Tag Archives: East Coast

November 23, 2014 · 10:07 PM

The First Big Trip — Part Two

Can it even be called “Part Two” when “Part One” was two months ago? I don’t want to think about it.

Let’s instead focus on the wedding of the year. This wedding was spectacular for a myriad of reasons: it was the marriage of one of my best, closest friends I’ve known since I was 13, it took place at an extraordinary farm on the same road as the farm my parents lived on during their first year of marriage (I mean, seriously!), and it was on July 26 — the twins’ first birthday! All of this just further reinforces our life-long friendship connection.

Plus it was gorgeous. But when this lady is the star of the show, isn’t that obvious?

The ceremony was a Catholic mass, which was beautiful and solemn and celebratory all at once. The bride’s brother sang, her sister served as maid of honor, and her parents radiated joy the entire day (that’s her happy mom Anne to the left in the photo).

Plus this was the jaw-dropping cathedral.

Amy married Brian, who you may remember from Italy, and he is one of the funniest and most generous people I know. Now, he’s also one of the luckiest.

Side note: that dress. I cannot even. It is exquisite.

During the ceremony my family took care of the babies, one of whom fell fast asleep. Hint: it wasn’t the one in the tiny tan suit, it was the one in the tiny Parisian dress.

Their bridal party was top-notch — entirely supportive, hugely fun, and, if I may say, uncommonly attractive — check us out just working it during the photo sesh:

They couldn’t have been more welcoming to this lone bridesmaid from the west, to the point that I’m keeping in touch with a few of them…this bride has great taste in friends.

Plus we really excelled at kicking back.

The reception site was a completely updated and renovated farm. It had a gorgeous hundreds-year-old farmhouse where the ladies got ready, a refurbished barn for the dinner and dancing, and picture-perfect grounds with lush weeping willows and a peaceful pond.

I mean, look at that magazine-worthy barn.

Amy is probably the most thoughtful bride I’ve ever encountered. She told her photographer in advance to take family photos of us because it was the twins’ birthday. We couldn’t believe it and we’re so thrilled with these priceless memories we’ll always treasure.

A little back story: last year, the babies were scheduled for induction on July 25, and I was so wrapped up in that it didn’t even occur to me that the following day was the one-year-prior-to-the-wedding day. Once the babies were born on that day instead, I think it took a full day afterward, in my drug-addled state, to turn to my mom and say, “Wait, what day is Amy’s wedding? Is it today next year? Were the babies born on her wedding day?” And as I said it I knew. And I felt a mix of new-mom joy and anxiety, with an exclamation-ridden thought train that looked like this:

“Oh my gosh Amy and Brian and the twins are going to share this day forever!!”

“Amy will be with the twins on their birthday!”

“I’m a bridesmaid so I will be busy the whole day…away from my babies on their first birthday…I had these children hours ago and I’m already feeling like the worst mom ever for missing their birthday!”

“It doesn’t matter, this is her WEDDING day! FAR more important than a million birthdays!”

“We can just have their birthday party the week before! This isn’t a big deal at all!”

“I can’t be away from them on their first birthday! I am just going to pretend this isn’t happening until it is.”

“I hope this doesn’t occur to Amy so she doesn’t worry about it! It’s NOT her problem, she’s the BRIDE!”

You can see I didn’t over-think it at all.

Well, I shouldn’t have given it any thought. Amy humbled me to my knees with a mini-birthday party right in the middle of the reception.

Her parents announced that it was Henry and Arden’s birthday and out came custom cupcakes and the entire room of guests sang happy birthday. I was so moved, so totally overwhelmed, I did a lot of the thrilled-while-half-crying face. A lot.

Who’s the luckiest boy in the room? Usually the groom. In this moment, Henry.

In a moment I’ll always remember, Mike lifted Arden high in his arms and she did what she always does when he does that — she kicked her legs in unison and we yelled “swim swim swim!” while she went crazy with happiness. To our surprise, everyone started yelling “swim swim swim!” and she just kicked her little heart out.

My heart was so full. Standing next to the new Mrs. Fuga, surrounded by her wonderful family and mine, amazed that we’ve been friends since she was 12 and I was 13 — and here she was yielding the spotlight on her biggest day to celebrate my precious babies. It was just overwhelming and so undeserved.

After dinner…the dancing, which was phenomenal. It may be worth your time to inquire about this DJ. He killed it.

(Bridal party entrances are key.)

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Weddings with family are everything.

What a spectacular wedding filled with an enormous amount of love.

And I have this girl to thank. Seventeen years and counting, my friend! Cheers to you on marrying the love of your life. Thank you for allowing us to share in your joy.

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Filed under UpWORD (Beauty)

Tagged as Amy Hofmann, babies, East Coast, Family, marriage, royal weddings, twins, Weddings

September 21, 2014 · 8:57 PM

The First Big Trip — Part One

The motivation to get us on our first plane ride with the twins was a wedding; a glorious wedding, as it turned out, one that happened to fall on the twins’ birthday. And this wedding was a non-negotiable because it was the nuptials of one of my greatest friends of all time, and I was in it. It’s always good to show up when you’re a bridesmaid.

I did my fair share of fingernail chewing about having two infants on a plane, but it wasn’t nearly the endeavor it could have been because my entire family was traveling with us. They adore Amy and Brian too, so they were every bit as committed to getting there as we were.

Off we flew to Philadelphia (direct, of course. There IS no other way to fly with babies.)

Fun Twin Flying Fact: one cannot have two lap-babies in a row. Not just on one side, but all six seats across. So at any given moment, all seven of us had to ensure that we passed the babies forward and backward so as not to break this rule. Believe me, the stewardesses caught us more than once when we weren’t paying attention and the babies were adjusted accordingly.

Shocking no one more than me and Mike, the twins were virtually silent on the plane. Perfectly content, happy with the novelty of the new sights (and snacks). They didn’t cry once. It was some sort of air travel nirvana.

Once we arrived, we had the joy of introducing the babies to their extended family, some of whom they’d already met (thank you aunties and uncle for visiting!). The most important introduction was to my grandpa, the husband of Arden Charlotte’s namesake. I had been anticipating their meeting since the day they were born. I’m very close with my grandpa, so him meeting them was enormously emotional for me — it was like introducing the babies to a piece of my heart.

They also got to meet little Avery, the newest addition to the family, daughter of my cousins Amy and Joel. She’s so precious, and her hair makes my children green with envy — I mean, Arden won’t even acknowledge her.

We had so much fun with them all together. We plunged them into the pool in little floaties, because well, how could we resist this?

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This was the twins’ first real swimming experience, and they were timid but grew to love it. Arden’s swim trick (Mike always holds her in the air and says “Swim swim swim!” and she does a perfect breaststroke that you wouldn’t believe) translated beautifully to actual swimming.

Feel free to stop me if you feel your heart giving out.

Since the babies cleared their first bite of cake at their birthday party the previous week, we felt it was only fair that they try the local specialty: a Dunkin Donut. Dunkin Donuts are sacred terrority in my family, with multiple runs to DD’s being made for breakfast in each visit east. They didn’t get a whole donut, just a bite or two each, but it was all that they dreamed, I’m sure of it.

Their favorite place in the house was the kitchen, rustling up Great Grandpa’s pots and pans. They never get to be in the kitchen at home, so this was like a theme park.

Mostly we just soaked up time with loved ones we don’t see often enough. It’s so amazing to be thirty years old and realize your heart is still feeling new emotions — this trip afforded me the joy of sharing my children with the family I’ve treasured my entire life. My cousin Allie, pictured below, being silly with Arden, is a perfect example.

It’s a joy coupled with pain, I soon realized, because Henry and Arden don’t get to see their wonderful great-grandpa and great aunts and uncles nearly enough. I would love so much for them to grow up seeing each other every week.

I mean, look at the joy in these faces.

My generous aunt Beth threw a birthday party for the babies, and it was so adorable — the accessories were everything.

Henry! Your eyes. I could faint. Arden, your cheeks! It’s too much.

*Side note: Henry’s hat had to be cut at the side to fit over his head. Further proof it’s larger than the average one year old. Don’t worry, it’s just holding your huge brain, Hank!

I know. I can’t talk about my hair here either. All I can say is: humidity + growing out bangs = lethal.

If you’re just dazzled by their enthusiasm, it’s because it was about 8PM and their bedtime is 7PM. They were, shall we say, less than agreeable.

But we partied on!

You’d think we’d just told them their cupcakes were made of quinoa and stuffed with spinach. Or maybe they misunderstood what birthdays are and they think people arrive with packages to take your toys away?

We had some deja vu with the cake rejection here too.

Henry: “Don’t you people learn?”

Arden: “No means no.”

After several relaxing days spent with the family, we headed off to Lancaster for the wedding of the year. Wait until you see this gorgeous couple and their wedding locale. Oh, and Henry in a suit and Arden in a Parisian dress. I can hear your toe tapping so I’ll get right on that.

Part Two coming soon!

2 Comments

Filed under One WORD (Current Events)

Tagged as airplane, Amy Hofmann, Annie Snyder, babies, birthday, East Coast, Family, travel, twins

January 18, 2012 · 3:28 PM

Snow Daze

A funny thing happens when it snows in Seattle like it has in the last week: everything stops.

Plans, commitments, meetings, driving, working (except for me). This sounds terribly inconvenient, but in fact, it is glorious.

Nothing excites me more than normal life coming to an absolute halt. Do I have appointments that I wish I could have kept? Of course. But do I love that we all have to hunker down and do nothing more than be at home? Absolutely.

In the last five days it has snowed off and on, accumulating to about four inches in Kirkland, two in Seattle, and many more further north and south of us. That is not a significant amount of snow. But when you live in a city that operates approximately three snow plows and sits on more hills than I can count, there is a lockdown situation.

And I couldn’t be happier.

I have the privilege of wielding a double-edged sword called “I Get to Work from Home.” I am grateful that I get paid to sit at home with my laptop, but I am a little bummed that a “snow day” for me doesn’t mean I can frolic outside for six hours.

And I am fully aware of how obnoxious that attitude is for those who can’t work from home and have to take a vacation day or who just won’t get paid. Three cheers for whining about blessings!

One of the funniest parts of witnessing a Seattle snowstorm is watching the residents’ reactions. For those of you who inhabit a colder climate than ours, you would find yourself wishing you could bottle Seattleites’ hollers of terror and drink them later for a nice buzz.

Facebook is always the first thing to explode.

“Weatherman says 2 – 4 inches! OMG how am I going to get to work!?!?”

“I just stocked up on enough food and water for a year!!”

“I purchased tire chains and can’t freaking figure out how to put them on!”

“I just drove home from the store and it was the CRAZIEST SCARIEST ride of my life!!! Don’t do it!!”

And then the one jaded Northeast native always chimes in, “Seriously? You call this snow?”

Listen, I am a Northeast native, and despite the snows of my childhood being measured in feet rather than inches, I can honestly say that my feelings for Seattle snow run deep. I love that any amount of snow in Seattle means that my days will stretch from one relaxing evening to the next. I love that when I go to the store, half the aisles are empty because people are planning for the apocalypse. I love that no one so much as questions your inability to get anywhere. I love that people take to the streets like gold is floating down from the sky instead of snowflakes.

I also love it because of what it forces us to do — slow down. Mike’s classes were canceled for the week, I work from home every day, and every afternoon we take a walk to enjoy the winter wonderland. We stay home at night, we eat in, we have silly meals to celebrate a special week (last night: a Parisian picnic in the living room, with cheese, a baguette, olives, salami and wine). We both look at each other like “Why do we ever make mid-week plans?”

Snow in Seattle also easily shaves about fifteen years off your life. Immediately you’re throwing on hats, gloves, heavy boots that are used once a year (and usually then it’s at a local ski slope), and heading out the door to smile at every person you see as you all converge to marvel at the transformed landscape.

That and make snow angels like it’s your job.

Mike and Phil decided that the pristine layer of snow on our building’s second story patio needed their impressions. Shortly after that, they spotted a friend of ours on his deck in the condo building across from us, and a snowball fight ensued — from building to building.