#118 - Pretty Girl in a White Dress, Part II

There was a lot of preparation put into celebrating Grace's First Holy Communion - the invitations, the caterer, the house cleaning, and.....don't forget about the the hair do!

Since everyone was dressed up for the big event, we took some time to take pictures. As usual, Owen was hardly cooperative. Why sit still for pictures when there are a thousand other things to check out? Here's Tito Mark, Noah and Owen all ready for church.

Proud Dad with his little girl.

The entire Tylutki Family (a/k/a the Loud Family). We love you guys!!!!

It was a beautiful spring day on Grosse Ile. The sun had finally come out after a few days of rain. It was chilly, but very nice.

At the church taking pictures.

Back home for the big party. Here's a picture of the entire Saez/Tylutki family. You just wouldn't believe the effort it took to get us all together in one room with a camera. You'd think that after 4 days of being together we could get this done. But, it was a big deal! At least the picture turned out half-way decent. Of course, Owen was having a fit. That little guy hardly fussed the entire weekend - it just happened to be when we were taking pictures.... Go figure.

Katie and the best Mother-in-law ever! Love you, Isabel!

Prima Kelly, Sofia and Susan. Sofia is the sweetest little girl. She is adventurous and loves to play. She's got the best little chunky legs, and a great appetite! It was so good to see her and Gabriela. I love that they are all about the same age.

Speaking of Gabriela, here are the three of them. Gabriela (3), Owen (21 months) and Sofiamaria (2). Gabriela has the cutest little smile. She's a mama's girl, and is clearly the daughter of a fashionista.

Abuela Isa with her three grandchildren after the party. Owen just loved playing with his cousins and his grandmother. He's a lucky little boy to be loved the way he is loved by his familia.

And, one last picture of Tita Susan and her little nephew. Susan is a strong, fearless woman. She's the kind of mom that inspires me to be a better mom. She works hard and never slows down, but enjoys every little detail of life. She makes each day important for her children, and emplifies what God's love is all about. We are lucky to be in her family, and Owen is even luckier to have her as an aunt.

#117 - Pretty Girl in a White Dress, Part I

A girl gets to wear a beautiful white dress and veil only twice in her life. Both occassions are special days in that girls life. This weekend, Lou, Owen and I had the honor of sharing that first occasion with Miss Grace Valeria Tylutki as we celebrated her First Holy Communion. She was a breathtaking young woman in that flowing dress. You'll see lots of pictures of her over this post and the next one.

But first, a little more about the weekend. The three of us flew up to Detroit last Thursday. A few things in life we get anxious about - Owen in church, Owen on long car trips, and Owen on a plane. Well, despite our anxiety, he was a trooper on the plane! He sat in his car seat like a big boy, checked out all the airplanes at the airport, and watched a little Caillou on the DVD player. We lucked out! We counted it up, and Owen's been on eight plane trips so far in his 21 months of life. He's already accrued quite a bit of airline miles!

Once in Michigan, we were reunited with Abuela Isa, Tita Susan, Tito Mark, and Noah and Grace. Over the past few months, we have been Skyping with them a few times a week, and I think it's really helped Owen bond with them from hundreds of miles away because he immediately went to them and starting playing, and handing out hugs and kisses. It was really special. Over the weekend, I kept thinking about the bonds that cousins have. They are interesting - it's definitely different from the sibling bond, but not necessarily in a lesser way. I remember growing up with my cousins - Joey, Heidi, Holly and Julie - and I love the memories I have with them. I can only hope that Owen develops that kind of bond with his cousins Kaylin, Noah and Grace.

Grace (8), Owen (21 months) and Noah (10)

Horsing around (Owen started crawling again after this stunt wanting to be like Primo Noah)

Each night, Grace would read Owen books before bedtime. The favorite this weekend was "Who Said Red?". By the end of the book, Owen was pumping his fist in the air yelling, "I SAID RED!". I can't begin to thank Grace and Noah enough for how wonderful they were with Owen. They were by his side the entire weekend, playing with him, making sure he was eating, and most importantly, keeping him out of trouble. Grace, especially, was a little mama to him. She's so gentle and nurturing with him. She's going to make a great babysitter in a few years!
And, a first look at the pretty girl in a white dress. Here's Grace on Friday at the church's May Crowning celebration. She was there with all the other 2nd graders in their Communion outfits.

Grace with Tita Katie

And with Tito Louie

And, finally, the little guy with his Abuela Isa.

More coming tomorrow......