Of course, December brought a much anticipated break from work and school... and plenty of time for Christmas celebrations with both sides of our family. Though not all of my husband's family could gather in one place this year, most of us spent the few days before Christmas in Virginia together. Those who couldn't be there in person opened presents with us over Skype! And we still made it back to NJ in time to celebrate Christmas with my family.
This year, it was truly more fun to give than receive... we had some special news to share, and what better time than the holidays when everyone is all in one place? Our immediate families were already in on our secret, but we decided Christmas was an appropriate time to spread the word of our pregnancy to our extended families! I had fun shopping for and making some one-of-a-kind gifts for our grandparents. When they opened their gifts, our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins alike quickly realized that the really great gift is coming in July!
The family certainly shared in our joy and excitement! But, the birth of our Savior and the news of our baby's upcoming birth were not the only things to celebrate in December. This month was also a time to celebrate the wedding of one of my best friends!
Early in the month, we took the bachelorette out in New York City for a night on the town with a lot of her close girl friends. We learned some salsa moves at a private dance lesson, enjoyed delicious food and our own secluded space at a restaurant in Greenwich Village, and bought the bachelorette a drink or two at a nearby bar before returning to her sister's Upper East Side apartment to open some "girly" presents and chat until the wine ran out. We had a great time!
Just a few weeks later, on December 28, was the big day! It was a breath-takingly beautiful day ... the sun was shining (and thankfully the temperatures were mild for late December!), the church and reception site were decked out in red and white flowers from her family's florist, the bride looked gorgeous, the groom's smile brought me to tears, and all of their friends and family had a great time!
I could not be happier for my best friend and her new husband. While married life certainly won't be perfect, I'm so glad they have each other on this new adventure!
I hope these photos will give you just a glimpse of this special day... thanks to Aaron Berger Photography for capturing these memories so beautifully! Looking at the pictures makes me want to rewind and live the day all over again!
Congrats A&C! The best is yet to come...
