The Newest Mr. & Mrs. Maio!

Last weekend was the much anticipated joining of two fabulous people: Erin Manning and Steve Maio. Woo hoo! When Steve told me in the summer of '09 that he had bought a ring, I remember thinking that she must be some kind of chick since that was by far the most grown up thing Steve had ever done on his own. And as we've gotten to know Erin better since then, she truly is awesome. Funny and easy going, she and Steve are a perfect balance. Plus she's got a great sense of style so of course I heart her.

All three of us were part of the wedding party with Matt as best man, me as bridesmaid, and Genevieve as cutest flower girl ever. She joined up with Erin's niece Samantha for their flower girl duties and practiced their task at the rehearsal:

Wait, what do you mean the bride is the star of the show? We think not.


Parents of the groom


I told Matt on the drive to the rehearsal that I would be going after as many family pictures as I could get, so please just deal with it. Here is the first.


The bride and her proud pappa

The rehearsal went well and the dinner was fabulous. Matt stayed with Steve at their parents' house so I was on my own with GG on Saturday morning. We got out the door and I deposited her with her daddy, then Kathy and I were off to the salon to get beautiful. I scurried a few members of the bridal party here and there, and finally drove Erin and her mom, April, to the church. The boys showed up just after we did but the couple held to tradition and didn't see each other before the ceremony. We ladies got ready in the big bridal room, including the flower girls of course.

"I brush my hair"


Me and Geeg


Why yes grandma, you may put my shoes on


Ready to hit the aisle!


Samantha and her mom, Julie (Erin's sister and matron of honor)

I don't have any photos of the ceremony because I was otherwise committed for that hour. But it was a lovely ceremony and there was barely a dry eye as Erin walked down the aisle. Genevieve and Samantha did fabulously and didn't seem to even flinch as they headed down. I was a very proud mama. Plus I got to walk with not one but two groomsmen. Jealous? Should be.

We did photos after the ceremony and then hopped into a trolley to head to a covered bridge in Cedarburg for more outdoor shots. I grabbed a couple shots of the newlyweds as we got the party started:

Outside the church - so happy!


Who's got the bride's drink?


Fellow wedding party members (Erin's brother and sister-in-law) Leah and Eric


Erin and I bonded over footwear immediately


Steve hasn't yet realized this is what he'll be seeing the rest of his life


Made in the shade


Mixologist Eric takes over for Matt


Me and the groom


Sisters-in-law!


Julie's hubby Brian. He may or may not have consumed his fair share of adult beverages.

We finally got to the covered bridge (how did we ever get anywhere before smart phones?) and while the light was perfect for pictures, it was really, really cold. One gust of wind up the skirt is all it takes to chill a bridesmaid to the bone!

Check out the bouquet - hand made by bridesmaid Ashley. I see a new industry on the horizon...


The lovelies. Side note to photographer Matt: next time you see a port a potty in the background, just ask the subjects to scootch over.


F is for fish. F is for fricking freezing.


Smooches


Erin switched shoes with a groomsman. Klassy.


Four Maios


Here is what happens when you let drunk boys play in a covered bridge


GorGEOUS!


Steve had to ask, "Dip her? What's a dip?" No wonder Erin is holding on for dear life.

After the fab photos, we trolley'd back to the reception where the bride and groom welcomed their guests and we chowed down.

Grant and Kristen


Who let this guy in?


Best man


They've arrived!

After dinner it was time to get down on the dance floor. Genevieve actually couldn't wait for dinner to end...she was on the floor running in circles while the rest of the guests ate. With such a big day and no nap to speak of, the girl was running on pure adrenaline, but was having a fabulous time.

Taking a floor break. I am so showing this picture at her wedding.


The lovely bride and groom


I'm getting a litttttttttttttttttle cranky...


...and she's back! Gee, if only there was someone paying attention to her, like a doting grandparent.


Or great auntie


Or another great auntie


Ha ha suckers, can't get me off the dance floor!


Jammin' with Kristen


Showing Shawn how it's done


Mel and Steve take a breather


Mother/son dance


More adoring fans


Reason #184 why we adore Erin





2005 vs 2010

At 11 p.m. I had to physically carry my child off the dance floor and take her home. She absolutely freaked out about leaving, and up until the second she fell asleep in the car she was saying, "Mama, more dancing. MORE DANCING!".

All in all it was a fabulous day, and we were so glad to be part of it. Congratulations, you crazy kids!!

Halloween '10

The Renaissance Princess made it out for Trick or Treat last Saturday night. Like many neighborhoods, ours has a scheduled period for the kids to run about, but unlike many neighborhoods, our neck of the woods takes it pretty seriously. People are on their lawns with props, accessories, spooky music, plus lawn chairs and fire pits to stay comfy and warm. It was f-ing freezing so Genevieve wore her fleece-lined jeans under her dress, just as a true Renaissance Princess did I'm sure. I topped her off with my scarf which she thought was the coolest, and after a brief walk to the action we wrapped her crown around the hat. Note to self: buy a size too big next year to accommodate for bulk.

Matt and I kept cozy with a couple of adult beverages and loved watching GG get her goodies. At first she was shyly whispering, "trick or treat" and "thank you" so I would nudge her to say it louder. Apparently there is no middle ground as her response to this was to yell TRICK OR TREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAT! and THANK YOU!, which got laughs all around.

When all was said and done the girl came home with a surprising amount of loot which we immediately raided. Why does a Snickers taste so much better in miniature?

Ready to get the show on the road


Cheeeeeeeeeese


The Princess with her man-servant


All bundled


Checking out her haul


Including a pink necklace. Score!


Ummmmmm, I'll take one of everything. Thanks.

Boo at the Zoo

Last Saturday we headed out to celebrate Halloween early at Boo at the Zoo. I've mentioned before that the Milwaukee County Zoo membership is about the best deal in familyland, and this was one reason. A short wait to get through the gates and our car was in and parking for free. We loaded up the mom mobile with the three of us, plus Uncle Stevie, Auntie Erin, and Auntie Erin's niece, Samantha. Samantha borrowed G's Tinkerbell costume and off we went.

Princess in the parking lot


Whoa lady, you are something


Spooky!

Not surprisingly there are not that many animals to see in the dark. But there were TONS of kids and families roaming around and the buildings with small mammals and fish were a big hit. Also a hit was the carousel.

Seriously, the carousel made me a little motion sick but Little loved it

We chose to avoid the crazy line for the train (especially since Matt and I had just taken GG on the train the weekend before) and instead we walked and walked and wore those little costumed cuties out. Towards the end GG was hanging out in her stroller and we came around to a big area that had music blaring. She said something to me which I couldn't understand so I bent down to ask her what she wanted. It was a pretty simple request, "Mommy, I want to get out to dance!" All righty then.

Go on, princess!

Doing the Monster Mash

This is a bit dark but I do not exaggerate when I say this girl loves to dance. Can't wait to see her moves at the wedding on 11/6!

SmokeFest 2010

Yes friends, you read that right. Smoke Fest. Not as in tobacco smoke, but as in smoked meats. For weeks, and I mean weeks, October 9 was reserved for Smoke Fest 2010 by Matt and his buddies at work. Together there were six competitors who gathered at Dan's house (the ringleader) early in the day to do a BBQ Pitmaster-style smoke off. We wives were wrangled into being the judges, along with any children old enough to read (you know, so they could fill out the judging form. Clearly). The judging was based on presentation (25%), appearance (25%, and yes, that is different than 'presentation'), and taste (50%). It was a blind judging so only the guys knew whose ribs were whose. Like everyone else I went through the line and judged each entry individually before moving on to the next contestant. I could easily live my life without ever consuming smoked meats so there wasn't much nuance to my ratings. It was either 'love it' or 'hate it'. 'A' was really good. B and C set my mouth on fire and I didn't even bother with a second bite. D was too sweet. E was also too sweet. F was juuuuuuuuuuuuust right. I actually thought that Matt's entry was F so I was super excited, as apparently my charming husband had been flapping his gums all week to his competition that I would rate his ribs the lowest. Alas, when the numbers were tallied Matt landed in 5th place. His entry was actually C - the fire starters. Looks like we're already signed up for 2011: the year of Rib Revenge.

Do we get to judge too?


The scene: kids, dogs, and smokers as far as the eye could see. Yes, that's a recliner in their yard.


The prize: the coveted pig, complete with genuine sear marks


Matt, probably adding more chili powder


These boys mean business


Doing a little pre-judging dance


Ribs down! Disaster on the horizon, but he pulled it together to win the competition (submission A)


Making Daddy proud


An A for...effort?


The over-under. Notice the freakishly accurate description of Chef Maio


The aftermath