A wedding and a mother...

When I found out one of my best friends from college, Morgan, was engaged, little did I know when her wedding came around, I would be a mom. I remember when I visited her last year just before she moved back to Philly, I told her I was watching my weight, and didn't want to attend the "oh so great Martini bar" we had been planning to go to for months. Her first reaction, "Yeah right!" What is going on? She knew me too well. There was no way I was turning down a good martini (not that I am an alcoholic or anything, but a social drinker I am). So I spilled the beans. She was newly engaged and I was pergnant.

Moreover, little did I know on the weekend, of her wedding, I would be spending my first mothers day weekend celebrating her new marriage to John, and Grant and I would get our first vacation from being, parents since Chloe was born in November. I must say, it was bliss! We got to sleep in, go to a sheeshy wine bar, walk around with no place to go, have margaritas in the middle of the day, have a picnic lunch in Rittenhouse Square, and go shopping in cute stores that don't exist in Charlottesville. We finally had a beuatiful weekend away with gorgous city weather. A mother and father's day break, but we couldn't help but to think of Chloe.

Look at that face, how could I not miss this precious child?

As we walked though the city, we couldn't help but to notice all the moms with the cute strollers. We said things like, "I've seen about 20 of those strollers" (seriously, if you live in Philly, you are not cool unless you have this stroller). We noticed many fathers with their little buddle snuggled up in infant carriers with their manly diaper bags. For a second, we stopped to think about what it is like being parents in a big city? When we left Chloe with Grant's parents for two days, the back of our Jeep would have suggested we were leaving for a month! How different it would be to have a baby without a car? I would be much skinnier, am sure...Nontheless we couldn't help but to go into every little boutique baby store and admire all the cute baby things, that we couldn't afford...(Seriously, $60 for an infant t-shirt with the Beatles logo). We kept looking at our phones wondering if we should call and check in on Chloe, and we did, and all was well. Seriously, what did we do with ourselves before we had Chloe?

As we shared our weekend with Morgan and John, we met their family and friends. We shared pictures with each other's children and grand children. Each time I attend a wedding, I am reminded of the love I share for my own husband and how our love has shaped me as mother. I hope that Morgan and John can also feel this love someday if they choose. We enjoyed Friday night at the Belmont Mansion with a view of the Philadelphia city Skyline that is priceless. We then shared Sat. night at the Kimmel Center where the ceremony was of the Quaker tradition, where I was honored to share why they should be wed. Despite many blisters, we shared a wonderful evening fully of laughs and dancing to celebrate the new husband and wife.

For Grant and I, this weekend in Philly was about Love. A lifetime of love and happiness for a friend and their new marriage, the love of the city where I used to live, the love of a mother and father missing their daughter, a love for each other and the loving marriage we are so lucky to have.