Paradise

We are back from our trip to Arizona and we had a great time!  Despite having an emotional goodbye with Josiah on Friday morning, I was able to pull it together by the time we reached the airport.  We definitely missed our little man but knew that he was in very capable hands and would be having a fun filled weekend with Grammy, Papa, Uncle Josh and Uncle Noah!  Seth and I discussed on the plane how in the world we would have kept Josiah sitting in our laps for 3-1/2 hours and both decided that it would have been impossible.  Major kudos to you parents out there that have done it and survived (Jan-extra kudos for surviving with TWINS)!  The trip there was pretty uneventful with the exception of the landing...let's just say that it might have been the pilot's first landing and we almost lost the landing gear since we slammed into the ground so hard...and then almost slid off the end of the runway because the brakes weren't working so well in the rain.  Yikes!  But we survived and on we went.  We stayed at Cibola Vista Resort and it was absolutely gorgeous!!  The Shevik family were all there to greet us and were wonderful hosts the whole weekend.  Laurie and Brian's wedding was held at Blackstone Country Club and it was the most picturesque venue I have ever seen, seriously movie worthy!  The ceremony was gorgeous as was the bride...and the groom and wedding party didn't look too shabby either:-)  The reception and dance were an absolute blast and as usual, the Beckers and Sheviks lit up the dance floor until the last dance...something about a wedding dance that gets even the most uncoordinated of us shakin' our groove thing!  Sunday found us all recovering by the pool and acting like 12 year olds with multiple rides down the water slide and several rounds of "whirlpool" all the while sipping froo-froo drinks that were delivered poolside...now THAT is vacation!!  It was the first time in quite awhile that all 20 of the Becker/Shevik clan has been together, don't worry, my mom took plenty of pictures:-)  Despite having my camera with the whole time, I only managed to get a few shots of the view from our balcony...I will steal some other good ones from Mom and Robin's blogs when they post:-)  Monday we headed home and went from 82 and sunny to 45 and windy...but hey, it's MN, what did we expect:-)  We were sad to leave AZ but excited to get home to Josiah!  It was a great get-away...a big CONGRATS to Mr. and Mrs. Brian Arnold!!  Thanks for including us in your big day!!  And now, without further ado, here are the few pictures I managed to take:

Brian and Blair got married!

OK, so I do not profess to be the photographer of the family in any way since I'm married to a video expert and related to my mom and sister who are the "queens of kodak". That said, I was in charge of the camera at the wedding festivities and have woefully few photos to share. In my defense, I am not used to fulfilling this role and so it was secondary on my mind to getting a manicure, hair done, dress on and getting myself down the aisle among other things! Anyway, due to lack of photos, you will have to just read and imagine all the fun:-) Or, you can also check out Robin's blog as she has many more pictures to share (http://www.kroeningfamily.blogspot.com/) And yes, I'm aware that she is 34 weeks pregnant, wrangling an 18 month old, getting herself ready for the same trip down the aisle and STILL managed to get more photos than I did.....*sigh* The whole weekend was so much fun! We started out Friday at noon with something ALL girls need before a big event, manicures!! Blair and her mom, sisters along with my mom, Robin, Jen and I got our hands all ready for the big event and had a fun time relaxing and chatting, imagine that:-) Friday night brought rehearsal at the church followed by a yummy dinner that my parents catered in...wood fire pizzas=yummy! As has become tradition for a Becker wedding, Friday night found Blair, Robin, Jen and I at the Kahler Grand hotel for a fun girls night to help Blair relax and rest up for the big day. A few Mikes Hard Lemonades + inroom movie + comfy bed = mission accomplished! Here are a few photos I “borrowed” from Robin…Josiah was super excited to be co-ring bearer with cousin Miles, they felt the occasion called for a celebratory kiss also:

Saturday was the big day and started with all the girls getting our hair done. This was the ONE event that I did manage to remember to snap a few photos of, enjoy!

The beautiful bride!

Jen getting all prettied up:-)

Blair helping Jen pick a good lipstick for the occasion (yay, a cosmetologist in the family!!)

After hair, it was off to the church to get dressed. My dress fit like a glove but we quickly realized that nursing bras and fancy frocks do not mix too well....thank you to whoever invented double stick dress tape! Seth and Josiah got in on the fun too as they were both in the wedding as groomsman and ring bearer. Josiah shared the ring bearer spotlight with cousin Miles and the two of them were pulled down the aisle in a wooden sled by Papa....too cute! Again, I "borrowed" this picture from Robin's blog so that you could witness the cuteness:-)

The ceremony went off without a hitch...other than I was crying like a baby through a good portion of it. I guess seeing my baby brother all grown up and waiting at the end of the aisle to see his bride for the first time in her dress was more emotional than I planned because I was caught without a tissue! Thank you to Blair's sister Heather for sharing hers with me:-) Then it was time to PAR-TAY! (More borrowed pics)

After a quick stop to shoot a few outdoor photos in downtown Rochester (very chilly but I'm sure the photos will be well worth it!) we entered the reception doing the Train, so funny! Dinner was divine and the slideshow went off without a hitch thanks to the hard work of Mom, Dad, Robin and Seth...nice work you guys! Thank you also to Grammy and Papa Gary for taking Josiah home to go to bed and letting Seth and I stay to enjoy the dance! I took full advantage and was on the dance floor most of the night....it may not look pretty but I LOVE to dance! So, as you read, it was a wonderful time had by all. I am SOOO excited to say that Blair is now an official member of the Becker family and we couldn't be happier! She is just the best and she and Brian make an amazing couple! Congrats you two crazy kids and enjoy your week in Jamaica....I know checked bags cost extra these days but I'll help pay if you can pack some warm sun to bring back!! Love you guys!!