Hello Out There, Remember Me?

It has been so long since I have blogged. It has been so long since I even had a chance to read all my favorite blogs, but that will now change because last week, after months and months of planning, was JESSICA'S BAT MITZVAH!!!!!!!

It was so fun! It was everything I imagined and then some. Everything looked just as I imagined it! Truthfully, it was even better! It felt so good to finally be able to enjoy myself at an event that I had been looking forward to for almost a year. Jessica looked amazing! She spoke wonderfully. I was so proud of her! It was so fun to see her with all her friends having a great time! And I was so happy that so many of my friends and family were able to be there with me!

I was very stressed out all week, worried about everything being as amazing as I had dreamed it up to be. I was even more stressed because I did not get to pick up my dress from alterations till friday afternoon, a day and a half before the party. And then even more stressed when I tried the dress on saturday afternoon, and the alterations were not done as well as I'd hoped. I was actually so nervous and worried that I made Jon come home from our neighbor's house, so I could cry to him in my bedroom. :(

The morning of the party, I woke up at 6:45. Someone (from the catering place) was coming at 7 to pick up my place card boxes to take to the hotel. When she got to my house she informed me that the hotel had no power. Not exactly the news I was expecting. The caterer called me and said that if we couldn't get power in the next hour and a half, we would have to move the party elsewhere and start an hour later. More tears. A lot more. I cried for about an hour while ComEd fixed it. But by 8 we were good to go. Jessica, Emily, and I showered, went to get our hair done, and Jon bathed Will and Alyssa , and took them to the hotel.

Jackie (hair person) was amazing! She did her magic and the 3 of us looked awesome! Pulling up to the hotel, now stressfree, I walked in to see the most beautiful display of all the things I spent all year buying and designing to make the day as perfect as it was. I couldn't have been happier. The room looked amazing! Our theme was Alice In Wonderland, and although I don't have too many pictures, I did take a couple...

My Placecards... (took this pic at home, they were spread out)

The tables with the florists centerpieces...

There were also purple tables.... didn't get a pic...

Centerpieces I made... (didn't get pics of all 3)

Some other stuff I did...

I bought these awesome huge cards. They don't look big here...

But they do here....

Jessica, making her entrance...

And getting down...

The DJ, who seemed to think he was John Travolta, did a great job with his 5 other guys (well 2 were girls). Anyway, except for the fact that he did not bring his box of stuff to give out to the kids (thank god I brought extra stuff), he did an amazing job, and in the words of my cousins, "his dancers were sick." Sick meaning amazing, cool, hot. I had a really fun time. Obviously.

I can't believe that it was only a week ago, and I kinda miss having something to do. Not that I ever don't have stuff to do with a husband and 4 kids. But I mean something fun and creative to do. I worked for weeks and months on her montage. It still makes me cry when I watch it..... I feel kinda like how I did after I ran the half marathon, like I no longer have anything that's mine, and mine only, to be doing.

Luckily camp has started and it is just me and Alyssa, who is happy at the pool or beach, at home. So I can soak up some sun and enjoy summer. No Will, who wants to stay home and play wii everyday. But I love him anyway. Emily is at a sports day camp and Jessica is at a sleepover camp in Wisconsin.

Anyway, I have a lot more to write, but I think I will save some for tomorrow.... Thanks for sticking with me while I disappeared for a few months!!!

Enjoy some of our photobooth pics....