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 the chapel

so yes, I've officially slacked on uploading pictures from brian & blair's wedding. however, I should point out that I believe I beat the rest of my family members with blogs. neener neener. I will also admit that I did a terrible job of playing photographer this time. I am severely lacking in the number of pics I did take...thank goodness they had a wonderful photographer shooting everything from the rehearsal to the reception!

in any case...the wedding was spectacular! everything went off without a hitch and in the end the final goal was reached...the bride and groom officially became mr. & mrs. becker! we began the weekend as all ladies should, with a manicure. excellent. then it was off to the church for a rehearsal. miles and josiah sat quietly in the church (for the most part) and practiced their sleigh ride flawlessly.

"hey, I'm gonna be a ring bearer!"

kissing cousins

we were able to stay put for the rehearsal dinner, so convenient. my parents hosted and had a vendor come to the church to make fresh wood fire pizzas. minus the long wait time due to parking restrictions and frigid temps, it was delish.

"uncle brian, this is mighty tasty"

I guess I'd sleep too if I couldn't eat the pizza!

after rehearsal, beth, jen, & I took blair to the kahler grand hotel for a girls night in. we snacked on candy, watched the ugly truth (so funny!), slept like logs, and woke up to a divine breakfast in our room. it was a great way to relax before the big day! hair appointments began at 9am and we were off to get dressed by noon. due to my lack of pictures, I will have to explain the dress situation. blair chose a fabric (isn't it gorgeous?!) and all of the bridesmaids chose a style they felt most comfortable in. I completely took a stab in the dark as far as what might look remotely flattering on me at 34 weeks gestation. much to my surprise, I didn't feel nearly as much like an ornament as I thought I would. but believe you me...I was feeling quite round. as was apparent when the photographer asked me to" scoot in closer" and I accosted whomever was standing next to me with my big belly. sorry.

miles was enamored by blair's dress, he just kept staring at her!

obligatory family photo

me and the beautiful bride

blair & my mom

brian and blair chose not to see each other before the ceremony. in fact, brian waited at the altar with his back to the bride until everyone had stood up and she was on her way down the aisle. can I just say that it is impossible to be in your baby brother's wedding when you are super pregnant and not be a blubbering mess. seriously. I usually get a little teary at weddings, but this was a little out of control. I'm sure there will be some hot footage of me wiping my nose on the videographer's tape. can't wait. yikes! miles and josiah both cooperated and made their way down the aisle in a vintage wooden sleigh. have you seen anything more adorable??
we were treated to a limo ride after the ceremony and did a fabulous job of consuming every drop of champagne. I was tickled to see the three bottles of non-alcoholic bubbly waiting for me on ice. thanks dad!

we sacrificed our health for some outdoor photos downtown. I'm sure they will be stunning, but it was FREEZING out there! I was no fool though...I snuck a pair of long underwear on under my dress. there were some jealous ladies in the bunch ;) the reception was gorgeous. mental picture: tall twigs, tiny candy filled boxes wrapped in gold ribbon, twinkling christmas trees, and (my personal fave) christmas music played during the dinner! ahhhhhh. miles miraculously stayed awake until almost 11pm. he was trying so hard to keep his eyes open. just as we thought he might give in to the urge to sleep, he would get down, start dancing, and then just run around the room. this led to the occasional fall or bump, but he wasn't fazed. he was an angel!

dancing with papa

I managed to squeak out a few dances...one with brian, of course!

we could not have pulled off this busy day without the help of my sister-in-law, jess, who came to give miles a nap and deliver him to the church in his tuxedo OR my cousin, olivia, who watched miles during the church service. thank you so much ladies!!!

we are so happy to have blair as an official member of our family. she and brian are a perfect couple and made for a beautiful bride & groom! congratulations!!
by the way - the lovely new mr & mrs are currently lying on the beach at a sandals resort in jamaica. I'm trying to be happy for them.

mr. & mrs. hemmer

I had the pleasure of serving as a personal attendant this weekend. a little background info...jenny is the little sister of my best friend, laurie. the shevik family is like my second family and jennifer is just like a little sister to me! now that you aren't confused: jennifer married her high school sweetheart, brice, on friday, october 16th. the bride was beautiful, the ceremony was sweet, and the reception was lots of fun! amazingly it was the first time in at least three years that all of the sheviks and beckers were in the same place at the same time. here are some pictures from the day:

ring bearer - bennett

marc, kyle, seth, and brian enjoying a beverage

world's most adorable nephew, josiah!

a rare photo of us with laurie & brian
(we haven't seen brian since our wedding)

before you fall off your chair in hysterics, let me explain:
there was a similar photo taken in 1995 and again in 1999. our mother's desperately wanted an updated photo, so we were forced to take this one with the professional photographer. the only complaint from the mothers this time?? "we forgot to add the spouses!" shucks.

my mom & dad with gary & jan shevik (my other mom & dad!)

me and the gorgeous bride