Berkshire Wedding Weekend

My brother is married.  WOW.  It is crazy to say that.  It has been 8 years coming, and he married a woman that he not only loves and adores, but whom our entire family is in love with.  They are a perfect match, which is why we have all been so eagerly anticipating their marriage, and all the festivities that went along with it, as they hosted all their family and friends in the Berkshires last weekend.

Where to begin??  It was important to Jeff and Rebecca that our whole family was there to celebrate, so we flew everyone out, and spent the first few days of our visit on a tiny little speck of water called Watson Pond, in Otis, MA.  It is the long time vacation home of Rebecca's family (her mom told the sweetest stories of bringing her there just weeks after her birth, and nursing her by the fire to stay warm), and we were lucky enough to be able to stay in the cottage next door, and spend time all together.  While the weather wasn't perfect, we still all got decked out in rain gear, and spent the whole day exploring outside.  They have a row boat, a canoe, kayaks, fishing gear, you name it!  And the pond was full of bass, perch, pike, and of course, beautiful fall colors all along the shoreline.  We caught fish after fish, which thrilled the boys, and Hayden was able to take his first ride out in a row boat.  Ruthie stayed safely dry on the shoreline with grammy, and enjoyed time with her aunts and GG, and other land loving friends :)  The Sadocks were the most gracious, warm hosts, and we had a blast even before the official wedding festivities got under way.

One of the greatest parts of the trips was having my whole family fly in from all corners of the US, and even Europe.  Our foreign exchange student, Phil, who lived with us my senior year of high school, traveled all the way from Switzerland with his lovely new fiance, and my entire extended family from Wisconsin made the trip, as well as cousins scattered as far as LA, Seattle, and NYC.  I felt like I was going to burst with all the love I felt!  All these people there to support Jeffrey, and celebrate this marriage.  It was pretty amazing.  And so cool to introduce Ruthie to so much of the family, and see the boys get to know everyone better.  The idea of the "specialness" of family was reinforced for me, which was a nice prelude into watching my brother start a family of his own with Rebecca.  It just reminded me of the greatness that comes of a marriage.

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After our mini-vacation at Otis, we switched rental houses to be closer to the ceremony site.  Our second house was gorgeous, with floor to ceiling windows, a big wrap around deck, and a view of a pond and endless fall colors up the hillside on the opposite shore.  They too had a canoe for us to use, however the previous renters had left it upright, which allowed it to fill with water.  It was pretty comical to watch my friend Eren and I try to flip it over, while the whole time Hayden is telling us if we get tired, he is there to help haha.  We finally got it drained, and enjoyed a couple of leisurely laps around a great beaver dam in the middle of the pond.  These kind of things you just don't get to do in Dallas!!  I'm so glad my sons will have these memories.  The fall colors were just fantastic as well.

I really wish I had more photos of the actual wedding day, but everything was so busy, and we were rushing from salon, to hotel room, to ceremony site, to reception site, and I just didn't want to risk losing my camera.  So alas, we'll have to wait for the professional photos.  But the day was amazing.  I started off with a morning at the salon, getting my hair done (thank you Linda!), and having a nice little lunch with my mom and  our good friend Linda.  We then headed up to the bridal suite, where we got to see the bride for the first time, as she was getting her hair and make-up done.  All the girls and moms were up there, and it was a really festive, fun atmosphere.  Rebecca gave out gifts of earrings and shawls to all of us, and then my mom and I left to ride a shuttle to the ceremony site with my brother and his groomsman.  As we left the bridal suite, Rebecca got a little choked up, and admittedly I did too!  I think it felt real then!  And seeing my brother for the first time in his tuxedo was just overwhelmingly emotional for me.  I'll say more about that later.

We arrived at Jacob's Pillow at about 3 pm - exactly one hour prior to the ceremony.  This place is FABULOUS.  It is an outdoor dance venue in the mountains, with the most gorgeous outdoor stage.  Jeffrey and Rebecca had picked this site specifically to be married on this stage, with views of the fall colors and mountains stretching for miles, and their wedding planner had convinced the venue coordinators to proceed as planned outdoors, despite a major hailstorm mere minutes before.  The stage was soaked with water up to an inch deep in places, and the aisles were muddy.  Not to mention it was COLD and windy.  We immediately realized upon arrival that an outdoor wedding was not in the cards - the guests would have been freezing, no one would have been able to hear the vows with the wind roaring, and Rebecca's dress would have been ruined.  So inside we went.

At this point, I knew how much Jeffrey was hoping for this outdoor wedding of his dreams, and I felt a huge sense of sadness overcome me, for his sake, and I suddenly felt this "mama bear" urge to make everything fixed for him.  I looked into his eyes and wanted his wedding to be everything he imagined it would be!  I couldn't believe that the weather was going to keep this from happening, and I wanted more than anything to protect him and make it perfect.  It was really a foreign feeling.  My brother is always more than capable of taking care of himself, and certainly in this situation he took charge just as always.  But I think as a big sister, I wanted to just make everything perfect for him.  I don't know, it's hard to explain.  But I felt a fierce love for him that I haven't felt so powerfully in a long time.  He is my little brother!  Getting married!  It better be perfect!

Anyway, things were quickly moved into this adorable little chapel, with rough hewn benches, and rafters on the ceiling, and soon guests began arriving.  They were served hot apple cider, and a string quartet was playing music.  Outside it was chilly, and the wind was blowing, but inside everyone was cozy and warm.  As soon as I saw the scene unfolding, I realized it was the perfect place for them to be married.  Intimate and warm.  The ceremony was beautiful, with my husband officiating, my son as the most adorable ring bearer ever, and myself reading a lovely excerpt from "The Wedding Song" by Bob Dylan.  A group of Rebecca's friends from high school sang "Stand by Me", while Jeffrey's friend played the guitar.  As they exchanged their heartfelt vows, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.  Despite the change of plans, it ended up being exactly the ceremony for them.  Perfect!

After the ceremony, the night became a blur of great food, fancy cocktails, musical performances, emotional speeches and toasts, and an absolutely rocking dance floor.  SO MUCH FUN!  I haven't danced that much in ages, and I loved mingling with all of the guests from far and wide.  I love my brother and Rebecca, and I'm so thankful they found each other.  It was a fabulous wedding day!

While the highlight of the weekend was obviously the wedding, we stayed on a few more days to enjoy the area and all the family who had flown in.  My kids loved being able to spend time outside, and we got some quiet time to spend just with Jeff and his new wife :)  I will leave this trip with a renewed sense of family, and a refreshed view of my own marriage, and how special it is that we have made it 5 years.  At the wedding, as we were gazing at the new couple, someone asked me if I remember what it felt like to be that much in love.  I looked at Nathan and we both just smiled, because we know we are even more in love now than we were on our wedding day.  I hope, and suspect, that the same thing will happen for Jeff and Rebecca.

As always, it takes a village to go anywhere with these little munchkins of mine.  Managing 3 kids on vacation is no easy task, and my parents where troopers to the max.  They negotiated with airline passengers to sit near us to help (while most people negotiate to get away from kids!), they carried extraneous luggage, they held nervous children and babies, they changed diapers and did nap time when I was stranded with a flat tire, they fixed meals, and they shared their cottage space with 3 not always happy and quiet children.  And for that I am extremely thankful.  Once again I am humbled by how awesome family is.

And lastly, I have to extend a HUGE thank you to one of my dearest friends, who gave up time with her own family, to come help me with mine.  Nathan and I knew that the kids couldn't manage the late nights of the rehearsal dinner and wedding, but we wanted them there for the early bits.  But the idea of a stranger watching our kids in a strange house was just not acceptable.  So our friend Eren flew out to be the third parent for the weekend, and we couldn't have enjoyed ANY of this without her.  The kids were thrilled to have her around, and never once did I worry about their safety or comfort.  Not to mention she was great company as always.  You'll see her peppered through out the photos above, which is only fitting since she was an integral part of the weekend activities.  I'll always remember how much fun we had, and feel grateful for our friendship.  Thank You Eren!!

Pumpkins and Parks!

At long last - it's FALL Y'ALL (to phrase steal from my friend Chalna haha).  But I cannot tell you how blessed I feel to have put the heat of summer behind us, and to be enjoying the great outdoors with my little family.  It's like a breath of fresh air (literally), to have to put on a sweater in the morning when driving the kids to school, and to break out the boots and skinny jeans.  Although really, it's still in the mid-80's, but at least we've moved into the season of being comfortable while outdoors, and I am thrilled.  Did you hear that?  THRILLED!

In the spirit of the season, and to celebrate my very favorite month of the year, we've jumped head first into fall activities.  The first thing on the list was to visit one of our favorite pumpkin farms.  It's over an hour drive away, but it's one of those places that feels authentic.  So many of the pumpkin patches around here are just big fields with rows of pumpkins dropped in, and a few bounce houses set up.  Which is fun!  However, it's more fun to visit a real farm, with hay rides, animals, pumpkins growing on the vines, and fields and trees as far as the eye can see.

When we arrived, they gave each of us a cup filled with animal feed, and we headed right over to the corrals, where we got to feed longhorns (including a cute little calf!), and baby goats.  Then we hoped on a hay wagon, and a real tractor pulled us on a 20 minute ride around the farm, which thrilled the kids.  We ended the day with a picnic out by the pumpkin patch, where we picked our very own pumpkins to take home and carve.  Hayden was very serious about picking the PERFECT pumpkin, and was concerned about finding the exact ripeness haha.  Pierce just wanted to haul around as many as his little arms would hold, and Ruthie enjoyed eating grass and getting dirty.   Sweet thing.

We also found time to head up to a favorite cool weather place, the Frank Buck Zoo.  We have a family membership and went ALL the time last year.  It's the cutest little place.  Never crowded, up close access to the animals, super well manicured and maintained, and an awesome park right outside the entrance.  It's fabulous and I'm so happy that zoo season has started back up!  This time Ruthie was able to actually sit up in her stroller and enjoy the sights (in the spring she was just a sleeping newborn), and she went in her first baby swing (with her buddy Nolan no less).  So cute!  She smiled and clapped and laughed the whole time.

This week we are putting our local fall activities on hold, and are gearing up for our big trip to the East Coast for my brother's wedding, in TWO days.  I'm overwhelmed with packing for such a big event, for a family of five, but I've got a plan and am just on auto-pilot right now.  I cannot wait to get there; to see my brother marry the most wonderful woman, and to spend time with all my extended family!  Bring on the Berkshires!

The Biggest Brother

When I first found out I was having a 3rd baby, Hayden was thrilled.  It was so different during that pregnancy, since he was aware of what having a baby meant, and he was so involved in the whole process.  I remember showing him the first ultrasound photo, which he promptly asked to put on his wall next to his bed.  It still hangs there.  From the start, he was insistent that he was having a baby sister, and while I quietly hoped he was right, I was still shocked when I found out that really was true!  His bond with his sister started while she was still in the womb, and I often wondered if the reality of having another child in the house would live up to his expectations.

I should never have doubted it.  At 7 1/2 months old, Ruthie is the absolutely apple of Hayden's eye.  That sounds like something my grandpa would have said, but it is the best way to describe it.  He adores her, and when she is awake, he pays nearly undivided attention to her.  When she cries, he gets down on the floor with her and coos ("It's ok Roofie!"), he'll stack her blocks for her and describe the animals that are on all the sides, he'll sit behind her with his legs around, and help her play with her toys, and (despite me not liking it so much), he'll scoop her up in his arms and lay on his back with her on his tummy, then he rolls side to side, making her laugh in delight.  He often situates himself next to her while he watches TV, and I'll watch his arm just go around her shoulders or waist, completely out of habit.  He just wants her close.

Hayden has always been affectionate, and he has a very sweet side with his brother, but there is something especially tender about his interactions with his sister, and it reminds me how lucky they are to all have each other.  And how lucky I am to have each of them!!

Sew Lovely

It was about last year at this time that I found out I was having my little girly, Ruthie, and I decided to try my hand at some little sewing projects.  My mom was kind enough to loan me her sewing machine, and I got to work ruining making some burp cloths and little blankets.  My friends started inspiring me with their more complicated projects, and then my mom surprised me with a sewing machine for my birthday in February.  It was ON :)  Armed with a pattern for a simple pillowcase dress, I was off and running in the world of sewing.

Now, a year later, I am loving my new hobby, and while I am certainly no expert, and haven't had any real training, I can throw together some pretty tidy little boy pants, and girl dresses and rompers, in a pretty short amount of time.  Now, instead of browsing gossip websites online when I am bored, I am pouring over project ideas on Pinterest, buying up cute patterns on Etsy, or window shopping for fabrics on one of many favorite online fabrics shops.  In other words, I am addicted.  But it's a good addiction!  Since sort of putting landscape photography on the back-burner (once serious travel was similarly side-lined with kids!), I needed and craved some sort of creative outlet.  With sewing, not only do I feel inspired and inventive, but I also feel useful and productive.  Granted I should probably spend more time on my housework and "serious responsibilities", but I just am really enjoying myself.

Here are some of my more recent projects for the kids.  I have about a million more ideas all floating around in my head - most having to do with the holidays coming up.  I just ordered 3 coordinating Christmas fabrics in green, blue and pink, and I have visions of cute little blond heads, smiling next to the Christmas tree, all in matching pajama pants :)  Am I insane or what?  The things that make me happy these days.....

Bedtime - Roberts Style

This is pretty much my new favorite photo.  It is SUCH a perfect depiction of our family.  Let me explain.

Every night before bed, the boys climb up into Hayden's new bunk, and we all ready stories together.  Our life is so hectic, but this is the time of day that things slow down, and we can all really tune in to each other.  As Ruthie gets older, she is staying up long enough to take part in our nightly reading ritual, and of course the boys insist she sit right up there with them.

What I love about this picture is how everyone fits their little niche.  Hayden is deeply engrossed in his reading (the atlas of all things haha), and you can see the concentration on his face.  Pierce is just happy to have his blanky and plapi (pacifier), and he's lounging in bliss.  He doesn't really care about the story, but wants to be part of the fun.  Ruthie is in the middle of it all, trying to grab for everything in sight, while Pierce is trying to pull her down to snuggle with him.  And then there is Dallas, who cannot stand to be left out of the action, and has actually managed to CLIMB THE LADDER to get to the upper bunk, where he's made himself comfy.  It's amazing how far he has come in the 4 years we've had children.  When Hayden was younger he wouldn't go NEAR him, and now the fact that he's letting Pierce lay on him is just a really big deal.  

I just love my sweet little family, and all the wonderful, precious people (and animals) in it!

Grand Cayman Island

So last week my mom, Ruthie, and I traveled to the most lovely little gem of the Caribbean; a little place called Paradise Grand Cayman Island.  For the past 3 years I have been working on building a storm surge model for 3 nations in the Caribbean - the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos, and the Caymans.  Finally, my boss and I decided it would be beneficial for me to travel to these places, so I can get a lay of the land, and speak more knowledgeably with our clients about the geography and population distribution, etc, on the island.  Because of it's westernized culture and relatively wealthy, insured populace, Grand Cayman was a good starting point from a business perspective.  No one had to ask me twice haha, my tickets were booked asap!

Because I'm still nursing, I decided to bring Ruthie along rather than try to pump for days on end, and risk drying it up, etc.  Plus, I can't bear to be separated from her yet!  I flew my mom along as well, so she could help me care for Ruthie while I was working.  As it turned out, my mom enjoyed driving around the island with me, exploring, and we had so much fun discovering fun little spots for meals and cocktails, and tucked away little beaches.  I really accomplished a lot from a work perspective, and I LOVED my time with my girls!

First Day of School

How how did we get to this point?  Not only is Hayden in pre-K, but Piercey J has officially started his first year of pre-school.  It's amazing to me that I have two little boys in backpacks!

As you may recall from my posts at this time last year, Hayden had a difficult time adjusting to school.  And just when he started enjoying the drop-off, Ruthie was born, and he reverted back to tears.  So naturally I was expecting the first day to be hard on him, especially since his beloved teachers were no more.  Thank God, his two best friends, Tatum and Kailey, are both in his class again, and after meeting his teachers at an open house, he declared that he liked them.  Pierce has one of Hayden's teachers from last year, Miss Melissa, and she immediately was drawn to him since she was close to Hayden, and I think that is helping him feel comfortable.  He gets spoiled just a bit!

So the drop-off on the first day of school was rough, as expected, for Hayden.  But I was extremely proud of him for putting on a happy face, and acting enthusiastic, even though he was nervous.  He was trying so hard to fight back the tears, and even mentioned to his teacher that he was trying to keep his eyes dry, but the tears just kept falling.  Eh break my heart a little :(  But he is always smiling and happy when I pick him up, and telling me he had a great day, so I know I'm doing the right thing.

Pierce was thrilled to run into his classroom with all it's fun news toys, and he never looked back on that first day!  He even fell asleep on his nap mat without his blanky or plapi (pacifier), which was a major surprise.  He must have felt very comfortable.  Unfortunately, each day has gotten harder since that first drop-off, but I think that is because literally EVERY child in that 2 year old class cries their heads off when mommy drops them off.  I think Pierce would be ok if he didn't look around and see a bunch of crying kiddos!  But the teacher assures me that this is normal in the 2 year old class and once they get past the 3rd week, things will calm down. 

So overall, it's been a good transition back to school, and I'm looking forward to all the fun things the school year will bring for both boys.  Hayden is required to take on a lot of his own responsibilities this year, like carrying his back-pack in, and remembering his homework tasks, in preparation for kindergarten, so we'll see how he gets along.  And I can't wait to see little Pierce in the Christmas and Easter programs with his brother!  Adorable.  It's sweet to see them in it together.

And I can't forget to mention that Hayden is now attending one extra day of pre-K at a wonderful little school geared around animals and farming.  The director's labrador is one of his classmates (Bella), which absolutely THRILLS him, and after the classroom portion of the day is over, he gets to go outside to feed the fish in the pond, and the animals in the barn (a donkey, some pigs, and chickens right now).  Now there were NO tears on his first day there!  It's a lovely little school, and I'm considering sending Pierce there as well....stay tuned for that!