Wechsler Family Celebrations

I have been such a slacker of a blogger lately. Life has been busy and blogging has taken a back seat. In the next few posts, I will try to catch you up on the past month of our lives. Bear with me...

Almost a month ago, I ventured out to Phoenix to celebrate the engagement of my dear cousin Rachel and her incredible fiance Michael.

The wonderful thing about my cousins and I (this is my dad's side of the family by the way) is that we are all pretty close in age. The oldest is 27 and the youngest is my brother who is 18. Our parents did a great job of getting everyone together several times a year from a very early age. I am so grateful for this, because the cousins would not be as close as we are had our parents not.

Rachel and I are only 7 months apart, with me being older and wiser :) She is from Phoenix but now lives in Hattiesburg in DO school. Michael, her fiance, moved there to be with her! One reason why I love him. He loves her so well, and loves our family well also. And if you have spent any time with my crazy (yet wonderful) family, you understand how great this is!

Kim, Rachel's older sister, who is almost a year older than me though we graduated the same year, hosted an engagement party at her house for the bride and groom. I wish I had taken more pictures of the night, but spending sweet time with my family was more important than playing photographer.

From left to right: Kim, her boyfriend John, Poppy (my dad's dad), me, Gigi (dad's mom), Rachel, her mom Karen, and her fiance Michael. Pre-party.

My beautiful cousin Nikki and Gigi. Gigi is beautiful too!

At the end of the night. Phoenix was HOTT! and my face shows it...

Gigi's 80th birthday is in September. But since we were all together for the weekend, we celebrated early! We had a fabulous dinner party at a delicious Italian restaurant in Phoenix called BRIO.

The menu for Gigi's dinner.

My cousin Nikki, me, and my uncle Cliff. My dad is a twin which will help you out when you see a picture of my dad and think, "I thought that was her uncle."

Gigi and Poppy. 57 years of marriage.

Making a wish and blowing out her candles!

My birthday was that Sunday, and to my surprise my family decided to celebrate my birthday as well. Thanks Gigi for sharing your night with me! Kyle wasn't able to go on this trip, so it was very heart-warming to feel all the love from the fam...

Reading birthday cards and opening my present which was a beautiful necklace!!!

My cousin Alex having too much fun with the icing from Gigi's cake. Clearly, she is thrilled...

The whole gang. Though we are missing my cousin Sara, my brother Kyle, and my husband Kyle. I wish you could see the ten pictures taken prior to this. It's an act of Congress to get this group be quiet long enough to look forward and take a decent picture. But hey, that's who we are!

Me and Dad.

Another group shot. There were also about ten other pictures prior to this one as well...

When you hang with the Wechslers/Nachums, you better be prepared to talk loud, laugh a lot, get on someone's nerves or have someone get on yours, maybe cry a little. But most importantly, LOVE. A WHOLE LOT OF LOVE.