I'm finally around to posting pictures from Mike and Leah's wedding weekend. My last post was some of the pictures from the actually wedding but this post is the weekend events. It was great to have almost everyone in town. Most of my Mom's siblings flew in from Chicago with my sister Mary. Peter and Ceara flew in from Cleveland (we missed Ethan and Michelle though) and everyone else drove from Tulsa and Houston. Ceara and Peter stayed at our place and we LOVED having them. They flew in Thursday and we had a quite evening hanging out at our house with the Morris'. Amy, Andrew and Zach (it was their Dad's wedding) drove up late that night and stopped by. Friday morning everyone (besides Tim's family) had arrived in Dallas and met at our house. Caroline was so funny. She would boss around my brothers like they were her personal assistance. She had one getting her juice, one taking her potty, another getting her food, one drawing a bath for her and another was required to attend her tea party. She had them wrapped around her little fingers! We hung out, ate breakfast then broke up into one group going bowling and the other getting our nails done. Saturday everyone met at our neighborhood pool to hang out before getting ready for the wedding. We rented out the club house because it was miserably hot that weekend.

The two C's: Ceara and Caroline

Andrew Friday morning

Uncle Tom, Noreen, Mike and others hanging at my place

C with Uncle Peter

A Redmond get together isn't complete without a little jam! I've missed hearing my Aunt Kathy sing. Her voice brings back a lot of good memories and makes me feel peaceful.

Tea party. I love this picture of Sarah cracking up and Peter wearing the little toddler size strawberry hat!

Aunt Kathy and Valiree

Saturday at the pool. Sarah, Josh, Aunt Kathy and Sandy hanging out in the water

Aren't they beautiful cousins! Val, Andrea, Ceara and Katie

Aunt Kath, Rick and Val

Super cool studs: Will, Peter and Ben

Chilling in the clubhouse

Peter playing guitar and singing to Caroline

About to kiss her Uncle Daniel. She loves him along with all the other uncles. I think she knows they're family even though she doesn't see them often.

I was so happy Uncle Tom and Gail (and Aunt Kathy and Noreen) could make it down for the weekend.

Chris and my bro/cousin Phil (Aunt Noreen's son)

The two Cs eating breakfast the next morning!

Mike and Leah's Wedding - 08/20/2011

Last weekend was my brother Mike's wedding. Our brother Tim officiated the ceremony (he also did our wedding), Mike's daughter and sons, our brothers, Leah's son and her closest friends stood for them. She had her best friend/mentor walk her down the aisle which I thought was pretty cool. It was a beautiful, heartfelt ceremony and you could feel the love between them. The reception was a lot of fun too! The Redmond (and Harris) side of the family hit the dance floor as soon as the music started. Our Mom's favorite song, C&C Music Factory's Everybody Dance Now, was a favorite. The night ended with a group of us (including the bride and groom) meeting at Denny's in the ghetto at about 2:00 am. That makes for interesting people watching let me tell you!

The entire weekend was a lot of fun. It was much more peaceful compared to other times our big clan has gotten together. I guess we are all at better places in our lives and more comfortable in our own skin. More pictures will follow but right now I've got to get back to getting ready for C's first day of school tomorrow and packing & laundry.

The men walking down the "aisle"

Zach and Andrew (who wore his Marine uniform) and John

Brother Peter and our niece Amy (C calls her May-mee)

BTW, C named her ORU stuffed lion May-mee tonight

Tim, Andrew and Amy

First dance

Father/daughter dance with Andrew cutting in to dance with his sister. Zach isn't much for the spot light so he quietly watched his siblings.

Mother/son dance

Andrea telling Katie a story

My niece and nephews minus a few. Caroline is the youngest of 21 grandkids on my side!

We never get our picture taken together anymore. Thanks Amy!

Cake!

Family Tea Party

Caroline is really into having tea parties right now...I mean REALLY into tea parties. We have about a dozen everyday. She sets up her favorite stuffed animals, which currently are Buzz Lightyear, Tinker Bell and her Bitty Baby, gets everyone dressed up and pours the tea. This weekend I moved her kitchen, tea set and a few other toys into her room to give her a "big girl room" even though she is still in her crib. I put together a "dress-up" box full of hats, old necklaces, gloves and handbags. She is thrilled with her new set up. The first thing out of her mouth when she wakes is "tea, tea!" Here are a few pictures from a tea party we had with Reagan. Even Daddy joins in the fun!

Buzz needs a hat for the big event

Tinker Bell and Bitty Baby are patiently waiting for their tea

Daddy helping her put on her fancy gloves

Yea!!

Pouring Mommy some tea.

4th of July

Every year our neighborhood puts on a big 4th of July bash! The afternoon starts with a parade through the neighborhood which ends at our community center. Everyone dresses up and decorates for the parade! They have grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, a horse-shoe tournament, sand volleyball matches and swimming. That evening there is a grilled chicken dinner and talent show. Usually there is a baking contest but they skipped that this year. This year Caroline was more aware of what was going on and could play with the other kids in the pool. She had a great time. Nana and Papa Boone joined us for the parade and lunch. We went home to take naps after swimming then heading back for dinner and to watch the talent show. We ended the night with dancing and watching fireworks on TV in our living room. Maybe next year C can stay up long enough to watch fireworks live!

She had to have her sunglasses!

Getting ready to go to the parade!

A couple police men and a firetruck led the parade! "Oh WOW" was C's response when she saw them.

Nana pulling C in her wagon. Our neighbor Hunter (the one in the silver box) walked with us. We had her family over for dinner the night before and helped her decorate the box for the parade.

The neighbors have fun with the parade!

Some people get REALLY into it!

Bye-bye!

This isn't a great picture but it really shows how tall C is. She is off the charts on height! As my Aunt Kathy says about the tall people in our family since most ppl are short. She is a mutant!

Baby it's HOT outside!

It has been unbearably hot here the last couple weeks. And that's coming from the girl that likes the smothering feeling you get when you enter your car after it's been in the sitting outside in the heat. We haven't wanted to leave the house that much because of the heat. The heat combined with our neighborhood baby pool being out of commission for repairs has forced us to get creative with our at home activities. We're made lot's of "trains" using chairs, strollers or whatever. Aunt Sarah gave C a tea-set for her birthday which has been a favorite activity too. She has tea parties with her stuffed animals (which is one of the cutest things I've ever seen!).

Our play-group started the brilliant idea of At Home Activities (AHA). One mom that has a 2 year old and newborn was asking for ideas on activities to keep her little one busy and help keep her sanity intact. A discussion on activities was started and AHA was born. Every few days someone has been posting events to do with your little ones at home. The first activity was washing dishes. Doesn't sound that thrilling I know but C seemed to really dig it. I filled one side of the sink with soapy water and the other side with clean water. Gave her lot's of plastic bowls, plates and spoons to "wash". Simple activity but it kept her occupied for 45 minutes. She would have played longer but we had someplace to go. Some of the other activities posted are making your own play-dough, drawing Yourself (tracing the kids body out on a huge piece of butcher paper) then decorating, making "welcome home from work" signs for Dad, build a fort in your living room, sidewalk chalk painting (mix crushed chalk with water and let the kids paint with it).

Trains!

More trains!

Tea party with friends

Doing the dishes

Daddy took a break from work to check out what we were doing.

I had to include the backside shot. It's just to cute!