Big S...

So, while I was at home taking care of a now feeling better, but previously puking her guts up Little G, Big S, Little S and Hubby were in Columbus Ohio for a race, which I might add, SHE GOT SECOND PLACE in!!! Thankfully I was able to watch the race live stream on the internet! Not as good as being there, but better than sitting home waiting for the phone call! I am so proud of her! Four months ago she hadn't even been in a quarter midget car, now she is holding her own on the track, gathering sponsors and loving every minute of it!! Check out the latest sponsorship on her car!!

09-09-09

Cool, huh? I am always amused by these days for some reason! Big S and I had a discussion about how this won't happen again in either of our lifetimes - she wasn't completely convinced. She was, in her defense, half asleep still. Anyway, they said on the news that the next time something similar will happen is 2101: 01-01-2101 to be exact! Guessing I probably won't be around for that one either, so better make this one count! Any celebration ideas? Ann Curry suggested 9 glasses of wine - that would work if we didn't have to get up tomorrow. Oh well, better think of something else! I hope everyone enjoys this once-in-a-lifetime day!!

Big S is almost ready to hit the road..

ok, it doesn't look like it here, but you have to follow the process!  After renting a car for most of the season, it finally became for cost effective to buy on.  The good news is that we got a great deal!  The bad news - it needed a little elbow grease!  Hubby took the whole darn thing apart to get it cleaned up properly (and as a learning experience).  Big S and I peeled off all the old Sponsor stickers and some flames and stuff - they aren't giving us any money to run their logos around the track!  And anyway, this is her car, it needs to reflect her personality - and it will - she has big plans!  Anyway, this is how it looked once hubby was tone disassembling the thing!  Like I said before, it's 2/3 roll cage!

the old seat belts - they are only "legal" for a few years, so we got new ones for her.

Shocks, pipes and a bunch of rod things - he took them off and I labeled them for future reference - a tedious job but very necessary for reassembly I imagine!

the old tires - maybe used for practices in the future but the rims are good!  See all that gunky rubber - apparently that's a good thing cuz it shows that you got your tires nice and hot - of course you would need to scrap it all off before you ran on them again (or so they tell me, I'm just learning!)

so, that's it roll cage and gas tank - now the real works begins!  Luckily the piece now headed to a friend's garage where he and hubby will rebuild this baby together and if all goes according to plan, she will be practising in it later this week and racing on the 12th!  We may have the next Danica in our midst!!

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!