Taylor & Julia's Wedding

Always a flower girl, am I right?  Taylor and Julia (Dare and Ooia, if you're Gavin) got married the second weekend in August!  I once again served in my professional capacity as Flower Girl - this was my 5th wedding!  I was happy to share the spotlight with my cousin E.

E, Gavin and I had so much fun playing all weekend.  We picked right up, as if we see each other all the time.  I wish that were the case, but our moms and dads live so far apart - thank goodness for Facetime!  Paul and E's sister S also got in on the fun.  Love my cousins!  The whole weekend was so much fun, I can't begin to describe it all.

We drove down to DC early on Friday, checked into the hotel, and then the girls headed off to the salon for mani/pedis.  Mom got her toes done while I sat on her lap.  Then we had some lunch near the restaurant before Grammy ran to the rehearsal dinner place and Mom and Dad tried to do something about naps...  After that, it was time to get dressed for the rehearsal and dinner!

 Paul fell asleep during the rehearsal dinner.  He must have been exhausted from watching Gavin, E & me playing tag all through the party!  The food at the reception was really good - I filled up on mushroom ravioli.  Gavin was tugging the pant leg of the chicken-on-sticks guy to ask wordlessly for more!

Daddy took us back to the hotel to sleep, while Mommy stayed at the party to visit with her family.  She even got to have a quick drink with Aunt Torie and the groom-to-be Taylor after the party before bed.  None of us got enough sleep - I think we were too excited for the BIG DAY!  I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and actually wound up taking an early morning nap after breakfast.  I re-awoke far cheerier.  While I'd been napping, Mom had gotten her hair done - it looked so fancy!  Gavin fell asleep for his nap while Mom, Dad, Grandma and I went to have some lunch.  And then it was time to get ready!  Mom and I went to Grammy and Bimpy's sweet suite to get dressed.  Julie and Rudi were there to play hide and seek with me while Mom ironed.  Mom fixed my hair, got both of us dressed, and then hopped in a cab with Grammy to get to THE CHURCH! 

 I had to be there early, since being a flower girl is so important.  So E, S and I played in the HUGE church for a while.  After a bit, Daddy was there with the boys so Gavin joined our playing. 

 Finally, Daddy and the boys went to sit down, while I got to see Julia resplendent in her beautiful dress at the back of the church!!!  (by the way, isn't Gavin so cute in his little suit?!)

 Once I started walking down the aisle, Mommy and Aunt Sarah scooted the back way to the front of the church to take their seats.

 Mommy was part of the wedding, too!  She did a reading from Song of Solomon.  She didn't cry or speak too quickly!

After another reading and the vows and everything else, it was time to walk back up the aisle!  Silly Gavin really wanted E's bouquet, so he followed us out.  First he was chasing the flowers, but in the end he just sauntered up the aisle like he owned the place.

 After the ceremony was over, we went to the Bishop's Garden next to the Cathedral to run around (and have photos taken).  The bells were ringing a Quarter Peal for Taylor and Julia the whole time.  They were so pretty (and so loud)!

It was finally time to head to the reception... when Daddy realized Grandma had our car keys!  So we crashed the wedding party limo instead.

We finally got to the cocktail hour of the reception!  Gavin was obsessed with the little glasses of Sprite people kept giving him.  Daddy went to take a picture of him sipping his Sprite, but as soon as Gav saw the camera, he carefully set it aside, placed his hands on his lap, and made this silly cheese face.  Mommy was cracking up, as evidenced below:

 Gavin also matched our Great-great-uncle Bink in their seersucker suits:

Then it was finally time to PARTY!!!

 I practically fell asleep dancing with Uncle Taylor, and Gavin was looking equally sleepy.  So Grandma and Grandpa took us back to our room (conveniently right downstairs) for bed.

 Little Paul got to stay up a little later, since he was a party animal.

 Aunt Torie got to reenact one of Mommy's favorite pictures of her with her BFF "Auntie" Bridget.

July 29, 2007

Taylor and Julia - we love you so much!  Your wedding weekend (including brunch the next morning!) could not have been more beautiful or FUN.  I am so honored I got to be a part of your wedding party as flower girl.  Happy marriage, you two!