Anticipation Month of October- Blog 3: Letters from Mom & Mimi

Well My Beautiful Flower-Girl (and let's hope we can tame that hair!),

It’s finally time to get you down the aisle.  Your Uncle Ryan and Aunt Samantha are taking their vows in two days, it will be one of the most important, memorable, beautiful moments in their lives…. Please behave!  Ellie, this is one of the few times I will bribe you (with anything, you name it- M&M’s, stuffed animals, my lipstick).  Please.Make.It.Down.The.Aisle (without a tantrum) and I mind as well go for broke and ask that you also are good for the entire Catholic ceremony.  And considering our weekly Mass visits are always in the children’s room and you yell bye-bye about halfway through (and your latest stunt is to lay on the ground in the middle of the sermon and pretend to snore loudly), I think this is an understandable (but probably unreasonable) favor. 

You are quite the personality as you will not wear a bow in your hair, and we made sure the dress is a comfortable (with no tulle) as can be.  If you could go down in your pj’s barefoot, that might bode best for all of us.  Please don’t scream so loud that Sam and Ryan can’t hear their “I do’s.” 

You were an angel on the flight down (but really, you are an old pro at flying… are you on your 11^th roundtrip now?  Or is it your 10^th?).  Your Dad’s IPad really kept you busy.   We finally get to meet beautiful Scarlett and play with Colin.  Oh this weekend is going to be so fun catching up with family!

So Miss Ellie, my stubborn but oh-so-smart girl, I must cut this letter short as we need to get ready for all the festivities.  My little brother (whom I look up to, admire, love, and have so many memories with) is getting married this weekend.  

The blonde haired, blue eyed, Buddha bellied baby

sibling of mine is starting his own family by taking Sam’s hand (and look at him now- the professor and graphic designer... so successful, kind, and intelligent).  

You got to visit your Uncle Ryan's office when we went back to Pennsylvania this summer Ellie.

Uncle Ryan's university office is in a really cool, old building on campus!
 
I am proud to call Ryan my brother, my friend, and your uncle (and you get so excited to see him in person and over skype- you love him as much as I do).  And now he is going to be a husband.   

I am not losing my brother, I am gaining a sister and you are getting another Aunt, Ellie (and we couldn't ask for anyone better- Samantha is simply fabulous).   

There is so much to celebrate.  We are together as a family (as you can see below, we already get along so well- this is us at the Spiderman play on Broadway from July) and we are happy (and excited for more adventures). 

I will give all the wedding details in next week's blog. 

 

Ellie, be a good girl.

Love,

Mom

And now from your Mimi...

Hi Ellie!

The anticipation is building!  I wonder if England’s Royalty had as much fun preparing for Will and Kate’s wedding as we are having preparing Aunt Samantha and Uncle Ryan’s wedding!  Thank goodness for checklists… for every time we’ve checked something off, we added two more things that we forgot!

Well to start with we landed in Florida last Sunday and stayed with Great Gram and Pop Russell.  They have an absolutely beautiful home in Sarasota and are the perfect hostess and host, always making us feel right at home!  Your Great-Gram had the tea ready and waiting along with every kind of snack imaginable!  (For future reference…. When staying with Gigi, lose 10 pounds before you go, otherwise your dress won’t fit the day of the big event!)

On Monday we ran lots of errands.  Uncle Ryan and Aunt Samantha thought it would be nice to give out “gift pails” to their guests staying at the hotel as a thank you for traveling the distance and celebrating with them.  So we loaded the van up with water, oranges, snacks and candy and on Wednesday Aunt Sammy and her girlfriend Maria took them over to the hotel to be assembled! We also picked up the last of the candles, the ring-bearer pillow and your flower basket at Michael’s while Poppy and Great Pop-pop picked up more pool supplies and toys for you and Colin to play with both at Aunt Joanne’s pool and at the hotel pool!  And believe it or not, we got in a bit of shopping at the mall too, which always lifts ones spirits!  And yes, I have now bought my third dress to wear to the wedding!... but I swear Ellie, this is the one as it is so elegant, so regal, and so electric blue!!

On Tuesday evening we had time to share an enjoyable and relaxing evening with  friends…. Molly, Kim, Seth and Scarlett who were the first of the guests to arrive!  Your Aunt Joanne was so sweet; she had us all come over to her house for a fantastic Italian take-out dinner from Valentino’s.  Your Uncle Ryan’s friends, Paul and Chris flew in today and were able to join us too, as well as your Aunt Sammy’s friend Maria!  It gave us the opportunity to share time with them before the anticipated craziness of what was still to come!  Aunt Joanne has been just as excited as everyone else with the planning of the wedding.  Wait till you see what she has done with her home for this wonderful wedding weekend!   Beautiful wreaths of greens, purples and whites adorn her doors, a huge banner announcing the new Mr. and Mrs. Russell, life size statues dressed in wedding attire, thanks to the wedding party’s participation, and piped in organ music that would take your breath away!  Your Mommy will make sure to put pictures in next week’s blog to show you, as I don’t know how much of this you will remember at your young age Ellie!

Wednesday was an equally fun and crazy day!  Poppy and I moved out of Great Gram’s home and into the hotel.  Aunt Samantha’s family arrived in the latter part of the morning and your Great-gram Jones and Aunt Sheri, and Donna and Wes arrived in the latter part of the afternoon!  Friends of your aunt and uncle started arriving that day too!  I made sure to have a morning trial run with a hair-do that would “do” for Saturday and started writing out the individual table seating’s with each guest’s name.  Hopefully I will finish them by Friday with time to spare!  I did finally find you a pair of white patent leather shoes and lacy socks to complete your flower girl attire!  (Hopefully Ellie, you keep them on through the ceremony!) After that…. It’s ok for you to be the little free spirit that you are!  And a pizza party at Great Gram and Pop’s was the perfect way to end a beautiful day!

Now Thursday is here.   And even though it is a bit early to end this blog for this week, I feel I have no choice Ellie as I will no longer have any free minutes to write.  You see in a couple of hours we are to be at a pool party at your aunt and uncle’s country club with all the guests that have checked in so far and later this afternoon we will be anxiously awaiting yours, your mommy and your daddy’s arrival!  Yayyyyyyyy!  You three will complete my smile Ellie Bean!   Once you arrive, we will all be heading over to your Aunt Joanne and Uncle Doug’s house for a huge barbeque party! And I can already tell you even before it is here that it will be a phenomenal night!  Joanne went all out with the catering, the wine, the music and the festivities to guarantee a memorable pre-wedding get-together with all our family and friends!

Tomorrow is the beach party and the wedding rehearsal!  Did you know that people are taking bets on whether you will walk down the aisle or not?  Your great-gram Russell thought to buy oodles of M&M’s possibly to make a trail that will lead you down the aisle.  Your mommy says absolutely not, especially since you will be wearing a pretty white dress!  Apparently You, M&Ms and white are not a “clean” combination!  And there are others Ellie that wonder if you are going to hold Colin’s, the ring-bearers, hand or give him the cool shoulder!  No matter as you are so adorable, and since you have already won the hearts of all attending, whatever you decide to do will surely make everyone giggle!  Anticipating your next move only adds to the merriment of this beautiful event!

And then comes Saturday Ellie.  The big day!  Your humorous and very bright uncle will be taking the beautiful and kind-spirited Samantha as his forever bride.  I pray for the sun to shine, the sky to be blue, the spirit of passed loved ones to be present, happiness to fill everyone’s hearts and love to be within each of us all the days that are ours.  You see Ellie, your Poppy and I feel very blessed.  To be so lucky in having love in our lives, we wish for everyone else to have this same precious gift.  And you precious grand-daughter are at its very center!

So till next week Ellie Bean when your mommy and I can blog together about your Aunt and Uncle’s wedding day festivities…. I shall always love you with all my heart!

See you soon!

Mimi