Wedding Bells!!!

 Elizabeth and I were up at the "crack of dawn" and heading up to the Bridal suite for our hair and make up.:)

Grandma and Grand daughter:)

Beautiful Hima getting even more beautiful:)

Mom and me:)

Elizabeth and Kaitlyn:)

Mom, Hima's 85 year old grandmother who traveled from india, an Hima's sweet mom:)

The beautiful bride on the trolley to the church:)

I didn't bring my camera with me for the wedding since I was a bridesmaid and I thought it would probably look really weird if I was taking pictures throughout the ceremony..but trust me when I say that the ceremony was beautiful and my nephew and Jeremy and Elizabeth did wonderful job during the wedding, and Guy did AMAZING reading the prayer!!!:)

The Arch of Swords ceremony after the wedding was beautiful!:)  For a bit more info on this tradition, you can click here.

A few pictures after the wedding...

The four grandchildren:)

The three siblings on the trolley:)

And then, the reception in Pasadena, Maryland:)

Mom, me and a few cousins:)

wouldn't be a party without Corn Hole:)

It was a gorgeous reception venue:)

My little cousin, Andrea and her daughter, Anna:)

Hima's grandmother led an Indian blessing ceremony...

You put flower petals and rice on the new couples heads and wish them well...

I followed my dad's lead and wished them to have many babies!!:)

My cousin, Carrie, and me:)

Aunt Mary and Nora:)

Beautiful reception...

Great live band!!:)

Toast from the Best Man, Greg:)

And one of the most precious moments from the evening...the Mother/Son dance.:)

And I was a bit late getting pictures of the cake cutting with the sword..but managed to get a few pictures of the happy couple having their cake:)

And then, it was time to boogie:)

Grandpa and grand daughter:)

And it was a perfect evening celebrating the new beginning of such a wonderful couple.  I wish you all the best that life has to offer, Andrew and Hima!!  I can't wait to see where this next chapter of your lives takes you!!! Love you both!!!:)

Annapolis and Crabs!

So, just a few weeks after getting back to Groningen from our holday in france, we were off again.  This time we were United States bound to celebrate the wedding of my youngest brother to his beautiful fiance, Hima!:)

Jeremy relaxing on the giant bear in Schipol airport:)

We flew into Washington D.C. on Wednesday, June 14...which also just happend to be my parents' 42nd wedding anniversary!:)  And on Thirsday morning, while Guy ran a few stateside errands, my dad took the kids and me for a tour around The Naval Academy at Annapolis.:)  ( Both he and my youngest brother, Andrew gradutated from the academy...30 years apart from each other.:))  Needless to say, I did not inherit the smarts from my dad!:)

A few Hesiman Trophy winners graduated from Annapolis:)

Dad was in his element...explaining the finction of turbines to the kids!:)

Dad's graduating class in Naval Architecture in 1975

Andrew's graduating class in Naval architecture in 2005

Largest wave pool...tests the effects on waves on Naval fleets

Dad sharing some more of his knowledge with Lizzy:)

Crest for the class of 1975

Naval academy chapel..where Andrew and Hima got married:)

Crypt under the chapel where John Paul Jones,father of the Navy, is buried.
You can read more about John Paul Jones by clicking here.

Dad also took us on a tour of the chapel to show both Jeremy and Elizabeth where they would be walking to take the offertory gifts to the altar during the wedding.:)

We picked mom back up at the hotel that afternoon and went for lunch at the Officer's Club and then did a bit more touring.:)  Below is a picture of my parents with Tecumseh. Tecumseh is an icon at the academy and is "decked out" a few times a year. you can read more about this academy tradition here.

Bancroft Hall...the dormitory for all the midshipmen.

Inside Bancroft Hall is Memorial Hall. This hall honors all the active duty men and women in the Navy who have lost their lives in battle and maneuvers.  The flag with the words" Don't Give Up the Ship" is displayed prominently in the hall.  The words "Don't Give Up the Ship" were the dying command of James Lawrence in 1813 aboard the USS Chesapeake.  You can read more about him here.

And then, that night...it was time for Jeremy and Elizabeth to learn how to eat crabs east coast style...

Andrew and Hima met us :)

And the night was topped off with Jeremy having another Ferrari sighting!!:)