a wedding and a honeymoon

hello everyone. it has been quite a while since i last posted, so long in fact that i went and got married in the meantime!

it was the most perfect day. i mean it, perfect. everything was just how i imagined it and better... it was totally amazing. we had the best bridal party and it was just such a fun time to be with friends and family that aren't usually in the same place. some definite friends were made (yes, Taylor and Kelly i am talking about you :) ). it all started the night before at the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner which were quite hilarious and abundantly enjoyable. the dinner was at cafe cortina and was such fun. we had hors d' oeurves out on the patio, complete with twinkling lights in the trees, and dinner was delicious and too much food to say the least haha. we were so blessed by our Rebhan family, thank you thank you thank you! friday morning started early with a 930 arrival time at the hotel to start getting ready, i really thought that was overkill for amount of time to put makeup on and do hair but i was wrong. BRENDA was amazing and never ever knew what she was getting herself into! we sang glee for about three hours and i honestly think she was scared of us. haha. around 400 we were all dressed, we got in the limo after taking some pictures and it was time to start. reality had certainly not sunk in yet, but we were off and Rob and I were about to get married!

this is just a sneak peak at our day, i know it isn't much but these are the bouquets, mine in front and the girls behind!

i never thought that a day could fly by so quickly, i truly only remember little odds and ends of the day, but the memories that i have will last me a lifetime. walking down the aisle, repeating our vows, having a first dance and cutting the cake, listening to speeches, rejoicing with friends and walking table to table with my new husband are the moments i remember most. it may sound like a lot and that i remember "everything" but there are so many times that i forget happened until someone posts a picture and i have to stop and think and then laugh at that moment. it was such a pleasure and really a once in a lifetime experience to get all dressed up, marry the man that i love, and be surrounded by every person that means the world to us. it was magnificent to say the least. the best part, beyond the "normal" things a bride should report, was the fact that everyone there had a marvelous time and told us that it was beautiful. it's really the best thing you could hear when you have spent the better part of year planning for one night. wow i can't wait to show you all pictures.

after the wedding on friday night we spent the morning with the people who had spent the night in the hotel and had brunch. it was nice to be able to see those people the next day because it had been such a whirlwind at the wedding. post-brunch and after saying our thank-you's and good bye's to our parents and family, rob and i headed out on the open road to Chicago.

on our way into chicago

we stayed at the Sheraton downtown and the view was spectacular!

we went to the aquarium, spent a day in the room and ordered room service (awesome), went to some famous restaurants and saw the skydeck of the willis (sears) tower. what an amazing time to just spend with my new husband. we had such a wonderful time being newlyweds and telling everyone that we met... i did at least haha! we were so exhausted after the wedding that we spent a lot of time hanging out and being together, the best part of the whole long-weekend. here are some pictures from our adventures, enjoy!

the chicago skyline in the fog as we waited in line for our tickets at the shedd aquarium

we went and saw the dolphins, very amazing

i am touching a starfish!

the ducks followed our fingers around, very cute!

check out this frog, ready to pounce on his dinner.

Rob likes "turdles"

seahorses are the most awesome creatures, they always remind me of Leah.

dinner at Gino's East with my new hubby

the pizza was very intimidating...

Rob found his future car while walking around downtown

up on the willis (sears) tower - what a view!

they have new "skydecks" made of glass that jut out over the city, you can stand out 103 stories up!

sitting on "skydeck", it is very very creepy to sit down on this glass overhang

103 stories up!

our wedding and honeymoon were unforgettable, thank you so much to everyone for being there and taking a part in our special time - we can't wait to share what comes next!

looking back before moving forward

tonight, mom and dad and rob and i went out to dinner with my mimi. mimi is my dad's mom and she is my only living grandparent and so therefore is even more special than the average "special level" of a grandparent. she is such a wonderful woman and is always so fun to be with - especially in times of celebration like the one we are in now. woo hoo wedding week!

after we had ordered tonight, mimi asked me if i had anything blue for the wedding and i told her that i did indeed have something. i also told her that i was putting my buppa's id bracelet around my bouquet for the night. she hastily opened her purse and handed me a pink envelope. i immediately started to tear up without even knowing what was in the envelope. as i opened it i saw an old handkerchief. after unfolding it i saw a gold pin with a blue stone attached to the end. she told me that it had been my buppa's and his father's before him. this means so much to me, since my buppa and i were so close. though he died when i was only five we were best buds. i spent most days a week perched on his lap at the counter while he read his book or watched the news. he would play with me and push me around on his wheeled chair pretended it was a "horsey". after making it through the rest of dinner mimi brought us all out to the car and gave dad buppa's flag in its frame from 17 years ago when it was presented to her at his funeral. again we all started to cry.

i have been without most of my grandparents for many years now, but for some reason today it hit me very hard that they will not be there to celebrate with me at the wedding on Friday. They all have meant so much to be in my past and i want them to be remembered even now so here are some of my favorite memories in photo form. i take joy in the memories that i had time to share with them, i hope you find joy as well. enjoy!

this is my buppa and me, perched as usual :)

mimi and buppa and i, when i was about 1. i loved mimi's red glasses!

grandma and grandpa fox were the most awesome grandparents. grandma was a typical loud italian woman who always had something fresh coming out of the kitchen and grandpa was the sweetest, most gentle man you have ever met. 

i loved my grandparents as much as a little girl could and i still do. they will be remembered on Friday and i know they would be proud of me and Rob as we take this next step together! 

 

I HAVE THREE DAYS UNTIL IT IS THE WEDDING DAY.