A Tennessee Wedding

More from our wedding weekend! The wedding didn't start until 6 PM so we had some nice chill time at the hotel in the morning. We were surprised and honored that my aunt and uncle carved out some time for us amidst their parents-of-the-bride duties. 

We had a leisurely, catch-up lunch at Joy's house and then we drove over to Aunt Francis and Uncle Mark's place. They do an amazing job with their landscaping...it was so welcoming!

Then we got showered and changed and headed over to the wedding/reception location. Joy did an incredible job with all the details and the marriage ceremony was meaningful and moving. It was very special. I tried to take pictures but not be "that" annoying relative.

Of the nearly 200 guests, we were the only Yankees. We tried not to stick out but we were clearly "not from around here". ;)

Though it was a quick trip, we are so grateful we were able to get time with family and witness Joy and Jay's wedding.

June's 10 on 10

Don't look now...blogging two days in a row. Heck...two days in a week! :)  A couple weeks ago we did a whirlwind girls road trip to Tennessee for my cousin's wedding, my mom and her sister, my sister and our cousin. We met up in PA around dinner time and drove all night, arriving around 7 AM. It happened to be the 10th of the month, so I took 10 pictures (a few more, actually ;).

10 pictures on the 10th day of the month (Friday)!

{Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day! }

First order of business after checking into the hotel...breakfast!

Then a workout to stretch our road-weary bodies.

We headed over to the ceremony/reception where the family was working on setup. We asked to be put to work, got the lowdown and got started.

Once the bulk of the work was done, we went back to the hotel for much needed naps!

Then back for the dress rehearsal (my uncle and cousin).

My two Tennessee cousins. Super sweet, lovely ladies.

Project 365, Week 26

Its officially summer and we've officially kicked off the fun!

June 20

My brother, sister and I all met up at my dad's for a breakfast celebration of Father's Day. He is the grandfather of this crew (missing three).

June 21

Early in the morning a large tree limb came down, bringing our utility wires with it and damaging our neighbor's car. It was an exciting day with police, firemen, electrician, power company and cable guy. 

June 22

Summer mornings are just so amazing. Mine look a little different than usual since we have the puppy, but we're finding a groove. The sun was streaming through the trees as "we" were watering flowers.

The original intention was to leave for vacation first thing in the morning, but a plumbing problem at one of the apartments delayed our departure...we got on the road late afternoon. The kids (and puppy!) are such great travelers.

June 23
First morning in Maine!

June 24
Avery is 11!!

June 25
We spent a leisurely lunch in Freeport, ME on our way home on a beautiful day. If we'd charged for puppy pets, we could've filled up the car's tank. :)

June 26
H left for two weeks of camp. We all dropped him off and then stopped for a picnic and swim. We took the scenic way home and enjoyed the hour drive through a beautiful part of Connecticut.

Project 365, Week 25

This was our first week of no school and our last week of spring sports for all the kids. Yay on both counts!!

June 13

The day started early, arriving home around 1 AM from our Tennessee wedding trip. We got to have a lazy morning with Melody before she left.

The kids had watched a couple episodes of Cake Wars? Cupcake Wars? and were inspired to try their own version. 

Aiden was more than happy to be the judge. :)

Last night of baseball!

June 14

Grandma took the crew to Old Sturbridge Village. She likes to take them in the spring when there are baby animals. This year the lamb was a hit.

Swim team tryouts were more competitive than we expected and Amanda was asked to come back after she's had more lessons. It was a blow to her and a good opportunity to talk through lots of life things.

June 15
Nice summer night for baseball.

June 16
There are lots of blessings in foster care and lots of hard. This permanency meeting was in the hard category. Shaun took the afternoon off so he could be there with me and I was so thankful for his strength and wisdom. He seems to always know the right things to say.

The kids, on the other hand, were having a blast with cousin and Auntie Sienna. :)

Isn't this the sweetest?

June 17
Pop called to take the kids for a ride on a beautiful evening.

June 18
Last day of soccer!!

The rag tag team Shaun coached went undefeated for the season, 8-0. He doesn't do "just for fun" even if its U10 girls rec. ;)

June 19
Second to the new Dory movie, the kids thought Shaun would most want to go to Dave & Buster's for Father's Day. I was shocked at how expensive it is and how inappropriate the music, videos and games are. Everyone had fun, but we won't be returning anytime soon.

Shaun is an incredible father. He is involved and intentional and dedicated to raising kids with character. He is loving and unselfish and a good provider.

He's been example of what a father is or should be to many boys and he relentlessly loves and invests in the fatherless. We are thankful!