My Favorite Part

My favorite part of the day is after dinner is cleaned up.  After baths are taken.  After toys are (mostly) picked up.  After teeth are brushed.  When we're all cuddled in bed reading.  Tonight it was Llama Llama Misses Mama and a non fiction (by request) selection about eruptions of volcanoes. 

To talk.  To cuddle.  To hug and smile.  I love that time of day.  Then we rock.  I rock each kid in their own room.  The other one waits for me, usually with daddy, until it's his or her turn.  Every night I'm reminded of how their bodies have grown since the first few months of rocking those same bodies in the same rocking chairs.  How their minds have grown to ask questions and request particular songs.

That very small part of my day is my favorite part of my day.  I love it.

Her Gorgeous Hair



One of my favorite parts of all of the wedding things was watching Victoria get her gorgeous hair done at the salon.  Her appointment was for 10am.  5.5 hours before the wedding.
She talked and talked and talked to the stylist.
She had people 5 chairs down cracking up with her loud high pitched voice talking about everything from her babysitter Caleigh, who also uses a lot of bobby pins, to Ms. Joy, to Abbey and Kelsey.
She was like a tiny little grown up sitting there.
I loved every moment of it.
Then to see her beautiful hair - I knew it was going to be a great day.



Less than an hour later this is how she looked.  I kept looking in the mirror wishing her little head would fall forward so she would stop rubbing her hair.
It was a little loose when we got to the hotel, but that turned out to be the least of our problems.

Rehearsal and Dinner at Jax Cafe

The night before Abbey and Jason's wedding they had a rehearsal. Victoria felt like a million bucks being the only kid there. She loved getting dressed up and all the attention she got there. She did want to practice. Unfortunately, the basket wasn't there for her to practice with.   It didn't matter in the end.

 Victoria loved to hang out with Kelsey!  They were best buds by the end of the weekend.

What little girl doesn't like to hang with the bride?

That's my Uncle Dave. My Godfather.  I was his Flower Girl 27 years ago.  Abbey and Kelsey were my bridemaids.  Now Victoria was Abbey's Flower Girl. 
Dave is an amazing father. 
When I snapped this picture of him practicing 'giving her away' he whispered, "Do I have to let you go?" 

Loving Life!

Walking down the aisle way too fast.



Showing off her name in the wedding ceremony line up.



After the rehearsal the in laws hosted a dinner at Jax Cafe in Minneapolis.  I went there for my first prom in 10th grade.  Oh, I had so much more fun last week!

Victoria totally rose to the occasion.  She new it was a fancy restaurant and she was the only kid there.  In the whole restaurant.

Too cute!

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The Happy Couple

See the Coach purse Kelsey is clinging to?  That was her gift for being Maid of Honor.
Victoria had opened her gift moments before.  Hair sparklies and a Scooby Doo movie.
She yelled with delight.  She told everyone she was going to sleep with it because she wouldn't have time to watch it because it was already so late.
I bet my bottom dollar Kelsey also slept with her purse that night.
She had the same reaction when she opened it!

Giving their speech.

Chocolate Mousse for dessert. 

Kiddie Cocktail for her drink.
I took Victoria to the bathroom at the end of dinner.  We walked by the beautiful patio with white lights wrapped around the trees.  V stood at the window and said, "Look, it's so pretty.  They made it pretend dark."
I said, "No honey, it's after 9:00. It really is dark."  She replied, "We better hit the road, don't ya think?"

Sitting pretty at the dinner table.
She had squash ravioli and a caesar salad.

It was a very fun night. 
When we left that night I wondered how I was going to sleep with the anticipation of the next day!

A Car Accident in the Morning

This morning sure sucked.  At 7:50am I was in a car accident with my two kids in the backseat.  Everything I/we do to keep our kids safe and then I rear end someone in the morning.  Now that a couple hours have passed and many phone calls have been made I can see how lucky I am that my kids are happily playing at daycare.  I'm sure this story will surpass the Flower Girl pics Victoria brought to preschool today.  It could be so much worse.  The kids are fine.  I was able to drive the vehicle home.  And we have a $500 deductible.  I wasn't sure if it was $1000 or $500 so that was a pleasant surprise, all things considered. 

It's amazing that we all said good-bye and gave kisses to Mark and less than 10 minutes later were in an accident.  Thank goodness he was able to come and pick up the kids and take them to daycare.  Victoria didn't like that I had to talk to a police officer.  As I was carrying her to Mark's truck she said, "Whoa, mom.  Your car is really messed up."  I just whispered, "Yes, I know honey, but you're not." 

It was very scary and very yucky that that would happed with my kids in the car.  Thank God they were buckled in well.

Sneak Peek at Abbey's Wedding

In order for me to do Victoria's debut as Flower Girl justice, it will be several days until I blog about it.

But here's a sneak peek.

I don't think I've ever been more proud to be her Mommy!  It was a wonderful weekend.