The big day...

Ok I have reached a new low...I am laying on my couch blogging on Dovi's new iPad...clearly the best way to blog. Ever. I'm only slightly missing the real keyboard. And the ability to upload pictures. But I'm horizontal so I'm happy.

I think that I can easily say that after my wedding and the birth of my children that Dovi's bar mitzvah was the most glorious day of my entire life. It was truly the culmination of 13 years of hopes, dreams, tears, sweat, and love. With a kid with FD, you honestly do not know what the next day will bring. You don't always know if you are going to get that next day. So Dovi's day was one that we looked forward to with anticipation and frankly a few tears. But we made it and I really believe that the bar mitzvah was a celebration of Dovi and everything that is amazing about him.

Now, on to the day! I had a makeup artist scheduled for 6:45 am. Why, you ask? Well ravening was 8:30 and she said she needed about 45 minutes...well...she didn't show up until 7:30!! It made for some stressed out early morning hours, but all's well that ends well and she did my makeup in 25 minutes!

I should backtrack to Wednesday when all of our guests arrived....but hmmm...let's do the bar mitzvah today and I will backtrack? tomorrow? Good?

OK back to Thursday...makeup got done, kids got dressed, minimum of hysteria. It was shocking. Maybe it was also because there was to be no clothing discussions...off we went to the shul.

As I was sitting in davening, it all felt very unreal-like I was an actor playing a role in some elaborate play. It was truly out of body. It also didn't help that I am really, what? 22? So it's not really possible that I was making a bar mitzvah...

My brother in law David davened shacharis beautifully and then my nephew Gavi lained the first two aliyahs of Torah reading. He did a beautiful job. And then it was time for the third Aliyah for the Bar Mitzvah MAN (as he likes to call himself). I didn't talk about it at all because I wasn't sure if everything was going to work out, but my father in law worked with Dovi for almost one year to teach him is laining. Yes, Dovi lained his bar mitzvah aliyah! No, he did not do it with the trop. But he recited each word of his Aliyah (all 68 of them) clearly and loudly. You could have heard a pin drop in the shul. Often times at a bar mitzvah, there is chatting as people are listening. Not so this time. The room was silent. It was as if each person was holding their breath (along with me!) as Dovi labored his way through each and every word. Each and every word which had labored over and taught with patience and love. At the end of his aliyah, as he finished his brachos, you could hear it-the sound of a room about to burst into tears. And then Dovi did it. He ended his bracha with a bang...big arm flourish and style...and the entire room burst out in a laughter of joy and happiness. Dovi saved us all-he reminded us that we needed to e celebrating. So celebrate we did.

There's not much to say about the meal. I showed you all the pretty things already...it was yummy (or so I hear...I didn't eat a thing!...but thank you Michelle for bringing me that cup of coffee!)

We showed a montage. I'm going to try and figure out how to share it. But I am afraid it might be too big of a file. I spoke, Benjie spoke, my mom spoke, my father in law spoke, Dovi made a siyyum on Meseches Sukkah, and then he gave a speech. I'm going to do a separate post with my speech. And there you have it.

Dovi's bar mitzvah.