Beach Wedding

It took for a cousin from Minnesota to get married for us to attend our first beach wedding.  While it was a destination wedding for them - Minnesota to California - it was a 2 hour drive and an overnight stay for us.  And memories to last a lifetime!

At the end of June, here was the ceremony location - Asilomar State Beach

Cutie before the ceremony

Daddy & Drew

Family Photo Courtesy Jodi

After an amazing ceremony we shuttled back to the reception site in Pacific Grove (Monterey).

The Sisters
L-R: Aunt Ardy, Aunt Connie, Grandma Geri

 And then we tried to recreate a family photo from my wedding (more cousins for this one)

Front L-R: Lauren, Grammy Kathie, Me
Back L-R: Katie, Jodi, Grandma Geri, Aunt Connie, Linda (Mother-of-the-Bride), Kristen (Bride), Sandy, Aunt Ardy

My Handsome Guys

Awesome "Guest Book"
Fingerprints with your name on the "leaves"

Daddy & Drew dancing

 It was really special that the Pastor who married my cousin, was also the Pastor who married Dave and I... nine years ago!

Dave, Drew & I with Pastor Karen

The next morning we left Drew with Grammy and GrampC and Dave and I embarked on one of my all-time favorite training runs... through Monterey.

Dave & I at the 1/2 way turnaround
The Dunes

After the run we cleaned up, grabbed breakfast and then ventured down to Cannery Row (Monterey) to check things out.

Drew's first trip to Cannery Row

Bubba Gump with Dave & Drew

Ice Cream on the Brain

We had a wonderful time at the wedding and just staying cool (it was in the 100s at home).  It's always great to have a "family reunion" for a happy reason.

Matt and Rana Tie The Knot

It was a busy weekend for us - as my brother married his girlfriend of three years on Saturday!  The short engagement didn't mean there was anything short about the wedding - it was BEAUTIFUL!

All three of us were in the wedding again - yes that's two this year alone.  I was a bridesmaid, Dave a groomsman, and Drew a ring bearer.  Enough about the chatter... here are some pictures I snagged from my cousin Jodi who was the official unoffical photographer....

L-R: Lisa, Me, Rana, Denise (bride's friend and Matron of Honor), Adrina 

 

L-R: Lisa, Me, Rana, Adrina, Denise

L-R: Lisa, Me, Rana, Adrina, Deinse

Matt and Grandma

Uncle Matt & Drew the Ring Bearer

 

L-R: Dad, Lisa, Matt, Mom, Kady, Grandma, Me, Drew, Dave

L-R: Wes (bride's Brother-in-law, Dave, John (Best Man), Matt

Drew and Adrina walking down the aisle

 

Kent (the father obviously) and Rana

 

Sand Ceremony

 

All the Koch's: Dad, Mom, Kady, Lisa, Rana, Adrina, Matt, Me, Drew, Dave, Grandma

 

The new merged families:

L-R: Kent, Michael, Grandpa, Tom, Jan (bride's mom), Dane, Wes, Jess (bride's sister), Denise, Rana, Adrina, Matt, John, Drew, Dave, Me, Mom, Dad, Kady, Lisa, Grandma

Showering the Bride-to-Be

I'm going to be getting a new sister-in-law in a little less than two months, and two weeks ago she had her Bridal Shower.  I postponed posting this thinking she would post pictures on Facebook... I didn't want to steal her thunder.  But nearly 2 weeks later... Rana, we have family itching to see the pictures.  :)

The shower was held at her Matron of Honor's house in Oakley and she did it in the colors that Rana will be using for the wedding...

The favors were bottles of wine and personalized M&Ms with the wedding date on it.

The cake was absolutely beautiful... and better yet it tasted great too!

 I was in charge of doing the games, and we did... the Price is Right (honeymoon style), the Almost Newlywed Game (I asked Matt questions then asked Rana the same ones), and name that bride (celebrities).

Here are the ladies from my family...

L-R: My Sister Lisa, Me, Rana (the bride) and my Mom Kathie
Apparently Rana didn't get the memo about which color to wear....

And here's her bridal party....
L-R: Lisa, Me, Rana, Denise (the Matron of Honor)

I think the prerequisite for making the "cut" into the bridal party was blonde hair and blueish color shirts - HA!

It was a great afternoon and I think she scored BIG time with some generous family and friends.  Now figuring out what to get them as a wedding gift will be tough!

Dancing Machine

Yes, more wedding tidbits....

Before I get to the fun dancing pictures, here are a few more of our family pre-ceremony.

Great shots... all courtesy my cousin Jodi!

Once we ate dinner and the dancing began, hardly anyone was on the dance floor.  It was only Drew and I, and Jimmy's Brother, Sister-in-law and their 1 year old daughter.  Mind you there were nearly 70 wedding guests.  Since it was slow on the dance floor Drew requested one of his favorite songs, hoping to get people moving and shaking... Eye of the Tiger by Survivor.

Drew put on the moves!  Starting first with his "funny dance". 

And then he really had the Eye of the Tiger... and had to do his Rocky push-ups.  (Did you notice he switched into his "Rocky shoes?")

And then while dancing with Mommy (a.k.a. Adrian) he had to practice his Rocky moves on Daddy who was trying to interrupt the dance.

Poor kid was so exhausted that night he fell asleep in Dave's arms around 9pm and then slept the rest of the evening next to Aunt Connie on the booth chairs in the dining area.  In the words of Drew... "It was a BUSY weekend".

Here Comes the Bride

Since Lisa's safely on her honeymoon, I figure I'll post some of the pictures from her wedding - all of which were taken by our cousin Jodi... and yes were posted on Facebook.  But here's the behind the scenes information you didn't get on Facebook.

All day we were watching the weather reports.  There were threats of rain, and it was an outdoor wedding.  While it was cool, cloudy and windy, it proved to stay dry for photos and the ceremony.

Here's the Koch family pre-ceremony.

L-R: Matt, Kady, Mom, Lisa, Dad, Me, Dave, Drew

And they were sisters.....

The bridesmaids!

L-R: Me, Lisa, Nicole (Jimmy's sister-in-law), Rana (Matt's fiance)

The boys...

L-R: Matt, Danny (Jimmy's Brother), Jimmy, Dave, Drew
I love seeing Drew trying so hard to be a big boy with his hands in his pocket!  He never once complained about the cold and wind.

The Groom with the Ring Bearer

Jimmy and Drew

After pre-ceremony pictures, it was time to go back into hiding for the big moment.  The girls were in a bridal room waiting for the cue, all the while watching the guests arrive and take their places.  Suddenly the sun broke through the clouds and what seemed like seconds later we got the knock on the door... signaling it was "time".

It couldn't have been planned any better!

They said their "I do's" and that was it.  They were married!  Let the party begin!

They Were PERFECT!

If you were under a rock... or perhaps you just stumbled on this blog... my sister Lisa got married this weekend.  Drew and Lisa's 2 1/2 year old daughter were the ring bearer and flower girl respectively.  With kids this age you expect a few "priceless" moments as they walk down the aisle.  You know one child screaming, refusing or doing some other hilarious antic.

Friday we had the rehearsal at the golf course and all the prepping we've been doing paid off!

And then it was the big day....

The two of them were so well behaved early on. Cooperating for the most part for the "millions" of pictures that were taken.  (Drew was asked at one point by the photographer how many pictures she was taking.  In the quick wit of the three year old he told her "millions", managing a giggle or two.).

 

Finally the big moment was here, what will they do?

They handled the walk down the aisle and ceremony amazingly!  Of course once we reached the altar, Drew was off to the side swinging the pillow - which was just show, no attached rings - and Kady handed all her rose petals to Grammy, GrampC and GG. But they remained pretty quiet considering.

Seriously they were fantastic that whole evening - and the days leading up to it.  Dave and I couldn't stop telling Drew how proud we were of him.  At one point he told Dave, "I was just following instructions!"  So for a little reward I told him I'd take him to Chuck E Cheese tonight.  I completely expect all  this great behavior to hit it's wall at some point this week, because after all... he's THREE!

I'll snag more pictures from my cousin Jodi and give them to you in pieces this week... they're all on Facebook (well not all 760... but a nice sampling), so I'll give you a behind the scenes.  Here's a family shot to tide you over.