Lions & Weddings & Pierced Ears OH MY!

So I guess it has been a minute since my last post.  Once summer finally arrived things began to get busy and I guess we've been going going going ever since!  Her are a few of the things that we've been up to in recent weeks ...

LIONS

Payton and two of her friends had their first trip to the zoo a little less than two weeks ago.  We took the kids to a small zoo here in Jersey called the Turtle Back Zoo.  It was a little hot, and it was the middle of the day so most of the animals were relaxing in the shade, but that didn't bother us, and it certainly didn't bother the kids!  I'm not sure if Payton, Nila and Kai enjoyed the zoo as much as us parents did, but we got some great pictures and I'm looking forward to showing them to her and telling her all about it once she's a little older.

Payton and I underneath a giant sunflower

Teran & Kumiko checking our maps

Payton hanging out by the turtles

Teran and Nila checking out an exhibit

milk break!

our protection!  the mosquito zapper!

Birdies

Payton!

nope ... we didn't see any lions but we did see this alligator!

WEDDINGS

So July must have been the month for weddings this year.  I was invited to three, but could only attend two because two of them were on the same day.  The first wedding that i went to this month was over 4th of July weekend.  It was the wedding of my good friend Anique and her now husband Jonathan.  This wedding was particularly special because it was a destination wedding on the very remote island of Anguilla.  I wasn't ready to take Payton out of the country yet so she stayed in New Jersey and had a fun weekend with Kwame's mom.  This was the first time that we'd spent the night apart since she was born.  Although I missed my Payton terribly ... Anique and Jon put together a wonderful weekend in Anguilla and I had a great time!  Cheers to the happy couple!

our first night in Anguilla and it looks like we already have a tan!  to my right is nikki.  to my left is the bride anique and on the end is morgan.

the bride walking down the aisle with her parents

newlyweds jumping the broom!

picture with the bride

Now wedding number two was last weekend.  This wedding was on Long Island and it was the wedding of my Aunt Lucylla and her now husband Lee.  Mom, Dad, Payton and I went to this wedding together.  Unfortunately Payton started crying as soon as Lucylla got down the aisle so I had to quickly leave the ceremony and didn't return till the cocktail hour.  Let's start with the first dance ...

Lucylla & Lee's first dance

Me and Victoria (she was the flower girl at my wedding two years ago)

Me, Daddy and Payton on the dance floor

Uncle John & Aunt Dot

you know there was a Soul Train Line ... that's my cousin Alana doing the moonwalk

grooms turn!

family

Pierced Ears OH MY!

So today was the big day!  There's a place in town that's very well know for ear piercing called the Grove Street Pharmacy.  My mom and I took Payton there this afternoon so that she could get her ears pierced.  I was bracing myself for the worst, but the experience wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be.  We picked out some pretty little gold star earrings for Payton and I sat down in the chair holding her while another woman held her face still so that two other women (one on each side) could do the piercing.  One - two - three ... done!  Both ears were pierced at the same time.  Payton cried for maybe 30 seconds and it was over.  When we came home she ate some carrots (oh - that's her new thing - baby food carrots ... loves them) and took a nap.

   

marking the ears

i think Payton was wondering what was going on  ???

Unfortunately there aren't any other pictures because ... well ... you'd have to ask my mom!