Grandparents Day!

In November Vincent's school had Grandparent's Day for the preschool and kindergarten classes.  Vincent was lucky enough to have 5 grandparents there: Craig and Diane, my mom and Dave, and my dad.  He thought he was pretty cool and was excited to see them.  Kasi was home on Thanksgiving break and came to spend time with Cecilia, Joel and I.  Afterwards we met up with everyone at Culver's for lunch.  It was a lot of fun and really does it get much cooler for the kids than to be spoiled by 5 grandparents at once?!

Vincent and Nanno

Nanno, Grandma Dawn and Vincent

Vincent and Grandma Dawn

Nanno and Vincent

Grandma Dawn, Vincent, Papa Razzi

Grandpa Craig, Grandma Diane and Vincent

Jill and Joe's Wedding Day!

The wedding day preparations started early at the hotel with my hair appointment at 8am!  I wasn’t happy about it being so early, but it looked great and stayed in place until well after 1 am.  After I got my hair done I took the kids to play with Elliot and Nolan while Brad got ready.  They played in the room for a while then they really wanted to ride the elevator to the 10^th floor and back down to the lobby.  The elevator had windows so you could look at everyone down below.  The kids loved it!  We rode the elevator a lot over the weekend just for entertainment purposes.  After elevator rides the boys wanted to go swimming with Nolan and Elliot.  Matt and Dana were going to be there but I wanted to find someone else to help them, because Joel needs someone to hold him, I couldn’t swim and Brad forgot his swimming suit.  Brandon was nice enough to go swimming with the kids and Brad was down there supervising.  

Kasi with her hair all ready to go

Candy helping Annie get ready

Kasi and Annie

Abby and Michelle

Kennidy being dramatic about Candy and Kasi doing her hair.

Kennidy looking beautiful.

Bridesmaids getting hair done.

My little photographer

Me and Kasi

Kennidy and me

Me and Alyse

They came back to the room after swimming Brad asked Vincent to thank Brandon again.  And Vincent said “Thank you for saving my life!”  Of course I had to inquire what that was about and Brad said Vincent went in the pool without his life jacket to rinse the foam from the hot tub off.  He ended up walking down and off the steps to get to Nolan and Elliot (we think).  Vincent can’t swim.  Dana swam toward him and Brandon jumped in the pool and grabbed him just as Dana was getting there.  She said she just saw his little nose sticking up above the water.  Brad said he looked away for a second and the next thing he knew Brandon was jumping in the water.  I am pretty sure it scared Vincent enough that he won’t go in without his life jacket.  I have always really liked Brandon, but saving Vincent made me like him even more!

The brides flowers.

Bridesmaid flowers

Alyse

Me, Dad and Alyse

My dad and me.  He was standing up 1 stair.

Currently my favorite picture of Vincent and me.

Aunt Jill and Vincent

Nanno and Vincent

After all bridesmaids got their hair done a various locations we met up at my dad’s house to finish getting ready.  He lives one block from the church, so it was a really convenient place to get ready.  My mom and Jill were getting their hair and makeup done at my dad’s.  All the bridesmaids were eating some snacks and getting our dresses ready.  I learned how to use a steamer that day and had a lot of fun using it get wrinkles out of everyone’s dress.  Jill asked me to do it to her dress too, but it looked fine to me so I mostly just stood there pretending to steam her dress.

Bridesmaids relaxing before the wedding

Jill enjoying a little drink while getting ready

Funny Jill face.

Alyse, Me and Dunkin

Jill getting her hair done.

About an hour before Jill wanted to be at the church she went to put her dress on, it took a few people to help her.  While she was getting dressed all 9 of her bridesmaid, my mom and the photographer were watching.  As my mom went to zip up the back of the dress the zipper broke, it came right out of the track!  We all reassured Jill that it was no big deal we just had to fix it and it would be fine.  Behind her back we all had a look of panic!  Jill’s godmother , Janine, is a seamstress and lives a few blocks away.  We called her and she came over to take a look.  She said she might be able to fix it and called her husband to bring some more tools.  As time went on Jill did a great job of holding it together and not freaking out or crying.  I was very proud of her!  At 3pm, the time Jill wanted to be at the church, there was a big cheer that rang out from the room where Janine and Al were working.  They had fixed the zipper and everyone was so excited!  If they didn’t get the zipper fixed they were going to sew her into the dress which would have worked too.

Cool hanger!

The beautiful wedding dress

So pretty

Broken wedding dress.  Janine trying to fix it with Jordyn and Kennidy.

My mom looks really nervous!

The dress fixed and back on!

Jill quickly got dressed.  The bridesmaids headed to the church and stopped guests from entering so that Jill could get to the bride's room and relax for a few minutes before the 3:30 start time.  The ceremony went well!  Vincent and the flower girls did a great job walking up and down the aisle.  It was fun to stand up front and see all the family and friends that were there to support Jill and Joe.  They are very blessed and have a lot of loving people surrounding them as they start their new life together.

All dressed up!

Dad and Jill

Vincent entertaining while waiting for pictures.

Cecilia in her dress

Vincent and the flower girls.

The bridal party getting photos.

This is what Joel thought of all of it!

The kid can't stop talking!

Married!

Vincent's Weekend Getaway!

Vincent spent the weekend of August 17^th with my sister Jill and Joe.  They took Vincent to see the movie Planes and get measured for a tuxedo for their wedding.  The rest of us were jealous because we have been wanting to see the movie since we first heard about it a couple years ago.  Then they spent the night at my dad’s house.  In the morning they went to get him fitted for a tuxedo and then out to Dixon to a music festival.  There he got to spend time with Aunt Alyse, Grandma Dawn, Papa Razzi, Brandi and baby Bennett, and probably his other aunts too.  I wasn't there I really don't know!  All followed by a sleepover at Grandma Dawn’s house then back to my dad’s and then we met up with them at Medieval times.  He had a very busy weekend full of traveling!  

Aunt Alyse and Vincent

Aunt Alyse and Vincent

We were all very happy to see him on Sunday!  Our house is a lot quieter without him around.  Plus Joel had no one to play in the basement with him while I was cooking.  On our way home from Medieval times Vincent was going over the details from the show and turned to Joel and said “Joel-e, when we get home wanna have a sword fight?”  Before he had a chance to response Cecilia said “yes!”  She wasn’t joking either, when they got home she was quick to steal a sword and start going after Vincent.  Then Vincent said “I didn’t know they had automatic soap dispensers back then (in Medieval times)”  I had to explain that they didn’t , but they made real bathrooms there for us to use.

Joel, Vincent and Jill

As our drive went on we were trying to get Vincent to tell us about his weekend and it was like pulling teeth.  He was more concerned about talking to Joel and Cecilia and watching the movie in the car.  Then he said “Its interesting there (at Nanno’s)”  I asked why and he said “After breakfast they run and exercise and we don’t do that.”  Brad said “What do we do?”  To which Vincent said “We brush our teeth and play!”

Brandi, Bennett, and Vincent.  Vincent loved Bennett!

***All these pictures are courtesy of Alyse***

Medieval times

On Sunday August 18^th Brad and I went to Medieval times with my dad, Azra, Alyse, Jill, Joe and our kids.  It was the first time we had seen Vincent since he left with Aunt Jill on Friday.  He was very excited to see all of us.  Joel reached over and gave Vincent the most precious heart warming long hug.  It was adorable!  Cecilia was very excited to see Vincent too and gave him a hug and then began pestering him to show her affection.  Actually when we got home she had a full out wrestling match with him and even when he wanted to stop she was still jumping on him and squealing.

Brad and Joel

Cecilia and Mommy

Alyse, Jill, Joel, Brad, Joel, Vincent, Cecilia, Kelli, Dad and Azra

Cecilia and Mommy

Vincent, Mommy and Cecilia

Nanno and a moving Joel

It was fun to spend the evening with my family.  Vincent really loved the show and watching all the horses.  Joel liked it for a little while and then it was too much and he resorted to watching a movie on my phone.  Cecilia LOVED it!  She was intrigued by the horses, got all excited about the battles and was cheering and clapping.  She could hardly take her eyes off the arena.  

Vincent attacking people with his sword

Cecilia and Joel watching the show and Brad wishing he could be in it!

The Knights

Joel and Vincent with their swords

While we were there my dad got the boys each a sword that lights up.  They are pretty cool!  All three kids love them which can be a problem if they all think they want to play with them at the same time.  Next time Cecilia needs her own sword too.  That night when we got home Joel went to straight to bed (he fell asleep in the car) and the other two were having sword fights and loving it!

Cecilia and Vincent