Cruz the Ring Bearer

This past weekend was a big one.  For weeks, we have been thinking about it, visualizing what he would look like and how he act, and carefully contemplating nap strategies, tux strategies, and keeping-him-occupied-and-quiet-during-the-ceremony strategies.  All things that never once crossed my mind when I used to dream about my future kids participating in weddings and timidly walking down an aisle surrounded by strangers smiling from ear to ear.  A lot of careful details went into our game plan for the weekend and although there was indeed a little stress accompanied with my two year old and a weekend of family and festivities (and limited naps), it was filled with joy, precious moments, and one adorable image of a sweet boy in a little gray tux.

Here are moments to remember about Rob and Jillian's wedding day...

...Cruz and his tux.  He had never worn anything that took longer than five minutes to assemble, let alone twenty-five, however, he handled his new suit well and never complained once.  If anything, he liked how he looked, strutting up to the three-way mirror at the tux shop, a small, close-mouthed smirk on his face as he studied himself and his new digs.  He liked that he matched the groomsmen, and he looked so handsome in his white shirt and suspenders.  I was a little sad to pack it away the following day and I decided it was time to invest in a pair or two of suspenders for him.

...The groomsmen and Cruz.  Besides Rob, Jill, and sister Kelly, Cruz had never met another member of the wedding party.  This worried me a little bit; however, my fears were quickly put to rest when we got to know Rob's sweet and hilarious friends.  They emptied their pockets at the fountain in the basement of Park Place so Cruz could throw money in and by the time the reception started, they were chanting his name when he walked by the wedding party table and learning some pretty sweet moves on the dance floor thanks to our ring leader in the middle.  Cruz made quite the impression on a couple of them, to which the phrase "I want to make little Cruz's" was coined to a girlfriend or two frequently throughout the night!

...Ireland.  Rob chose his cousin, Ireland, as his flower girl, another two and a half year old that had a mix of sweet and sass similar to her counterpart.  She was beautiful, and fully understood her role as princess throughout the weekend.  She also understood that Cruz was her prince, and spent most of the weekend desiring to be close to him, hold his hand, and dance with him and only him on the dance floor.  This was new territory for Cruz and he didn't quite know how to handle the chase.  He loved holding her hand and being around her; that is, until the music started at the reception!  He longingly looked at us with his big brown eyes until we helped separate the two of them, a moment that would send Ireland into a fit of tears and Cruz would immediately embrace the freedom and morph into Michael Jackson.  This went on for awhile, until I noticed Ireland found another little prince who was perfectly content holding her hands :).  I told her mom, Tara, that it reminded me of a typical relationship --- a lovesick girl who couldn't help but love the chase, after an oblivious boy who preferred his freedom :).

...Their walk down the aisle.  From the moment they saw each other Saturday morning, they were ready for their debut.  They held hands, Ireland frequently asked, "You okay, Cruz?" like a little old lady to her husband, and the two of them paraded around the church in their own little world.  Their walk down the aisle was similar, slow, sweet, and hilariously cute.  Cruz kept his eye on his feet at first, making sure he went nice and slow, and only a few tears were shed when we separated them and made them sit apart during the ceremony.

...Cruz was pretty good during the ceremony, minus a few moments when my only solution was shoving handfuls of marshmallows in his mouth to get him to stop telling us about Lightning McQueen.  I had purchased a new 'quiet time' book for him, but quickly realized this was a big failure as Cruz just wanted to carry on a conversation about it!  Jillian said she never heard a peep from him; however, by the "Peace and quiet be with you" comment made by her dad, Mark, I have a feeling her parents heard otherwise!

...The details of the wedding and reception were unforgettable.  From the old trunks filled with white and gray flip flops for guests, to the margarita fountain and black and white home videos during the first dances, everything was intimate, fun, and unique.  Beau had his debut on his guitar, playing for his brother, Gabe, during the first dance of the night, and they sounded great.  The food was excellent, the Scratch cupcakes were the perfect wedding cake, and the pizza served at 11:00 at night was welcomed and devoured within minutes.  The weather couldn't have been better, and we enjoyed catching up with family around the fire pit while Cruz finally crashed as the clock crept closer to morning.

...The photo booth!  I know this is a fairly new tradition at weddings, but boy do I wish it was around when we got married.  The booth, the props, and the hilarious images spewed from that printer created the best favors and keepsakes for guests throughout the night.

...A great post-wedding night at the park with a family that I love.  Beau and I recommended takeout pizza at the park instead of making our boy sit through another sit-down dinner, and it was a perfect night to chill outside on the swings with leftover wine, laughs, and plenty of Cruz chases.  He held two sweet babies we are so thankful to have, checked out many of Rob and Jill's new outdoor wedding gifts, and finished the night with ice cream sundaes before saying goodbye to family we don't see near enough.

During the round of speeches, Jill said that Rob's mom once told her that her wedding day would be one of the most spectacular days of her life because never again would they have so many special people in the same room at the same time.  A room full of people who helped raise them, shape them, love them, and ultimately contribute to the love they found in each other.  We felt so blessed to be a part of that room, to call Rob and Jill our family, but more importantly, our dear friends, and to share in their first moments as husband and wife.   Thanks for asking our little man to be your ring bearer and for loving him as you do.

I was so proud of our little ring bearer and in a little in awe of him this weekend.  It was a big weekend - a barbecue on Thursday, family sharing our house all weekend, rehearsals, pictures, suits, and late nights, and he did so well through it all.  Like always, he tagged along and just went with it - embracing new adventures, new people, and new surroundings without a thought.  From the old ladies who swooped him up on the dance floor, to the priest handing him the microphone at the rehearsal dinner, Cruz was nothing but himself and reminded me that sometimes it's just better to do than to think.