more wedding pictures...

Mirielle and Jonathan in the kitchen...with Paul back there, too.

Evelyn with Charlotte Claire...
Kathryn Grace

Suzanne Eleanor 9, Kathryn Grace 12, Evelyn Joy 11, and Sonja Kathleen in front, 8 years old...

Suzanne with Camille and Charlotte Claire

Abigail Marie

Camille

So the day was quiet and peaceful. ha. The three youngest decided to trash Charlotte Claire's room and try on all the clothes. They went pretty wild, and I didn't like it very much. I ended up spending a few hours sorting and folding clothes, which wasn't what I wanted to do today. I washed some towels and undies and bedding, ran the dishwasher three times. We had lasagna, the frozen kind, it was on sale and I had a coupon, and since it served 12 (PartySize, it said on the box. ha.), we had to have it when some of us weren't here. Benjamin and Ashley ended up being here for dinner, along with Ben's friends James and Caleb. The boys are finishing up the room in which Ashley will stay when Ben goes back to the Army. I told Ben to remember he is on his honeymoon, and that the room will get done, not to worry about it.

Tonight it is quiet in here....the newlyweds went back to where they are staying for the week, the older ones are still at the Dome, the littles are in bed, Margaret and Kathryn and Evelyn are watching, "The Pacific". So I am distracted, I haven't watched it yet...I do not like war movies anymore, now that I have a son in the military.

a little rest today, maybe??

Janet, my sister's daughter, took the official photos, but I got some on my junky camera, too....here is Janet with Ashley and Ben...

Samuel James with Camille Anaya

Abigail Marie, the maid of honor....

Emily Anne with Charlotte Claire....my oldest daughter and the fifteenth child...Emily is old enough to be her mother....but don't tell her I said that....

Abigail with Camille

Cupcakes are yummy, Camille

oops, this one again...

I put these up backwards, but here is Ashley cleaning up the frosting from...

the cupcake fight...Evelyn couldn't believe they did this.

There were plenty of cupcakes...Cheryl made the cakes, they matched well and were all so pretty. And yummy.

cutting the cake....even though the cupcakes had already been gotten into.

The Mr. and Mrs.......right as Paul went to hug and congratulate them

Here comes the bride....

Suzanne with the flower girls, Charlotte Claire and Camille...

Miss Mali Rose

The punch fountain was fascinating to Jonathan and Charlotte Claire and Camille

Suzanne Eleanor with Charlotte Claire

Joseph, 19, Sam, 15, and Aaron, 18, with Jonathan...they said they are vampires....

The young and lovely mom of the groom

Miss Charlotte Claire

Christmas Day...Emily had just gotten back from India, and had some treats in her suitcase for the kids....

And now it is December 28th, and phew....nothing pressing to do....the house is rather needy, but other than that....and Paul and all the older ones are going to the Dome this afternoon/evening, life goes on....but oh my goodness we had a nice wedding!!! I wish I had taken pictures of the table settings and the food we prepared....Even though it was last minute, we had little favors with tags with their names and the date, and the tables were decorated so nicely. The food turned out so good! Joseph and Aaron cooked the wings, about six hundred of them, and Mali made the sauces, hot Buffalo, and barbecue. She also made the salad dressing, which came out just as I had envisioned, it was like the Olive Garden salad....we put black olives and pepperocinis and red onions and cherry tomatoes and croutons and parmesan cheese and green peppers and cucumbers in it....then there were rolls and Italian bread with butter, and butter and garlic pasta bowties....

There were eighty something people at the wedding, I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout on such a cold windy night. It was brutally cold out there. But it was warm and cozy in the hall where the wedding took place.

Miss Janet took some family pictures, so I am hoping she reads this and: sets up a Walmart photo account, selects some nice pictures, and orders them with her mother's credit card, and has them shipped directly to my house! I will pay you back, Jan....perhaps if I get some nice family pictures, I will send out my Christmas cards...perhaps

So Janet, thank you, and Claire, and Audrey, and Miss Becky....thank you all so much for all your help with your cousin's wedding....and we could not have pulled it off without my older childrens' total dedication and uncomplaining work in the kitchen, Joseph and Aaron and Sam and Mirielle and Mali and Margaret (who also played the piano for the ceremony), and the younger ones like Kathryn and Evelyn and Sonja who helped with finishing touches, and kept the younger kids busy while we did those last minute things.....

I am glad it is over, but part of me wishes I could live it again, it is like a blur....I am looking forward to seeing the nicer pictures that Janet took.

And we also had a nice Christmas...Kathryn got a Wii Fit, so it is being played almost constantly. I haven't tried it yet, but it is amazing. Jonathan got a few Nerf guns, and one hundred two extra bullets. There have been wars here. Nerf wars. Aaron got a really nice camera, which he used yesterday also. Charlotte Claire and Camille got plastic princess high heels and princess dolls.....I got slippers - two pairs...and kitchen towels and cashews from India, and some spatulas and silverware. And sixteen good children....(when I was growing up, whenever we asked my mother what she wanted for her birthday or for Christmas, she always said, "seven good children"....)

congrats to Benjamin and Ashley

More pictures and more stories...tomorrow....

merry Christmas!!!

A nice picture of Ben and Ashley, but the window behind them...ahhghhh! That is what happens when it is so cold outside and the kids wipe the window to see out.... Last night we did our Secret Santa, and Camille was delighted when everyone got a present. Paul with her, Joseph, and Suze.

Charlotte Claire and Camille

Mali Rose

Aaron

Mali giving Abigail her award...she got, "The most likely to get a ticket for driving too slowly." Sam got, "Most likely to conquer Russia."

Joseph holding Suzanne, Evelyn, Mirielle, and Paul...

Jonathan got a Pillow Pet, too. He told me, "The commercial is right! I loved it right when I hugged it, actually before I even hugged it!"

There are plenty of pictures of this morning, too, but there is much going on, and this takes too long. Camille is getting tired, she has been overstimulated all day and has eaten too much candy from her stocking.

Emily Anne made it home from India. She came over for a visit before she went to work at the hospital. She brought gifts, and opened the things we got her, Joseph packed her some dinner for work, and then she was off....it was too short, but it was so excellent to hear about her trip. Fascinating.

Jonathan is walking around playing the ukele that Joseph got for Christmas, and the four of the girls are playing with princess dolls.....we have eaten dinner, we had our Jamaican jerk chicken, marinated two days, and it was pretty good.

Today I missed my parents, especially when Paul called his to wish them Merry Christmas.....

We are all excited for the wedding...I am going to have a busy few days coming up, with finding nice things for everyone to wear, and buying and preparing the food....but it will all work out....I will be sure to get lots of nice pictures....

more pictures...

Margaret's birthday....Sonja, Kathryn, Marg, and Jonathan Aaron and Margaret's gingerbread Starbucks

Benjamin

My mother's Christmas doll collection

Rosie-The-Bad-Dog.

We had a nice time at my brother's house. The best part was seeing his grandchildren. Now it is Secret Santa time....

And, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!!!! And Holly, I am very sorry if I embarrassed you, did NOT mean to!!! Merry Christmas, and hugs to you. And as far as the under 21 law, I do not much care for the government deciding what we do here in our home. It isn't a big deal, since no one here under age likes beer or wine anyway, but if they did and we wanted to give them a little, I have no problem with that.....