Each year our family journeys out west to the Plaxico family homeland – Southern California – so we can commune with our inner hippy and soak up some (humidity-free) surf and sun.  This year’s trip was a little different because we had a very special event to celebrate…

You heard me right, folks!  Uncle Willy got HITCHED!  Hitched to the lovely (and patient) Laura Rose, that is.  She’s pretty awesome.  We’re all big fans.

Uncle Willy and LR decided to tie the knot on a mountain beside June Lake, CA, which I gotta tell you, is not the easiest destination to travel to (especially when Southwest Airlines decides to have all of its computers shut down and planes grounded on your travel day).  But for this shaggy chap, whom we dearly love, we’ll endure anything.

After the 17 hours of travel (which included the Little Mister holding my head in his lap during an especially bumpy plane ride while I prayed to not lose my lunch), we finally made it to June Lake.

Let me just say…GORGEOUS.

We spent the next few days tooling around the lake with family.  Beachin’, hikin’, climbin’, swimmin’, boatin’, polar bear plungin’…you name it, we did it.  With Nena The Cruise Director at the helm, we’d expect nothing less.  It was so much fun.

And then it was time for the main event!  We snazzed ourselves up in our finest Willy-wants-this-wedding-to-be-laid-back-but-we-still-wanna-look-nice-and-not-get-sunburned-or-frozen-on-the-mountain attire.  Yeah, not complicated (or stressful) at all.

But I think we pulled it off…and even managed to tuck in everyone’s shirts just in time to walk down the aisle.

Let me just take a pause here to savor this moment…it’s not often that I get to have my 3 Littles all dolled up in coordinating outfits AND not covered in dirt.  Be still, my proud Mama heart!

Bow ties are magical.

Okay, I’m back.

Bedecked and bedazzled, we headed for the mountain!

Most of the guests took the chair-lift up, but pulling that off (safely) with this crazy crew felt like a stretch.

So we hopped in some 4-wheel-drive SUVs and enjoyed a less harrowing (i.e., non-heart attack inducing) trip up the mountain.  Cause you know, I’m all for adventures, but this Mama/Aunt has got to keep her babies safe.

And we made it!  Let me say again, GORGEOUS.

And that beautiful view was followed by this very sweet moment…

The kiddos were all super excited to have been included in Will and LR’s special day.

We laughed, we cried, we sweated, we bribed fidgety children with ring-pops.

And then we partied!

I snapped this photo around 8:30pm (11:30pm EST), when all of the kids were starting to come unhinged from fatigue (not pictured is the Little Mister hollering to Uncle Joe, “YOU’RE the pizza pie!” and giggling hysterically).

So the Daddies took the kids back to the condos to sleep.  We ladies made it until 10pm before we keeled over, just in time to watch a very merry Pops (my dad) boogie and jive like it was 1965.  Word even had it that after we left the Festive Fellow actually attempted to do The Worm on the dance floor…all to the delight and amazement of my brother’s pals.  THE WORM, people.  I have no words.   

And so with that ridiculous image echoing through your minds I’ll wrap things up.

The first part of our family’s westward odyssey was great fun.  We had such a sweet, hectic, lively few days in June Lake and were so glad to have been a part of Will and Laura Rose’s big day.

To Will and LR, we wish you two a lifetime FULL of love, laughter and adventure together.

And hopefully a wagon full of babies to come along for the ride (hint, hint)!