Life Before Kids?!

No, this is not a picture of us from "life before kids." It's a picture from a recent wedding we attended, but I'll get to that in a minute.

Matt and I have had this conversation more than once, "what in the world did we do before we had kids?" We truly can't remember. We assume there was sleeping in and loads of free time that we apparently did not take appropriate advantage of. We know we went out to dinner more often and went to the movies occasionally. What else did we do? Is it crazy that we can't remember? Things are so different now. Free time is a thing of the past - the present now filled with keeping two children alive on a daily basis. It's a lot harder than it sounds - believe me! But, this really isn't even the reason for this post, so I'll just get on with it...

We recently had a glorious weekend without the kids so we got a glimpse back into that life of just being husband and wife. We went to New York for our cousin Billy's wedding. I can't tell you the number of people who asked, "did you take the kids?" Ummm, no. We did not take the kids. Why would we do that when there are perfectly capable grandparents around who are more than happy to babysit for us? There are two categories of parents, and Matt and I fall into the minority (I think). We don't take our kids with us wherever we go. We miss them (a little), but we also really enjoy the time to recharge and be free of all the responsibilities. Ok, I'm off topic again...

Anyway, Matt's family knows how to party. We flew into New York on Friday afternoon and went straight to his cousin's house for a surprise birthday party for Matt's Aunt (the mother of the groom). It was also my birthday so it was tons of fun! I met the bride-to-be for the first time and she was wonderful and they looked so happy together. The wedding was the next morning and the reception shortly thereafter. Did I mention that Matt's side of the family knows how to party? We had a blast! There was so much food - it was unbelievable. The music was great - we danced until the DJ kicked us off the dance floor. There are no shy people in this family. Everyone is on their feet and ready for a good time! I swear, you could put us all in a bare room with no music and we would still be out of control! We haven't seen much of the family since the kids have been born, because, like I said, we just don't travel very much. It's always like we just saw them yesterday though.

Oh, and the kissing. Every time you say hello OR goodbye to anyone in the family it involves a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Every time - no kidding! Don't get me wrong - it is very sweet and loving. It must be hilarious to watch as an outsider though - a huge group of people hugging and kissing each and every person even though we might have only seen them hours before. I just love them all - you've really never met nicer and more loving people than the daughters, sons in law and grandkids of Grandpa Joe!

Here's the big man himself! Joe is helping Grandpa be a part of the celebration! I'm telling you- nothing keeps these people from dancing! Don't you just love the back of Melissa's dress? I've never seen a wedding dress like it and I thought it was gorgeous! Billy and Melissa have known each other practically all of their lives (I think since they were 10) and they make a beautiful couple! It's so hard for me to accept that little Billy is all grown up and married. In fact, many people referred to him as Bill over the weekend, and I had no idea who they were talking about! I think he'll always be Billy to us!

They are such fun, these Rossano boys. Crazy as you can get! Andrew (Billy's older brother) was the best man and he gave a beautiful toast to the bride and groom. Not even an hour later they were dancing and doing tricks for the crowd. They can seriously dance and it is so much fun to watch - you can't help but laugh. I would say that Billy is the more reserved of the two, but when they start dancing they look just alike!

After the reception, we all went back to Andrew's house to hang out. Andrew had quite a fireworks display planned and he did not disappoint. He cracked us up crawling around on the ground lighting all the fireworks with only his miner's light on his head to see anything. Billy joined in, and they were running all over the yard setting off every imaginable firework. Safety was really not taken into consideration. The neighbors decided to join in the festivities and started lighting fireworks of their own. I'm talking serious professional-type fireworks. It quickly became a friendly competition that eventually drew the attention of the sheriff...

It was a good weekend. We were happy to see the kids when we got home, but we enjoyed every minute of our time away (even the airport is fun if you don't often travel). And, if you ever want to make sure a party is a success...invite Matt's family - you won't be disappointed!