needless to say, it was a much different day for the kids than it was for the adults, but that's for another post. Anyway, before we moved, we took the girls to Build-a-Bear and had them each make a bear, then they recorded a message for each other and put it in their bear -now how darling is that? For the last 6 1/2 years, Big S had squeezed that bear and heard her friend's voice say "I love you S"! How rockin!!! Anyway, in the last year or so they have emailed back and forth a bit and since it just happened to also be Big S's birthday, the one thing she wanted to do was see her friend! So, we headed down to Hollister and met up with them for lunch at a pizza place - lunch lasted 3+ hours!! Her mom and I chatted like we always used to and Big S and her friend took about 5 seconds to warm up and then the 6 1/2 year gap melted away and there they were, best friends again!! It was better than I could have hoped for! Now, there is also a little brother involved, who is younger than Little G and he was a complete trooper! All those girls and him - thank goodness for the arcade!! The kids all had a great time!

air hockey rocks at any age!!!

last time they had their picture taken together they were 4 1/2 - neither look much different, just bigger!!

When lunch eventually ended, Big S ended up going home with them for a sleepover - just like old time! Ok, so she would rather spend her birthday with her best friend than her family - I knew the day would come, but this was so special that I would never have considered saying no!! Some friends are true friends no matter the time or the distance - I think these two have that type of friendship - lucky girls! Now perhaps they'll replace the old picture that they both still had up in their rooms with this one!!

The first day of school....

Little S got creative with breakfast this morning!! How cute is that?

Big S started middle school today - she was soooo excited! She's so grown up now! Apparently it's cooler to carry a tote than a backpack, but at least she found a cute one!

Little G was ready for school when Big S's bus came 55 minutes before hers did!! Some people are just plain crazy I guess ;) Third grade, how did that happen?

Little S was ready to go to 4th grade with her new pink elephant lunchbox! The eternal elephant lover, she didn't care what age group they were marketing to - she wanted that lunch box and of course I couldn't say no!!

Our bus stop is a little smaller this morning - there were 4 kids missing who will be there tomorrow, so the chaos will continue at the end of our driveway for another year! This morning all parents were there, dressed for work or at least their day - it will probably be a week or two before we start showing up in pjs and the dads are pretty much done for the year now!!

Bye Bye kiddos! See you at 2:50pm!! Have a great school year!!!

The house did seem quiet, but there's so much to do - so much blogging, I mean laundry, cleaning and organizing, to do that they'll be home before I know it!! Let the fun begin!!