Wedding Weekend

This past weekend the whole family traveled to Toronto for my little brother's wedding (affectionately referred to as Theo N in the blogosphere). After touring the city where my brother & his bride will call home we kicked off the weekend celebration at the Bride's parents' home.

This sweet pup Buddy captured my littles' hearts….they so desperately wanted to bring him home with us. Thankfully, Buddy was an all star at keeping the kiddies occupied so the adults could also enjoy themselves.

My brother's best friend and his wife made the trip up and joined us for the evening.

The following day we enjoyed a leisurely brunch before heading to the church for the 3 o'clock ceremony. These are a few shots I snapped in front of the church before the service. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to shoot any photos during the service so I'll have to wait for the wedding proofs to share the ceremony with you all.

The reception was chic, classic, & urban…. a true reflection of the couple. During cocktails guests had the option of sipping their drinks at either the indoor or outdoor lounge.
 

During cocktails the kiddies' good behavior was rewarded with some iPad time, while the adults enjoyed drinks & bites.

The evening continued in the posh dining room with heartfelt speeches, mouthwatering cuisine,  5 arias performed by a member of the Toronto Opera, and quite a few glasses bottles of wine.

 

 And most importantly, the Happy Couple…..Love you and wishing you all of God's blessings!!!!

MIA

We are back from our jaunt to Toronto for Theo N & Thea L's wedding! It was a beautiful affair and I can't wait to post the pics soon. For now though it is loads of laundry, grocery shopping & taking care of a sick Peanut. It never slows down around here:-)
But it sure is great to be home!

Just One of Them Days

Anyone else remember Monica? I was a fan…even had the cassette single (remember those days!?!) Well yesterday folks was truly "One of Them Days".

It began at 1:15 am as Peanut came to me burning hot with a fever of 103. I dug the motrin out of the "Kiddie medicine" cabinet, coaxed him into chewing one and a half tablets and laid him to sleep in our bed. Then I made my way into his room & managed to catch a few hours rest.

When Peanut came trotting into Belle's room later that morning I assumed his fever had broke & that was the cause of his wet clothing. Wishful thinking, turns out poor thing had an accident. No biggie on a normal occasion, his bed is fully protected, but I suddenly remembered he was asleep in my bed….ugh. Baking soda works wonders on removing odor & stains from a mattress…or so I tell myself.



The morning quickly passes with laundry, bathes & school work. Lunch was now upon us. The little love dining al fresco & are even bigger fans of carrying everything from the kitchen to the deck. Just as we were ready to sit down, I hear the distinct, "Uh-Oh" come from the kitchen & find this:

As the kiddies sat on the deck, I wipe chocolate milk from the floor careful to get every last splatter off the island trim. Then I mop, one of my least favorite chores, because chocolate milk is quite sticky even when put to the bounty challenge.

Thinking that the milk & bed incidents were it for the day, I come outside to discover my sweet baby had shoved his entire lunch (partly regurgitated) through the holes in the table and onto the deck floor. And at exactly that moment, the skies parted and it began to rain….back inside I cart 4 meals, a toddler in a highchair, a bowl of grapes, strawberries and 4 cups.

Needing a reward I opt to swap my lunch, which is now wet, for my traditional afternoon treat.  I head to make myself a cappuccino only to discover we are out of milk! Needing the caffeine rush, I drink it black and hunker down for whatever else the day has in store.

Surprisingly the afternoon passes without a major causality…or so I thought until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Only the second time I had worn this top.

But seriously how could I be mad the culprit?

Today has gone smoother thankfully….VBS for Belle & a trip to the doctor for Peanut. I think every Mom has had "One Of Them Days", but fingers crossed they are few and far between. Wouldn't trade these days for the world.

Project Curb Appeal Continues

Back when I was debating what color to paint the front door, several of you commented on carrying over the front door colors to the garage area. So over the weekend I got to work transforming an overgrown brier patch into a welcoming spot to rest and watch the kiddies play.

After quite a few clips with the hedge trimmers, I had room for a chair from our old patio set (painted to match the front door) along with two potted hydrangeas.

I relocated the stepping stones out from under the fast growing day lilies. Since the little ones venture out barefoot constantly, not having to walk on mulch will pamper those little tootsies. 

The former owners left these pots behind on moving day. They had been wasting away under the work bench in the basement until I dug them out and brightened them up with a new coat of paint to match the front door's accent color.

Since I had the paint leftover from the front door makeover this whole project only cost me $20 for two hydrangeas. And you gals were right, having this little vignette near the garage pulls your eye right across the house and I love having the opportunity to duplicate the charcoal, mint & peony pink color combo…. I am obsessed with it.

Next up,  deciding on a new roof and re-staining the garage door. Thankfully those are not DIY projects.

Whereabouts & Little Sprouts

Now that summer vacation is upon us, we've been busy going and doing. Last week we took a jaunt up to the cottage and enjoyed some boat time. Unfortunately, storms rolled in and cut our stay short. Hubby & I both had to remind the littles that the summer has just begun and there will be many more lake days to come.

Even though it hasn't made its blog debut, our newly furnished deck is getting tons of use. We've already had a few BBQs and plans are to host Hubby's 35th bash back there.

Some how bedtime has gotten pushed back way too late (ummm 10pm folks!!) yet the kiddies still have energy for daily outings.

Yep that is a June day at the park in fleece! Dear Mother Nature, please take note and adjust your weather accordingly. The plants out front don't seem to mind the colder temps and torrential rains though. I just love how green and lush everything appears.

I am still smitten with the door color and now that the pale pink peonies have bloomed. The color combo is superb!

Sunday marked the official end of the 2012-2013 school year with Greek School graduation….Peanut was the youngest student & the first to receive his certificate from Principal Stella.

He is Here!!! Bestie B & her Hubby welcomed Baby W into the world on Wednesday. Weighing in at 8lbs 12 oz he is a pint-sized perfection:-) Mommy is doing well & happily smitten with her little boy. There is just something different about the Mother/Son bond. Don't you Mommies of boys agree?

And speaking of babies, look who isn't one at all anymore (tears). My baby Bear is finally standing and taking steps by himself. Thankfully, his fever earlier this week was a 24 hour thing…the Dr. told me she though it was hand foot mouth! None of my kiddies have had that, but it just sounds horrifically painful. I was happy to see a smile back on his face today during Peanut's tennis lessons.

Happy Friday Everyone!