Week Thirteen

Mum, Dad and Kirby are here!

Wednesday morning we woke early to go pick up the perfect Long Beach Island breakfast for the new arrivals - Taylor Pork Roll, Bagels & Crumb Cake - Deelish!!  

Then Bren set off for a day of Golf and gambling in Atlantic City with the Boys. 
(He was having too much fun and forgot to take pictures)

While the boys were away in Atlantic City the girls got together for a Ladies Lunch by the pool with the Bride to be.

That afternoon we began setting up the chairs for Ingrid & Sean's Wedding Ceremony!

Thursday the preparations continued. 
The boys involved themselves in outdoorsy activites while the girls set off for manicures!

Basketball at the local courts...

That evening a few of the cousins went for dinner at 'Chicken or the Egg' in Brant Beach - Awesome place! Crazy large menu, Fantastic Food and Fun Atmosphere! Definitely keen to get back! Very fun night =)

Friday - The Big Day arrived!

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Parnell! <3

 It was the most amazing wedding! Absolutely beautiful and so so much fun! The Decor was perfect, The food and dessert bar was fantastic and so much laughter and dancing all night long! AMAZING night for two amazing people!! 

I was extremely honoured to be asked to do a reading at the ceremony.



Below is the reading we decided upon. Initially I loved it for it interprets not only the love between Sean and Ingrid but also the love between their family and friends. How important it is to surround yourself with people you love, doing the things you love - This is when you're happiest memories are generated. How love subconsciously evolves between people and becomes so powerful, expanding then into each others family and friends. 

Sooner or Later

Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines, and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favourite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams.
Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all -  one known only by those who love.

<3

Post-Wedding Brunch the next morning at the house...

Nana with all of her Grandchildren!

Fantastic Weekend! So much laughter and love!

Sunday morning we farewelled Long Beach Island and drove back up to New York. Mum, Dad, Kirbs, Bren and I then spent the afternoon at The Palisades Mall - It's HUGE - 4 levels of Great Shopping! We all left with several bargains :D

That evening we went our for Mexican at 'Hacienda Don Manuel' - Awesome Place! Great authentic mexican food and very fun! 

The following day we dropped Kirbs at the Airport and farewelled her home to New Zealand - time flew by too fast! :(

Testing my Paparazzi Skills...

After saying our 'see you laters' we continued into New York City with Mum and Dad. Meeting for drinks with a few of Mum and Dads friends and indulging in Mexican for the second night in a row! We ate at Rosa Mexicano on the Upper West Side of New York - equally as delicious as the previous night but a little more classy and formal. We then spent the night on the Upper West Side in a fab apartment! 

Mum and Dad taking us on a trip down Memory Lane..

Outside Dad's Old Apartment

 Where Mum and Dad met...

Outside one of their old hangouts...

So that sums up yet another eventful and fabulous week! The weather is definitely getting cooler as we move into Autumn but the sun is still warm and shining!! 

Week Twelve

12 weeks - It is going by soo fast! 

So we were a bit slack this week when it came to taking pictures everywhere we went - While meeting alot of new people and chilling out with family in the pre-wedding celebrations we decided we didn't want to be the 'camera happy tourists' snapping pictures of everyone as they tried to relax and have fun.  So this week - you will just have to take our word for it - we had another Fantasticly Fun week! 

Thursday afternoon - our last afternoon in Michigan before heading back to New Jersey - Bren and Uncle Will visited the Shooting Range. Pretty good shot for a first timer. :D

While the rest of us made top-notch home-made Pizza's for dinner - so yummy! :D 

Friday morning we departed Michigan :( and set off on a 14hour drive back to the Jersey Shore. Bren saying goodbye to his buddies Jay Jay and Maggie...

It was a pretty do-able drive! We much prefer driving 14hours over flying 14hours! 

We woke up to another beautiful day on Long Beach Island. In fact, as I sat here and wrote down 12 weeks as the title and looked through the photos for the week, I really realised how lucky we have been with the weather! It has been amazing day after amazing day with very few (I can't even pin down one at the moment) rainy days. A beautiful Summer in the USA! 

So we hit the beach with the Warren Family!

  

As we reach the '1 week' mark until Ingrid and Sean's wedding, everyone was beginning to arrive at the Shore! So much excitement! 

With everyone having rented a house on the Island we spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night jumping from extravagant house to extravagant house for celebration dinners and to see everybody and their fancy beach houses for the week! Alot of Fun! 

And spent the days with everybody at the beach...

Another beautiful sunset from the house.

Wilson getting some rays...

2 more days until Ingrid and Sean's Wedding! :D

And to finish Week 12 with a bang - Mum, Dad and Kirby arrived!!!!