and they lived happily ever after...

and they lived happily ever after...

Yesterday, two of our favorite people shared beautiful vows and began their married life together. It was a really special day all around, and I wanted to share it with you.

Jennifer has been a part of our family for about ten years now. She came into our lives when she was younger than #1 is now - she babysat #s 1 & 2 when they were very young. She has always been incredibly reliable, level-headed, and incredibly loving to our boys. She was the first babysitter that #3 had and by the time he came along, she was a member of our crew.

In high school she had this cute boyfriend - a wrestler - and he was just as easy-going and darling as she was. He soon became a part of our lives and was easy to love. The two of them have always seemed like a comfortable married couple, thus it was never any surprise that they would one day have a wedding of their own. And lucky for us, we were a part of that amazing event yesterday.

Our day began early with a trip to the ferry terminal to catch a ferry. They were to be married on a beautiful and incredibly quaint island off the Washington coast in the San Juan Islands.

We had never been and I was really looking forward to the day trip with my husband and #4 - the only child we had this weekend.

There is something about the west coast ferries that remind me of my childhood. We spent summers traveling from the midwest to Vancouver, BC and then taking the ferry to see my grandparents on a small island in the Canadian Gulf Islands. Those trips are my most treasured childhood memories - days spent on the beach playing on the driftwood, climbing boulders out to the point, finding starfish and other interesting sea treasures that we certainly didn't have in the midwest. The smell of arbutus, evergreen, and the salty air will forever bring back those memories for me.

This was #4s first real trip on a ferry and he loved it! He ran around the deck, spotting seagulls and sailboats, covering his ears when the horn blew. It was nice to be able to really enjoy the trip with him as we could really focus on the things a four year old would like. We ate junk food - too much junk food - but it was fun.

When the boat docked we had a few hours to meander around the island exploring before we had to be at the winery for the ceremony. We drove to what little village there was, poked around the Saturday market, and then headed to the little bakery and coffee shop to find another treat or two...

{how cute is this guesthouse???}

We also took the time to let #4 run around a bit. We even found two HUGE frogs!

In the late afternoon we found our way to the winery and spent some time visiting with people we hadn't seen for some time, as well as Jennifer's family whom we have known for nearly as long as we have known Jen. It was an incredibly casual atmosphere - a garden party - so perfectly Jen and Paul.

The winery was absolutely beautiful - set in the countryside, surrounded by row after row of grape vines, flower gardens, a beautiful fire pit area, as well as arbors and a few lovely buildings.

It was a gorgeous sunny day with a light breeze and just the right temperature. There was a wine bar with wines from the winery set up next to the vines where the grapes for the white wines were grown. Truly magical.

We were able to visit with the beautiful bride and handsome groom - they were so trendy and cute!

{the man hug}

{notice little man playing with the iPhone behind my chair...}

{and again after the ceremony - that thing is a life saver!}

The ceremony itself was magical. It was relaxed, there was a lot of laughter, and the vows were so incredibly touching and heartfelt that I nearly had tears listening to them.

They were surrounded by so much love - people whom they had known forever, family, high school friends, loved ones. They were serenaded by a wonderful song after the ceremony - truly romantic and touching.

If ever two people were in love, it is Jen and Paul. We felt so incredibly honored that they would invite us to share in such a wonderful moment in their lives, and wish for them all of the love, happiness, laughter, and romance that life can bring. We love you!!!