Going to the Chapel...

Congratulations, Lindsay and Ferdi!

On one hand, we were so happy.
On the other, we were so sad.
Sunday (1/3/10), our nanny, became Mrs. Ferdinand Groenewald.

She looked absolutely beautiful.  The church was gorgeous.  The bride and groom were happy.  The wedding was meaningful. The reception was...well...filling!

All five kids were involved in the day.  (Wait, doesn't that mean all 7 of us were?)  What a day!  The rehersal on Saturday didn't go so well.  The babies did a great job sitting through the first half of the morning waiting for their turn to walk down the aisle.  But by the time the processional practice started, all the shy-ness was LONG gone and I was chasing 3 crazy 2-year olds around the back of the church trying to get them to line up.  Maybe I should have worn workout clothes cuz I was sweating like I was running a 10k.  (Ironic side note: Shane was freezing with the big kids up at Campgaw...tubing!)  Then, disaster struck.  Cole shut Eli's finger in a door and it was all downhill from there.  I put him down next to Ava and Cole and gave them all a slight shove forward.  A little harder.  Okay, now I was pushing.  And they were digging in their heals.  Ava clung to my leg.  Cole flopped on the floor.  Eli giggled and did the same!  Ugh!  The slight sweating was now a full on shower!  I scooped up all three into a modified football hold and wisked them into the Bride's Room.  By now the stubborn children had turned into screaming children and I was blocking the door trying to keep them from disrupting the rest of the practice.  "MY DEE DEE!  MY DEE DEE!", was all I could decifer from Ava.  Apparently, she wasn't sure she wanted Lindsay (Dee Dee) to get married...and she was sure she didn't want her getting married WITHOUT her.  The more I reflect on the debacle at the end of the aisle, the more I realize Ava started crying because the boys wouldn't walk with her! I called my mom on the way home and encouraged her and Dad to start praying...and fasting...and maybe even getting the prayer chain involved because we needed a miracle if any of these kids were going to perform on Sunday!

Thankfully, Sunday went better...slightly.

Ava and I headed to the Bride's house to get dressed and have pictures taken.

Shane and our second sitter, Becca (who only comes occasionally now that she has a stinkin' "real" job) got the other four kids ready and to the church.

Go time!

Only 2/3 made it down.  Cole panicked about 1/4 of the way down the aisle when he saw all the people.  He couldn't care less that Nana was only a few more feet in front of him sitting in an aisle seat (that's where Ava's first stop was after dumping the entire basket of rose pedals at the beginning of the walk).  And Cole definitely didn't think the walk all the way down to Dad was worth the measly fruit snacks we attempted to bribe him with!  He ran back to my legs and was done.  Eli walked down slowly...until he spotted Daddy...then he ran!  Ava moved on from Nana and started hopping behind Eli.  Then she tripped...and decided it was easier to crawl.

I was amazed at how still Zoe and Ty sat during the ceremony.  Zoe especially.  Both followed along in the program, but they differed in they're "favorite parts": Zoe, of course, loved the kiss.  Ty said it was, "yuck and gross and I didn't even look!"  At one point, Shane leaned over to Ty and said, "Doesn't Lindsay look pretty?" and Ty quickly responded, "...and Ferdi looks good too!"

After Linds and Ferdi were pronounced Husband and Wife, Zoe and Ty did great handing out the bubbles.  They took their job very seriously.  I loved that Ty intentionally made eye contact with each person he handed the bubbles to.  I was very proud of both of them.

Pictures went well.  We even attempted a family shot.  The big group shot required a few more Fruit Snack bribes, but seemed to work well.  I had to keep some of the groomsmen from stealing the kids' snacks.

(yes, I'm bribing with snacks)

Then it was off to the reception.  Yes, we took the whole gang to the "party".  Eli discovered a love of soda.  And Ava discovered her skirt moved when she wiggled her hips.  Since it was a school night (the first in almost 2 weeks), Becca took "the gang" home after the bridal party was introduced (the triplets were labeled, "the tallest ones in the party").  Everyone was sad to see them go...and the gang was sad they couldn't stay.  But they fell asleep the minute their heads hit their pillows and slept...and slept...and slept.  So did Mommy!