https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGWu9RCU3D4
The Anvari Chronicles: Vafa & Aleah’s Michigan Wedding + Chadwick Cabin
Happy Birthday America!
A couple weeks ago we spent a lovely weekend in Michigan celebrating the union of two dear friends, Vafa and Aleah. This was another BWC reunion wedding and it was such a joy to spend time with our extended framily. My older brother Jared, sister-law Sholeh and niece Lua were there and watching Lua and Asher interact was a definite high light of the trip.
Vafa is one of the last in our group to tie the knot and we couldn’t be more happy with who he has chosen to spend his life with. It is wonderful when your friends marry people who feel like they’ve always been a part of the gang and I just feel so blessed to say that about all the spouses that have joined the gang. Instant family. It’s amazing!
After the wedding we drove up to the Chadwick cabin and spent a few days on Lake Clear Water…or is it Clear Lake…either way, it is aptly named. I have never seen a lake with water so clear, it was literally like looking through glass. The Chadwicks were so warm and welcoming, we definitely felt adopted!
The Anvari Chronicles: Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada
We took a road trip up to Canada for my father in-law’s cousin’s wedding. It took us 9 hours to get there, but Sir Asher was a total champion in the car, even though we only stopped once (the trick is to have part of the trip be at night). It was wonderful to be able to meet some of Rafaan’s extended family and Asher loved spending time with his Mamani and Baba Joon. The trip also marked Asher’s 5th country (including the US) in a year and a half, making him well on his way to becoming a world traveler!
Anvari Chronicles // Beijing and Yunnan, China
It was so nice to spend two weeks with my family. We spent the first week in Beijing which was nice but the real highlight was the second week that we spent traveling around Yunnan. People were flocking to Asher everywhere we went, countless strangers held my child and even more photographed him. It was quite the adventure, from hiking tiger leaping gorge in Shangri-la to a 6 hour bike ride in Dali, to a horse back ride and boat ride in Lijiang. Here are a few of my favorite shots from our trip:
Anvari Chronicles // Evan & Rachel’s Wedding
Don’t my guys look so dashing in their bow ties! Seriously, swoon! The craziness has died down quite a bit. Evan and Rachel got married and it was a beautiful ceremony and such a fun wedding. I cried my eyes out. Literally, I was a mess. I couldn’t be prouder of the man my younger brother has become. I am just so happy that he has found someone who truly appreciates him for all the special qualities that he processes, and not to mention that I think Rachel is wonderful! They are quite a pair and look how beautiful they are!
Photo credit: Uncle Paul Tubito
Anvari Chronicles // Maine, June 2013
Asher and I spent a lovely week in Maine with my parents, as well as my brother, sister in-law and niece. It was absolutely wonderful and I’ve been trying to convince Rafaan to move to a quaint ocean town ever since. Things have been a bit crazy around these parts, with the approaching nuptials of my younger brother, so I will be back in full force sometime next week, but until then enjoy these photos.
Anvari Chronicles // Texas Summer 2013
We had a blast in Texas and Asher was a huge hit! Raf and I barely held him the whole time we were there, in fact we began to forget that we were parents all together. We went on not 1, not 2 but THREE dates while we were there and it felt so nice to reconnect with the love of my life. We ate a ton of delicious food and spent lots of time with Raf’s extended family which was lovely.
Sorry that this picture is a little blurry, but I had to include it because it highlights the shirt that Rafaan’s mom made for Rafaan when he was a baby and they were living in Pakistan and that has now been gifted to Asher.
Texas Bound
We are heading off to Texas today to visit Raf’s family, many of whom will be meeting Asher for the first time. Asher already has them all wrapped around his tiny fingers, but how could he not? I’m so excited about this trip and I’m looking forward to watching Asher charm everyone with his sweet personality and easy smile. Posting may be light while we’re away, but I’ll definitely be documenting our time in the Lone Star state and posting about it here when I can.
This will be the maiden voyage of our new stroller so look out for a full review in the near future.
We’ll be gone for 11 days! That’s 11 days of Raf around during the day, lot’s of delicious food, family time and plenty of hands to help hold and entertain Asher. I am pretty jazzed about it. Who knows, maybe the Hubs and I will actually go on a date, which is something we haven’t done since the tiny one arrived. I even plan to take Asher to the pool for the first time and get lots of adorable shots of him in his brand new cloth swim diaper!