icing on the cake

we have been anticipating this trip for nearly three years. three years of waiting for my best friend to marry her true love. it was a long wait and (seemingly) an even longer journey, but we made it to arizona to be a part of a magical wedding in the desert. here's a sneak peak.

we left home owning the fact that we were soon going to become those people - you know, the ones pushing a double stroller, wearing backpacks, pulling two suitcases and a car seat, and holding up the security line. we embraced it and even donned our jeans and tennis shoes just to be sure we looked the part. all of which makes me find the following story a bit ironic. in the middle of the winding security line in minneapolis I realized that lauren conrad was standing right behind us. no need to go back and reread...I really did say lauren conrad. you know, the one featured on the cover of this month's Elle magazine. and in case you're wondering, no - I did not talk to her nor did I whip out my camera to have some kind of photographic proof. I think I was somewhat overcome with the realization that she is, in fact, just a regular person trying to get through security like the rest of us. I just cannot even imagine what it must be like to need to wear a hat and sunglasses in an airport or what it must be like to have random strangers hold up their phone to snap a picture of you. [note to the lady with the pink iPhone in MSP: if you were attempting to look incognito as you held up your phone to "check a text message", you failed. miserably.] although I will admit that it was funny to see her waiting in her pink socks for our circus to get through the metal detectors. it made me even more aware of the fact that I so looked the part of a suburban mom - hoodie, jeans, and tennis shoes - whatev, I owned it. the rest of our time at the airport was fairly uneventful. although I would like to take a brief moment to vent. when they call for those people to board the plane who are traveling with small children and may need extra time, that does not translate into giving them two whole extra minutes. yeah, we hadn't even unloaded the stroller before everyone else began marching down the tarmac. so my apologies to the "poor" passengers in first class. I wouldn't have banged into you with my carry on and back pack had you still been waiting in the airport with everyone else. so there. the flight went smoothly and miles was especially jazzed about his very first sucker. I was less enthused with the sticky mess it created, but the smile on his face was worth it.

we came prepared with a barrage of entertainment options: stickers, paper, crayons, books, doodle pad, trucks, snacks, and the iPod. the last of which made all of the others obsolete. he is obsessed with this thing and runs it better than I do. he must have watched Mary Poppins for a good hour before passing out for the descent into phoenix. henry bug napped for a while and flirted with the little girl in front of us. all in all, we were pleased with how they appeared to be seasoned flyers.

the resort was nearly an hour from the airport, but the drive was worth it. cibola vista resort and spa was b-e-a-utiful. our room was equipped with a full kitchen, dining room, master bathroom, patio and washer/dryer. all the amenities needed for a family of four.

my parents flew in on thursday and bunked on the pull-out in our living room for the remainder of our trip. the rest of my siblings (sans josiah, helen, and nykki) arrived on friday. a special thank you to my hubby and my family for helping out with the boys, as much of my time on friday and saturday was spent with laurie doing all things bridal. such fun!  the weather was unseasonably cool and we didn't need as many shorts and tank tops as we had packed. we did manage to sit by the pool a few times though. henry splashed and shivered, but still cried when we got out. apparently purple lips don't phase this baby. miles loved blowing bubbles and thought that he was quite important as he marched in and out of the zero-depth entry pool.

as for the wedding itself...it was beautiful. the setting felt like something out of a hollywood film. the ceremony took place in a rose garden, with the breathtaking view of the mountains in the background.

and during the cocktail hour, the desert skyline became bathed in gorgeous shades of pink and orange.

laurie was stunning and I've never seen such a genuine smile on brian's face. they had certainly been waiting for this magical day. I felt truly honored to stand up next to them as they became husband and wife. laurie is my best friend and I know that she has found her soulmate in brian. they are at the beginning of their happily ever after.

we partied way past sun down. the electric slide, billy joel, backstreet boys, we did it all. and it was a blast. it was wonderful to see my firstborn out on the dance floor running around in his bare feet. henry cuddled up in his pjs in the stroller and snoozed while the hustle and bustle continued around him.

the rest of our vacation was spent lazing around the resort. we pulled an all day pool party on sunday. complete with foofy drinks and a grill out on the patio. our bond with the shevik family goes way back. so we had no trouble slipping back to our childish ways in the pool. there were handstand contests, multiple runs down the water slide, a few lap races, and even a make-your-own-toilet bowl in this perfect round alcove of the swimming pool. that doesn't exactly capture what I'm trying to describe, but my mom took a video of it so I'll try to post it sometime.

we set out for the comforts of home on monday morning. we paused briefly for a few obligatory we're in arizona so we must have cactus photos photos.

the flight home was a repeat of the flight there with the addition of a lapful of ginger ale courtesy of henry. I'm not gonna lie: it was a LOT of work and there were definitely "moments" - like when miles woke up at 2:30am on friday morning puking and laid on the couch all day or when henry spiked a fever on sunday and needed some extra love.

but it was totally worth it. I could not imagine missing the wedding of my best friend.

making a family vacation out of it was just the icing on the cake.

going to an airplane

we're off to arizona in the morning to celebrate with the soon-to-be mr. and mrs. arnold. lots of fun to be had and memories to make. I will be sure to share when we get back. have a wonderful weekend!

the orchard

this post requires little words. the orchard was magical. it's a tradition now and we loved every moment. the mums were gorgeous, the animals were plentiful, the pumpkins were everywhere, and the donuts were to die for. kuddos again to mother nature for the unbelievable weather. you rock!

recharging my battery

life has been a little hectic lately. returning to the classroom has been stressful and october is turning out to be a crazy month, but there is something about family that manages to jump start my soul and keep me going. we have been blessed a million times over with amazing families and feel that it is an added bonus to have them all so close to us. so this month we've taken advantage of that and spent time with the ones we love.

I have many awesome women in my life. and these four women are extraordinary. they are exceptional mothers, fun aunts, amazing grandmothers (don't worry...not you sara), and a phenomenal great grandmother. it was wonderful to see them all together and we couldn't pass up this kodak moment. we haven't had a proper greseth get-together in some time, so we jumped at the chance to celebrate the fall birthdays at grandpa and grandma's house. we missed a good chunk of people, but feel fortunate to have been with those who were able to come. this bunch never passes up the opportunity to dine on sweets. yummy. a special thank you to those who pitched in and raked leaves.

the little ones had fun jumping in them, but uncle scott probably had the most fun. next year I'm sure miles will jump at the chance to dig through the leaves to find the candy scott hid. if not, well then I guess this mama will have to step up to the plate.

so my battery went from low to high that day. the weather was warm. I had to smile at miles' rosy red cheeks and the presence of shorts and flip flops. it's october. in minnesota.

for our trip out to the farm to visit grandpa, we loaded up the van and set out to go watch the tractors in action. due to a little oil "mix-up" the tractors were parked for a bit, but that didn't stop miles from eyeing up the newest tractor. I swooped up my camera and got set to capture memories. hard to do when you leave the memory card at home. argh! so we don't have any photo documentation, but kyle and I will both attest to the fact that miles and henry were thoroughly loving the late morning visit to the farm. we will have to head out again soon to take some good autumn pictures. I'm sure grandpa won't mind! ahhh. my needle inched closer to the F and farther from the E. I love recharging.

my sister and I are looking forward to watching our babies make memories on the swing set in their backyard. the boys have dug in and began making those memories right before our eyes - in the form of flying sand, squeaky swings, and at least one meltdown. (I told you that parenting wasn't all roses and butterflies). but who cares? we cuffed up their little pants and let 'em dig. after all, childhood = sand in your shoes.

so after a weekend of recharging, I was fired up for the week. what remains is simply overflow...or maybe my back up battery. whatever you call it, it will definitely come in handy when I need a jump during the work week.