BARLOW BASH, part two

Saturday, October 29th was another big day for the Barlows. Jacob & Melanie's WEDDING!!!!

But a few weeks before the wedding, something exciting arrived in the mail - their invites! The average person was nowhere as thrilled as I was to open these little beauties... I was asked to design their wedding invites, which was quite exciting.  

They were doing a peacock-themed wedding using golds, teals, and purples for their colors, peacock feathers for the groomsmen' lapels, etc. So I used the peacock for inspiration for the invites. It's always rewarding to design something (and love it) and then to have it exceed your expectations once it's in print form. Can you tell I loved this project :)

All of the cards laid out - main invite, reception card, luncheon card, temple sealing card, and peacock wrap...

Onto the main event! (10.29.11) Jacob and Melanie were married & sealed in the LA Temple. It was so exciting to see how happy they both were...they are one cute couple! After the sealing we came outside to find our kids and wait for them to exit out of the Temple. Kenedee was being a stinker and wouldn't smile for me...

Lincoln was looking incredibly handsome this day :) and Pierce looked like a little stud. Love these kids.

 

And here they are!!!! She had her dress custom-made to create the look she wanted. It was BEAUTIFUL.

Adam's immediate family... (2 parents, 10 children, + melanie)

Jacob & Melanie with their 21 neices & nephews... 20 of these children are from Jacob's side of the family :)

The Girl cousins! Ellen, Kenedee, Haven, Lydia, Abby, & McKenzie...

The boys were walking back over to us after taking some 'groomsmen' pictures so I wanted to snap a picture of them all together. They were totally pictured-out and not having anything to do with the camera...stinkers. Greg (bro-in-law), Jeff (bro-in-law), Matt (brother), Adam, Clark (brother), and Taylor (brother) - McKay and Jacob are missing from this picture. 

Again, once Adam has made up his mind being done with pictures, he thinks it's hilarious to ruin them with ridiculous smiles...buster!

After the Temple, we headed back to Burbank for the Wedding Luncheon. At the Luncheon, the in-laws were surprising Melanie with a special song & certificate...becoming an official member of the Barlow-In-Law Club. Jeff started this when I married in (9 years ago). I received an official certificate with Jeff as the President, Julie as Vice President, and I became the Secretary. So with each new addition, a certificate is presented. This year Melanie received a surprise song at the Luncheon (that was rehearsed at 10:30 pm the night before). It was a good time!

Barlow-In-Law Club video (I can't figure how to get this on here so click the link to view)

That evening was the Reception. It was held at a local golf course on the hill and turned out beautiful. Hannah (Adam's youngest sister who is an amazing artist) drew this tree for the sign-in table that everyone finger-printed in coordinating colors and signed. Awesome.

I bought Lincoln his first suit for the wedding. He was looking so handsome like his daddy!

This is where the surprise Flash Mob dance comes in (Annell's idea)! I choreographed some simple moves and sent the video link to the family about a month before the wedding. Adam was supposed to start this out by himself (actually I wanted his parents to start it out but they didn't love that idea :) I laugh while writing this because Adam was having serious anxiety thinking about starting the dance. It was totally stressing him out to where he couldn't enjoy the excitement leading up to the wedding weekend so I told him I'd start it out with him. So we did. The reception started at 6 and the flash mob was scheduled for 7 (a total surprise for Jacob & Melanie). I asked the DJ if the music was going to be loud enough because during the receiving line he was playing quiet music in the background. He told me it would be so loud that no one could talk...awesome! So I gave the DJ the nod and the music started. After Adam and I start it, the brothers join in, followed by the sisters, then in-laws, and grandkids. You can't really see the grandkids but they were all busting a move and looking awesome! Enjoy!!!

The bouquet-toss (Kenedee was standing front row and center :)

The garter-toss (which look closely and you'll see that it is a Lakers garter :)

They then ended the evening with a dance party...

Jacob and Melanie got this party started...love it!

This was the first wedding we've been to where they've pulled off a true dance-party. But I think it's because the bride & groom were rocking out the entire time. It was a fabulous evening!

Kenedee got her groove on with a few of her boy-cousins...

Congrats Jacob & Melanie, you pulled off a perfect wedding!

BARLOW BASH, part one

End of October was the ultimate Barlow bash...Taylor's return from Guam, Dennis' retirement, and Jacob/Melanie's wedding - all in three days. It was a PARTY!

First up...Friday, October 28th. Taylor (Adam's youngest brother) was returning home from his Micronesia Guam Mission...spent mostly on an island called Palau. He was supposed to arrive at 10:00 am at LAX. With me putting us a little late leaving the hotel - plenty of time anywhere else but with awesome LA traffic and his arrival getting bumped up a half hour - I thought we were going to miss his arrival. We go running into the airport (last ones to arrive) and see that he has yet to walk out those doors...a big phew from my end. We ended up waiting another half hour at least. But the Barlows were enjoying their breakfast burritos so they were content (I'm not a fan but they LOVE these things). Dennis makes these posters for each of his sons when they return home and as a fellow poster-maker myself, I was quite impressed. The grandkids held that proud for at least a half hour waiting for their Uncle Taylor... 

Everyone was there...all 39 of us. Dennis & Annell (CA), McKay & Julie's family (ID), Jeff & Amber's family (OR), our family (AZ), Matt & Kristen's family (MI), Clark & Holly's family (UT), Greg & Heidi's family (NJ), Jacob & Melanie (CA), Kim (UT), and Hannah (CA).

Uncle Taylor!!!!! The grandkids had grown so much in 2 years, with 6 new ones he'd never met (Lydia, Brigham, McKenzie, Ellen, Davis & Pierce)

Lincoln had a major meltdown because we wanted him to take a picture with Taylor...he was having a ROUGH morning.

From the airport we went straight to Dennis' retirement luncheon, which was held back in Burbank at Castaway Restaurant that overlooked the entire valley...beautiful. We walked in and instantly felt like VIP...it was a big deal that all 10 of his kids were there that day, spouses, and 20 grandkids. He was a loved man!

The kids checking out the tables before everyone arrived...

Dennis is the biggest candy fan so each of the tables were overflowing with goodies...the grandkids' ultimate lunch feast! They even had these little M&Ms (jack-o-lantern faces on them) that said 'good luck dennis' on the back. The City of Burbank went all out for this man, it was pretty special.

Dennis is also the biggest fan of Bob's Big Boy (he grew up eating there and still loves to go there). So the city had Mr. Big Boy himself show up in person...talk about awesome.  

Who has a picture with Bob's Big Boy...we do :)

Lincoln was in candy heaven!

After lunch they had a program with awards and thoughts about Dennis (the City Attorney of Burbank for 14 years). It was pretty neat to hear what everyone had to say about him. There were also a few mormon jokes, big family jokes, no alcohol jokes, kind of funny. One of the funniest parts was when Mr. Big Boy was presenting him with an award and the City Manager was pretending to be speaking for him, making up on the spot the funniest things since Mr. Big Boy couldn't speak.

Adam's sisters prepared this song for their dad and performed it that afternoon...

He is an amazing man with an amazing family...like I said much love for Dennis that afternoon...

 

Some of the gifts/awards he received...

After the luncheon, we headed back to hotel so the kids/cousins could enjoy some time at the pool. It was a beautiful afternoon.

That evening we went over to the Stake Center so Taylor could get released from his mission as a full-time serving missionary. There was a powerful spirit there as Taylor bore his testimony to us. Another special moment.

After that meeting, we were able to get Adam's parents to take Jacob home while the rest of us stayed in the church parking lot and practiced our surprise flash mob dance that would be performed at Jacob/Melanie's reception the following day. Annell had put me in charge of choreographing a dance so I filmed it and put it on YouTube so the family members could all learn it a month prior to this weekend. Taylor picked it right up, grandkids had it all memorized, adults were looking awesome...get excited!

Sand Volleyball

A favorite of ours is sand volleyball. Now that the weather has cooled down, we've met up a few times at the park near our house to picnic and play sand volleyball with friends. The kids are entertained for hours in the sand while the adults enjoy an evening of volleyball.

One night in particular (October 21st) we decided to ride our bikes to the park. Pierce was a nice boy and fell asleep, sleeping most of the evening in the bike trailer...

Lincoln decided to dig out a massive hole, big enough to sit in, which kept him busy for the evening...awesome.

Some of the kids playing while the adults took a break...

Big Day!!!!

October 19th - a big day for Kenedee and Lincoln. It first started off with our last pool day for the season...we're gonna miss our pool days.

 

But the big news occured that evening when both kids mastered their bikes without training wheels. Kenedee has been riding here and there for the last 6 months without training wheels but she took a fall a few months ago and has been timid ever since. We decided to take off Lincoln's training wheels (the bike he got from Powell when he skiied for the first time). The first time going down the street Adam was able to let go and watch him ride, amazing. By the second time down he was riding by himself, skills. This kid has got skills. Go Lincoln-boy!!!!!

Since Lincoln mastered it so quickly, Kenedee decided it was time she could ride her bike. Here she is riding solo...

Brotherly Love

Pierce loves Lincoln and Lincoln loves Pierce. I think one of the most rewarding things to watch as a parent is the sibling interaction and love that goes on between one another. Lincoln is the sweetest little thing to Pierce and loves to get right in his face. He can make Pierce laugh, smile, scream, it's pretty fun to watch. Lincoln is going to love having another boy around to rough up with once he gets a little bigger.

I took these pictures one morning (October 17th) of the two boys interacting. Love it!

(6 1/2 months old) Pierce is starting to sit up for a few seconds, still working on that one, but spends most of his day on his belly just happy as can be. He's got killer back muscles from extending himself out (his freefall skydiving move)...

I don't think you'll find a happier baby. Pierce you are one sweet boy!!!