Wedding Rehearsal

Jeremy's parents are truly empty-nesters, now that their fourth child has married and flown!

We spent several days in Flagstaff for wedding festivities at the beginning of June. I'll probably take a few posts to cover my photos and the ones we pilfered from Naomi Fierro (Jeremy's cousin). So here we go with our pictures from the rehearsal . . .

Daniel and Lauren chose a beautiful spot in Oak Creek Canyon (just a little north of Sedona) for their outdoor ceremony. It was part trout farm/fishery and part summer camp, with a lovely little walled stream and lots of green trees. The winding drive down into the canyon from Flagstaff took us about 45 minutes or so.

We got to the rehearsal before most of the others, so the kids enjoyed feeding the hordes of fish in the ponds:

Lydia

Clara was happy in the ergo with Daddy

Abby

After feeding the fish and wandering around a little, we rounded everyone up and headed to the meadow area where Scott and the Fierro boys had set up chairs, Daniel's hand-made arbor, and the rest of the wedding necessities.

Lydia and Grandma

Silly girls--Lydia on left, Abby on right

Abby

Once everyone arrived and gathered in some semblance of order, the rehearsing began. The girls were excited to get their baskets and some practice flower petals! Lydia very carefully doled out her petals one at a time as they walked up the aisle. She made sure there were enough to drop all the way to her seat (the kids sat down with me during the ceremony). Josiah was happy enough to carry his pillow (apparently the same one Lauren's parents used in their wedding), but was disappointed he wasn't entrusted with any rings.

They were all happy to see Aunt Lauren, who looked beautiful, of course!

Lined up and ready to go for another run-through

 

The view behind us

 

Groomsmen: Jeremy, Basilio standing in for Lauren's brother Garrett, Adam, Zach

 

James and Justin did the music

 

Anna with a cute little bump--a girl!!

By the third run-through, the kids were getting cranky and hungry. We made a stop at the bathrooms before loading up and driving up the mountain for the rehearsal dinner in Flagstaff. And we met this unexpected guest on the stairs up to the bathroom . . .

The kids were fascinated with the tarantula. I was happy we weren't staying the night in one of the camp cabins--yikes! Josiah threw a stick at it and it reared up as if to attack.

So after that little side adventure and a very cranky trip up the mountain, we arrived at Grandma and Pa's church, where they held the rehearsal dinner. We had built up the ice cream bar to the kids, and it lived up to expectations! They were over the moon when they saw all the toppings--sprinkles, M&M's, chocolates, coconut, caramel sauce . . . oh my, sugar high:

So there you have the rehearsal. Next up: wedding!

First Tooth and First Curl

Clara's first tooth came through last week! She's been teething for months, of course, but last Tuesday I felt in there and noticed the little razor-sharp edge of her bottom right incisor just cutting above the gum. She's gnawing on everything, often with a crazed wag of her head.

Perhaps you can see another of her firsts on the right of the picture above. Yes, that's a little curl above her ear! Her hair has come in thick and darker than the other kids'. I've wondered if it will be straight or curly. Maybe this is an indication she's headed in the right direction? I don't know--guess we'll have to wait and see!

Three Sisters

I got down on the living room floor with the camera to take some pictures of Clara the other day, and the twins wanted to join in on the fun. They loved holding Clara, posing with her, and--of course--looking at themselves post-picture in the camera screen.

As you can see, Clara has some crazy big sisters . . .

 Lydia in pigtails, Abby making the crazy face, Clara looking a little stunned

Lydia and Abby love Clara dearly. "FLARA!!!!" they cry when they see her in the morning or after naptime. "Flara likes to see me!" they often inform me. And yes, she certainly does. She's so entertained by her big sisters (and brother) and likes to be in the midst of whatever they're doing. Recently they've resorted to blockades to keep her from destroying their Lego or Duplo creations.

Here (below) is Lydia with Clara. (She likes to hold Clara at every opportunity--and sometimes tries to pick her up or drag her places without permission. But overall she's pretty sweet with her little sister.)

I love the curious little hand touching Lydia's chin here!

Clara likes to grab at her big sisters' wonderfully curly hair when she gets a chance and touch/scratch/hit at their faces. We're working to teach her to be gentle with those chubby baby hands (with some sharp little nails)!

Here (below) is Abby with Clara. (She gets a little rough and obnoxiously, screechingly, repetitively loud with Clara when she's trying to entertain her or get her attention. But she's so wholeheartedly remorseful when she unintentionally hurts Clara with her overly enthusiastic play [or simply bad/impetuous decisions], and she bursts into wracking sobs that usually last longer than Clara's crying and pain.)

What fun it is to have three little girls and see their sisterhood blossom!