Saturday, June 18th was our final and most anticipated day in Alabama...it was Andrew's sister Rachel's wedding day! She married a super sweet, worth-a-million-bucks kind of a guy named Drew Downs in the Birmingham, Alabama Temple (if you don't know much about Mormon temples but wonder, click HERE).
It was a beautifully HOT morning for a wedding. The kids [mostly] wore smiles on their faces and matching suits and dresses (aren't they cute??), accompanied by sweet rosy cheeks and glistening hairstyles. Rachel and Drew hardly seemed to notice the heat. They were beaming with ear-to-ear smiles all day long! It was contagious. I love being around happy newlyweds.
The Downs hosted a wedding luncheon in an LDS church building just across the street from the temple. You could tell they had planned in advance for the 20 Norris munchkins...they had a little table set in the middle of the room especially for them, complete with coloring books and crayons for each child, and lovingly made heart-shaped PB&J sandwiches for all. Taylor dug it. (So did I).
Taylor struggled to nap that day.
And after struggling to survive the heat and enjoying the wedding and luncheon festivities fully, Taylor's body would not accept playing more at the wedding reception at the Hoover Country Club that night. Andrew and I moved him around a lot and still to my amazement, he crashed! We found a large comfy chair near the food (for Andrew and I, of course) and let my exhausted 3 year-old snooze.
The wedding cake and bridal bouquet took my breath away. Every detail at this wedding was beautifully done--to perfection.
We all had a great time at the reception. It had the most "party" feel to a reception of any I've ever attended! Rachel and Drew hired a live deejay who kept the dance floor active for most of the night. I hadn't been out dancing since I married Andrew, so I put myself out there and had a great time shakin' it up. Russell, our little social butterfly baby, showed evidence of fatigue but thrived in the party atmosphere. Taylor eventually woke up and enjoyed food and dancing too.
Here are some snippets from the reception, top-to-bottom:
Top Left: Drew's parents, Drew, Rachel, and Rachel's (Andrew's) parents in a receiving line near the entrance of the Hoover Country Club.
Top Right: Andrew and Taylor dancing on the dance floor to one of Taylor's favorite songs that he calls "Baby Tonight" (more about that story HERE).
Bottom Left: Andrew dancing with his mom briefly during a mother/son dance. He had to share that lovely lady..Andrew's four other brothers took a turn with Mom during the dance too.
Bottom Right: Rachel and Drew's wedding guests enjoying beautifully displayed hors d'oeuvres.
The wedding was a great way to end our vacation. Congratulations to Rachel and Drew, and thank you dear Norris family for some of the best two weeks of our lives! We love you.
1 comment:
Adorable picture at the end, Tiff!! Your family is so gorgeous!!
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