End of Summer Roadtrip: Jordyn's Bat Mitzvah

As I've mentioned before, I have a ginormous extended family.  And when we do get together, you better be ready for some fun and excitement!

Our last roadtrip of the summer was Labor Day weekend when we trekked the 8-hours to Michigan for a family reunion and celebration of my niece's Bat Mitzvah.  We decided to leave around dinner time Labor Day Friday, since we had to wait until Lissie got out of school anyway, and then decided it would just be best if we drove through the night so everyone could sleep on the way.   It was our first attempt in overnight driving with the kids, and it turned out to be mostly successful.  They didn't get the best night's rest, of course, and when we arrived at my aunt's house around 5am, we all ended up crashing pretty quickly for a better snooze before the festivities!

When we did wake up, we enjoyed Auntie Florence's as-always amazing hospitality.  We had the best Filipino breakfast, and she already had plans to get us lunch from our favorite Chicken Shack.  The kids loved playing with their dog, Toby, and got a huge kick out of his amazing tricks - including hopping on the treadmill to burn energy!  We caught up with other aunties and cousins before we left for the Bat Mitzvah that afternoon.

A shirtless Xavier getting ready to feed Ollie his bottle

Being a cradle Catholic and not being well-versed in the Jewish tradition, I did not know what to expect at this Bat Mitzvah.  I did some research beforehand, and the biggest thing that I got out of it was that it was loooooooong.  Now, my kids are pros at the one-hour Catholic Mass.  We've nixed the snacks and the busy bags over a year ago, but I was not so sure my kids would be okay for hours on end when they (nor I) would know what exactly was going on.  So, of course, I brought my bag of tricks - goodies, candy, coloring books, etc.  We were all pleasantly surprised that this was not your traditional Bat Mitzvah.  My cousins practice Humanistic Judaism, which offers a nontheistic alternative in contemporary life.  And this made for a much shorter (about an hour) ceremony. It was all very interesting, and I was glad to have been there - with many of my family - to witness such an important occasion in Jordyn's life.

Immediately following the Bat Mitzvah, we drove to my cousin's lake house for the grandest party ever.  We were greeted with a saxophonist and a red carpet when we walked in the front door.  There was plenty of people already milling about and plenty of hors d'oeuvres being passed around.   Outside there was a bar, a henna tattoo table, more food, a dance floor, a photo booth, a popcorn cart, an espresso table, and lots of fun!  We all had a great time!  Lissie and Xavier loved playing with their cousins, and we all enjoyed the dance floor (Justin so much that he split his pants, haha)!

My handsome guys

 

Twinsies!

The next day, after we went to Mass, we headed back to my cousin's house for brunch.  The kids were entertained with their cousins, and Justin and I caught up with the rest of the family.  We went out on their boat and, despite not having their swimsuits, Lissie and Xavier jumped right into the water and had fun with their Uncle Greg and Auntie Aleta.  They even swam to the floating trampoline for more fun when we got back to the dock.  Meanwhile, Justin unsuccessfully tried his hand at paddleboarding, haha.

With cousin Jordyn

Sweet MaryKate

Love my cousins!

 

Before Pic


During....

After!

Afterwards, we went back to our auntie's house where Lissie's Ninong Chris was working hard on cooking an amazing feast for dinner!  We even had halo-halo and lemon tarts for dessert.  Yum!  We ended the night with a few rounds of Uno with the kids and the cousins.  A perfectly chill evening with family.

Showing off our matching henna!

We woke up bright and early the next morning to make the return trip back home since Lissie, Xavier, and I had school to get ready for the next day.

Saying goodbye to Ninong Chris

It was, as always, a wonderful time catching up with family.  It always makes my heart happy to see my cousins and aunties and uncles, but also for my kids to get to know them, as well.