Wedding Q&A with a "Few" Photos

I couldn't be more excited to have the wedding photos! I thought this would be a great time to answer some of the questions we have all been asked about the wedding, the future and the planning.

Dad's first look got moved to the bedroom when guests showed up over an hour early.

When the bride is quarantined to the bedroom for longer than expected, things happen.

This one still makes me cry

1. Is Lauren barefoot under that gorgeous dress? Of course she is!

2. Who officiated the ceremony? Taylor's Grandpa and he was only emotional a couple times. It was sweet.

3. Who cried? Well this may come as a shock but Erin sobbed uncontrollably throughout the entire ceremony. She could not pull herself together. No one who knows Erin expected that. Oh....and her mother was a blubbering mess too.

That moment the ceremony is interrupted to ask the maid of honor to pull herself together so Grandpa won't lose it too

4. Who stood up for the bride and groom? Lauren selected Erin and Makenna. Taylor had two buddies on his side. His little brother Ethan was the ring bearer and his little sister Ellie was the flower girl. They decided against the traditional pillow and flower petals and opted instead to have the kids carry a sign that read, "here comes your bride".

I did not know this shot took place. I would have stopped it! Just kidding. I would however appreciate a little more time to prepare for the next wedding.

5. When does Taylor leave for basic training? August 16th. He originally selected a job that would have had him leaving immediately after the wedding but once his exceptional test scores came back, he chose a position working with intelligence so he has been able to enjoy married life for a little while longer than anticipated.

6. When does Lauren get to join him? The short answer is we don't know. After ten weeks of basic training in South Carolina, Taylor will go to Texas for 28 weeks of special training. At some point during that 28 week period, Lauren will be permitted to join him. Taylor should find out more during the early weeks of basic training.

7. Where do they live now? Taylor moved into Erin and Lauren's townhouse a few days after the wedding. Given he only got to stay two months, it didn't make sense for them to get their own place. They have had two weeks in Florida and Erin is almost never home so it has worked well.

 

8. What about the wedding toast? #bairdly legal became a social media stamp Erin created out of their last name "Baird" because they are so young. They did have a toast. Lauren drank sweet tea and Taylor used lemonade. Erin's speech was comical (of course) as she handed Taylor some hollow point bullets letting him know she expected him to look after her sister since she no longer would be able to once they move away. And then we understood all the tears.

Matching cheesy grins

9. Is she pregnant? No. She isn't planning on children for a few years.

All the siblings.....I love this.

I can't express how disappointed I am our nieces weren't here.

10. How was wedding planning? Honestly, it wasn't awful. We didn't have a lot of time so decisions were made quickly. We had a lot of support from Taylor's family and friends who donated time, talent and decor. It was done affordably and beautifully.  There were obviously some highly stressful moments in that final week but I suppose all weddings reach that point before it is said and done.

11. How has married life been for them? So far they are having a blast and are quite happy. We are excited to see what the future holds for them.

12. This isn't a question but a fun side-note. Greg realized we were married the year of my parent's 22nd anniversary and Lauren and Taylor got married the year of our 22nd anniversary. We think it's a pretty cool coincidence.

And finally a link to a wedding video my brother-in-law Jamie took for Lauren. 

Ty is 7

1. Who is your most favorite person in the whole world? Grandpa Rick

2. What is your favorite color? Red

3. What is your favorite television show? Power Rangers

4. What is your favorite outfit? Spiderman costume

5. What sport do you like best? Basketball

6. What song do you love? Baby by Justin Bieber

7. What is your favorite cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats

8. Who is your best friend? Barret

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Basketball player

10. What is your favorite book? Junie B. Jones

11. What are you really good at? Bowling

12. Where do you wish you could go on vacation? Camping in the woods

13. What is your best memory? Going to Polly's Freeze

14. What would you buy if you had $1000? A mansion

15. What vegetable do you hate most? All of them

16. If you could have a wish, what would it be? I wish I could have a baby elephant

17. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Girl Scout cookie thin mint

18. Who is your biggest hero? Police men

19. What do you like to do best with your friends? Play chase on the playground with the girls and Barret

20. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday?  Read chapter books all by myself

Happy 7th birthday Ty David! You are one of a kind and we love you!

 

Dodging Rain Showers

We took Ty to a local lake with a small beach for a few hours today and he loved it. We were rained on a few times and eventually gave up on waiting out additional showers but the time we had together was so worthwhile. Ty loved walking into calm water and "swimming" where he could touch the lake floor. We shared the beach with only two additional families so it was as perfect as any rainy day could be. We picnicked under a shelter while it rained and watched the serene lake. I wished my camera could have captured the glitter effect of small raindrops hitting a lagoon of smooth water but I suppose some visions are gifts meant only to be enjoyed in person. 

Ty's Datenight

When three out of four sisters are on vacation without you, spoiling must ensue. Greg is off work this week and we plan to relax and spend time together around my babysitting schedule. The girls didn't allow Dad's time off to influence their plans. Kate went camping with a friend's family. Makenna joined another friend's family for a trip to Florida and Lauren joined Taylor's mom's family trip to Florida as well. We aren't taking it personally, just enjoying a slower pace around here.

Greg and I are rarely down to one kiddo so we planned some fun activities for the one stuck with us this week. Ice cream and the Louisville walking bridge were a big hit this evening. He pointed out photo opportunities, enjoyed the band on the bridge and got a serious workout jumping up onto and off of every available bench along our route.

Since we wanted to capture sunset and slightly cooler temperatures on our walk across the bridge, we left the house at Ty's traditional eight o'clock bedtime. He talked non-stop until he no longer could......

He has pulled a blanket over his head to fall asleep since he was a baby. I don't see his method going away anytime soon. Almost seven years of this and it still amuses me. Sweet dreams big guy, I can't wait to share tomorrow's adventure with you.

Anniversary Weekend

After 22 years of marriage, I still kinda like him

His sleepovers with me have become a bit too regular

We met Greg's parents for dinner and birthday celebrating Friday. Greg and I have collectively spent 5 hours assembling Legos as result. 

Thanks to a friend, Greg and I were able to drop the kids off for a few hours of swimming while we slipped away for an anniversary dinner out. We each tried something new and both loved our meal. But for the second time in a row, once the bill came to the table, someone couldn't read it and his arms weren't long enough to bring those tiny numbers into focus. On the way home we stopped at Walgreens for reading glasses and joked about what we could be buying there on our 44th anniversary. That list was full of hilarity to lighten the "how are we this old?" mood.

As it turns out, Greg wasn't the only one who picked up glasses this week. How cute is she?