For The Man Of The Hour

It's Monday. It's Labor Day here in the US of A. And most importantly it's my hubs birthday. Whoohoo! Let's discuss. I mean let's discuss more than I have already discussed him on the blog over the past sixteen years. 

Have I been blogging for sixteen years? It seems so. 

Anywho let's celebrate the hubs with a list of my top ten favorite things about him.  Coming up with list of things I love about him sounded familiar so I looked back at my trusty blog and yup. I found a list from 2011 which is like a hundred years ago, so time for an update. There's some overlap but he's still that guy and I love what I love, which I think is a good thing.

1. He's funny. Always quick with a comeback, comment, humorous observation. Makes me laugh when I want to cry. Makes me laugh when I'm mad which, let's be honest, can sometimes make me madder except it's hard to be mad when you're trying not to laugh. 

2. He's neat as a pin. If you know him you're laughing, especially my girls. I'm not sloppy, but he is something much more than just not sloppy. He vacuums, cleans the showers, washes windows when the dog's nose prints become too much, and picks up pinecones in the yard when he's got nothing better to do. He's also in charge of the floors, the granite, and cleaning the stovetop, so what's left for me? Still plenty, but it's nice to know he will happily do his tasks and anything extra that needs doing and they will be done perfectly.  

3. He's a wonderful grandfather. I always knew he would be. He's so crazy about our crew and he shows it, lives it, loves them with words and actions and humor. They all know he's funny too. 

4. He's reading through the Bible with me this year. I've done this many times, but he's never read it cover to cover, and y'all it's September and we're still in the Old Testament. It can be a bit of a challenge to stick with it, but he's stuck with it and I appreciate the commitment. He keeps his word. 

5. He makes the icky phone calls and deals with repairs I'd prefer to handle by pretending if I can't see it then there's nothing that needs repairing. Who's with me? He's always one step ahead of whatever needs doing around here and I know he'll find the right person to do the job and will call said person at least three times to make sure they didn't forget, they're really coming, and also they definitely have us on their calendar for Tuesday at ten, yes just checking. He is the squeaky wheel and nothing is left undone, half done, or badly done. 

6. He's the mayor. Not the actual mayor, but he never met a stranger and makes everyone feel welcome wherever he goes. He draws people out and helps people who aren't comfortable in a group feel comfortable in a group. If there's a microphone he's happily behind it. 

7. He's an excellent dancer. Seriously. This made my first list too but it's still worth mentioning. 

8. He watches out for me. Thinks of me. Cares for me. Opens doors, tells me to watch my step (more so in recent years because let's be honest here, I've missed a couple), walks on the traffic side of the sidewalk, drops me off when the weather is yucky, brings me coffee, knows when I've had too much motion and not enough Dramamine, gives me his jacket when I'm cold, says let's eat out when I've had a full day, understands my need for space and words and books and a long hot bath. 

There's more. Lots more. A thousand little things that are meaningful and thoughtful and that fill up the well I'm always talking about in marriage.   

9. He encourages me to write more, to try something I think I won't like before I've ever tried it but he knows I will, to step out of my comfort zone, to give myself credit when credit is due, to let go of hurts I tend to hold on to, to not dwell, not panic, not overthink. 

10. He thinks he's the lucky one. 

Happy birthday hubs...you're still a cutie xoxo

F is for Forgiveness

Good Monday morning and welcome to week 2 in the A-Z blog challenge. I'm writing this month about life lessons learned, and here we go with the letter F. 

F is for Forgiveness

'to cease to feel resentment against an offender; pardon'

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

I mentioned in my previous post that I'd be sharing this month some of the experiences I think have shaped me into the person I am today. I wrote in my letter E post about the family I grew up in, and today I'm going to talk about another biggie-marriage. 

Marriage grows us, changes us, and teaches us many things...compromise, communication, sacrifice, how to fight fair, and most importantly, the value of forgiveness. Without it I don't think a marriage can survive. 

What would you say is the opposite of forgiveness? In my mind the opposite of forgiveness is resentment, and resentment is the kudzu of a relationship. 

Is there kudzu where you live? We see a lot of it along the highways in the southern part of the US, and maybe other parts of the country too, but in the south it's crazy. Kudzu is an invasive plant, sometimes called the 'vine that ate the south' because it's so fast growing and because it tries, and mostly succeeds, in smothering all the good vegetation growing nearby. It's destructive. 

Marriage is so many wonderful things. It's laughter and parenting and knowing your person is your person. It's connection and friendship and intimacy on more than just the obvious level. 

Marriage is also an every day kind of proposition. Husband and wife, each one making the choice to live selflessly instead of self-centeredly, every.single.day. 

True story here...I'm not alway successful. I mean who knows how to push your buttons better than the person you sleep beside? Small hurts, words said aloud that should have remained unspoken, the cold shoulder, disappointment, our opinion as the right opinion...these are all a part of a long married life, which means forgiveness will be required on the daily too. 

I've learned a lot about myself in our nearly 41 years of marriage, and I think that's part of God's grand design in creating this institution. Marriage is sanctifying. While I've discovered so much goodness there, marriage has also exposed a side of myself I don't particularly love. 

I can hold onto a hurt, marinate in it a little (or a lot) and feel justified in my outrage. And you know what? Sometimes I really am justified, but planting my flag there is how a tiny droplet becomes a deep well of resentment. A well that will overflow if left unchecked.  

I've learned in these later seasons especially that acknowledging a hurt, and then seeking and/or offering forgiveness quickly, makes for a healthier, happier marriage. To lop off resentment while its a seedling, not a hillside covered in vines. 

Not to let the kudzo crowd out all the good green things we've grown. 

If you've never heard the Matthew West Song entitled Forgiveness I'll link it here (Forgiveness). The lyrics are so good. ...'If flies in the face of all your pride, it moves away the mad inside, it's always anger's own worst enemy...'

Weekend Jamboree

The weekend. It was a doozy y'all, and I mean that in a good way. It was my grandson's second birthday. It was anniversary #40 for the hubs and I. It was Father's Day. It was baby dedication day for Sugar at their church. 

It was food and fun and family. 

It was cards and presents and balloons. 

It was baby girl in her Daddy's baptismal gown and a sermon that highlighted marriage on the very day we married. 

It was men supervising the BBQ, the grill, and the smoker. 

It was also college baseball (GO VOLS!), heat, and naps in cribs and on couches. 

I could write a post about any one of those things, but I think I'll just dive in and see where we land. I will very likely write a separate post about our anniversary because someday I have to climb out of the shallow end of the blog pool and get back into deeper waters. There is much to be said about a long married life. Stay tuned. 

Back to the kiddie pool...we made the three hour drive to daughter2's house Friday morning, with a stop at her nearby Publix to pick up subs for lunch. When we walked in the door sweet baby J literally clapped his hands and jumped for joy at seeing our faces. There's not much in the world that can top that. 

We had lunch and both kiddies took naps before the in-law grandparents rolled in. We hung out on the porch and passed Sugar from grandparent to grandparent while little man played. There's a lot of watching the grands do whatever kids do when you're a grandparent. And you think it's all marvelous because it absolutely is. 

Daughter2 made spaghetti for dinner and we watched Tennessee baseball win in the last seconds of the game to beat Florida State and then we watched all the replays and then Saturday we watched the ending a few more times because it was so good. 

Unless you're a Seminole of course. 

Anyway, Saturday morning was the birthday party for sweet baby J. As an aside, I always write my grandchildren a letter on their birthdays and you can read his in the link here (Two-rrific). The birthday was small, really just family and the next door neighbors, but the size was perfect for someone turning two. 

There was a cute construction theme with vests for the guests, and bins of kinetic sand with lots of construction vehicles and assorted road works equipment tucked inside. There were chicken minis from Chick-fil-a, sausage balls, a fruit tray, pasta salad and a scrumptious homemade cake courtesy of his momma. 

Homemade and homestyle are my favorite kind of parties, and J had a ball leisurely opening presents and exclaiming WOW! upon seeing each and every gift unwrapped. Completely precious. Everyone rested, chatted, read, and/or napped that afternoon, then my son-in-law grilled hotdogs and burgers for dinner and then we all pretty much collapsed into bed at an early hour. 

Did I mention the heat? Whew! It was extreme all weekend long. 

Sunday morning I got up and took a walk around the neighborhood before the temperature went soaring, we had a quick breakfast, and the guys all opened their Father's Day cards and gifts. 

We don't really do gifts on Father's Day, but I bought all the men a jar of these pickles I spotted at the local farm stand the other day. They all like pickles and spicy food (these have a whole jalapeno in them, along with lots of garlic and onions) plus the name screamed Father's Day to me. 

We all changed and  loaded up the cars for the short ride to church. There were four babies being dedicated today and big brother was feeling like the freshly minted 2-year old he is up there grinning on the stage with his parents. His dad had one hand on his shirt collar most of the time, but sweet baby J enjoyed every minute lol. 

Sugar of course was just like her name. Sweet. She has the biggest, best smile y'all. It's like a full body smile and her whole adorable face lights up. 

After the dedication portion concluded the whole congregation sang Jesus Loves Me and it made me feel so teary. Getting toddlers and babies and yourselves to church on Sunday mornings is not for the faint of heart, but my daughter2's church is bursting at the seams with small children. Makes my heart so happy to know these young families are doing whatever it takes to get there each week. To raise their children in this upside down world to put their faith in the One who made it. 

The media loves to tell us every awful thing millennials and older Gen Z-ers are up to, but when I'm around my girls and their friends I see hard working, committed, faithful parents raising families and living with intention. These young adults don't make the news, but they are quietly going about the business of living full, productive lives, and the world is less depressing when we remember that. 

My son-in-law is a master griller and he smoked a delicious pork butt for Father's Day dinner. 

There was more college baseball afterwards (GO VOLS!) and it was the perfect way to end a perfect weekend. I think Sweet baby J would tell you that next to the balloons this was his favorite part-

So how did you spend your weekend? 

                              

Linking up with Holly and Sarah for their regular Hello Monday blog party...see you there! 

 

Love Actually

Love is in the air this month in all kinds of wonderful ways. Last Sunday family and friends gathered to shower my niece with love and housewares, as you do when someone is preparing to marry. There was brunch and there was beauty in being together and there were bridesmaids who are cousins, pictured here with their grandmother-

But who in our minds eye sometimes still look like this-

In other love-ly news Daughter1 and her family shifted their suitcases to the in-laws house last Monday. All grandparents need to experience the excitement of waking up to little boys who are into everything as soon as their feet hit the floor, plus someone might be needing a nap on the couch so they're ready for round two. 

And by someone I mean us, not the toddlers-ha!

We did our best to snap a photo with my mom and her great-grandsons before they headed across town, resorting to a cup of popcorn bribe if everyone would sit on the bench for a minute. And it sorta kinda worked. Toddler boys are not big on sitting for pictures in case anyone wondered, but these are keepsakes for me nonetheless. 

So so special.

My mom stayed on at the lake for a few days and we had the best time sipping coffee on the porch, watching our very busy hummingbirds overeat, playing lots and lots of cards, and even doing a little bit of shopping. 

We are never to old to appreciate our mother's love. 

Friday night was golden. Hubs and I were invited to attend a 50th wedding anniversary party given in honor of one of my Bible Study friends and her husband. Their children planned the loveliest celebration and I have been thinking about it ever since. 

All of the couple's children, their children's spouses, their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren were present which is a gift in itself. On top of that though, it was truly special to hear children and grandchildren and even in-law grandchildren all speak about the loving and Godly example the 'bride and groom' have been to their family. 

According to the US Census Bureau fewer than 5% of marriages make it to the 50 year mark, which is a rather sad and sobering number, and why it feels so very right to acknowledge God's faithfulness along the way. I think it's good to hear wedding vows spoken aloud from time to time. 

A reminder to those of us who are married what it was we committed to 50 years ago or thirty-seven years ago or even just a few months ago. What we are committed to still. 

I left thinking about my own legacy and hoping my girls and my grandchildren, my future grandchildren, and my future great grands speak of me and the hubs with the same sort of love and gratitude we witnessed Friday night. 

It doesn't just happen though...it takes a lifetime of pushing through the hard things, celebrating the bright moments, of trusting God and seeking His wisdom day by day. 

"Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Corinthians 16:14

Hodgepodge Bells Are Gonna Chime

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Bet you can't guess what's filling my time, thoughts, and calendar right now-ha! If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for your neighbor. Here we go-

1. When were you last a guest at an event or in someone's home? Tell us about it. Do you enjoy having guests in your own home? 

We made a weekend visit to see friends  back in September, and I think that was the last time I was a guest in someone's home. We laughed til our sides hurt, had a spontaneous dance party, and were so grateful to be together in person. 

Hubs and I gave everyone a hat that matched something about their personality...here's ours-

Accurate. 

I think my daughter's bridal shower in October was the last event I attended. It was a lovely, special day which I wrote about here. Both of these 'events' were a lot of fun, and felt as safe as anything can feel with a virus still lurking. 

We love having guests in our home and look forward to doing that again. Normally my house is a revolving door, at least in the summer months, and I'm hoping we have at least a few houseguests this year. 

2. What has you 'tied up in knots' currently or recently? Are you any good at tying actual knots? 

Planning a wedding during a pandemic opens the door to a whole lot of knot tying if you let it. We have worked hard to keep that door shut. I've had many people praying about some very specific requests, and I take great comfort in that support. I will not say there haven't been any disappointments because we've had some of those on a fairly grand scale, but I am trusting God for a day that is beautiful in every way. 

As far as real knots go...I feel like I do more untangling than I do tying. 

3. What's something you've been wanting to do and have decided 2021 will be the year you 'take the plunge'? 

Re-do my office. I don't just mean in terms of organization either. I want to put some shiplap on the walls, get rid of my big desk and add a small table instead, have a murphy bed made for the corner, and purchase a new computer. 

4. Something in your home that's old? Something new? Something borrowed? Something blue?

old-me? nope...we do have an old classic car here so let's go with that. 

new-I have a dress just waiting to be worn. Soon. eek! 

borrowed-a portable crib a friend loaned me when the mancub was born. We're still using it from time to time and she'll let me know when she needs it back. 

blue-I have quite a few navy blue accents in my home, and my bedroom has a comfy chair and ottoman in a seaglass shade that I love. That particular shade of blue is in the rug and window treatments too. It's restful. 

5. Share a favorite quote, a verse of scripture, and/or a bit of wisdom for couples getting married in this challenging and seemingly unpredictable season we're currently/still experiencing. 

I wrote a whole series of posts on marriage when my oldest was engaged. It was the theme of my April A-Z challenge that year (2014) and you'll find the first one linked here. Times change, but my feelings about marriage remain pretty much the same...

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 

"Great marriages don't happen by luck or by accident. They are the result of a consistent investment of time, thoughtfulness, forgiveness, affection, prayer, mutual respect, and a rock-solid commitment between a husband and a wife." Dave Willis

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Here comes the bride...

Wedding Planning In The Time Of Corona

We have a wedding coming up in the not too distant future, and I'm not saying a whole lot about it beforehand because everyone has opinions and I don't want to hear yours concerning this-ha. Kidding. Only not really. It just seems like everyone is in each other's business these days, making judgements without all the facts, and it's exhausting. We're making the best decisions we can for our family and those decisions may be something different than what your family would opt for in similar circumstances, and that's okay. God bless America. 

I don't know of any brides who picture hand sanitizer and face masks as important details to their day, but here we are and might as well embrace it. We know someone who was married last weekend, an event that looked a lot different than the way the couple imagined it would look when pre-Corona planning first began, yet still beautiful and so very meaningful. Maybe even more meaningful because of all it took to get there. 

This is true of so many engaged couples in 2020. While re-imagining your wedding day is not the end of the world it is a disappointment that needs to be felt and processed. And then I think it needs to be tucked away in your heart and mind for some future date when God will remind you of the lessons learned in this strange season that need calling up in whatever new and challenging season you find yourself in.

That's how life seems to work, or how I think God works anyway. We can't always see the why of a hard thing when we're in the middle of it, but somewhere down life's road when we're faced with disappointment, we're struck by the memory of how we coped and even thrived 'back in the day'.  

It's not easy organizing a wedding in the middle of all the crazy, but one of the good things that's come out of it I think is there are far fewer couples getting married right now 'on the fly'. Brides and grooms have to be all in to get married during a pandemic. There are umpteen hoops to jump through and you don't just decide one day to get married because you want a big bash with 200 of your closest friends. Not gonna happen in the age of Corona. There are restrictions and limits and you cannot have everything you dream of having on your special day because you need to consider numbers and spacing and the actual health and safety of your guests. 

Weddings for the most part these days, are smaller more intimate affairs, and above all they seem more focused on the significance of what you're signing on for. In the year of Corona couples must ask themselves do we want to get married or do we want to have a wedding? 

So you plan. You adjust your expectations and you look for all the bits of joy to be found along the way. This is perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of planning a wedding right now, people are not feeling particularly celebratory. We're cranky and depressed and tired. Some are sick and fearful. We're missing people we can't get near, and we're anxious about so very many things, the virus of course but also the general state of our nation. 

Cue the joy.

It's what we need. 

We need smiles that make your cheeks hurt, all the heart eye emojis, and wedding bells chiming because time doesn't stop. It marches on and we need to march with it. I was thinking about how pretty much all the large milestones in my life have been met...education, marriage, a career I enjoyed, birthing and raising children. In most ways this pandemic has not changed any of my long term plans. No we're not traveling like we might, nor are we seeing friends like we might, but there's nothing on the timetable of my life right now that needs to happen before I'm x years old. 

The same can't be said for my daughter's generation, or those coming behind her or the ones just a little bit ahead. The under 55's want college degrees or to get a business off the ground, to marry, travel, have children, take that new job, earn that promotion, and time is very much a factor. 

So you get married during a pandemic. A pandemic that might end in a year or be with us in one way or another for always. You look at the boy you love and want to spend the rest of your life with and you say I DO. While the day might not look exactly the way you imagined, I believe it's possible for it to look even better. To feel more magical. A precious memory made and cherished because in the middle of chaos you found joy. 

And it's contagious. 

You already know life will not always go according to plan, and still you take each other by the hand. You say come what may we're in this together and you mean it. 

Forever and ever. Amen. 

Thursday Thirteen Anniversary Edition

It's Thursday and every Thursday I try to post a list of 13 somethings. I like to keep it light because I think we've all had enough heavy to last us a while, and since hubs and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary on Tuesday I'm going with an anniversary theme here today.

1. We celebrated at home. It was 65 degrees and windy and we both said it felt more like October than June. We discussed all the rigamarole involved in dining out someplace but in the end decided there's no place like home. Good thing because we've surely spent a lot of time there this year. 

2. There are some wonderful restaurants in the nearby small big city, but it's a bit of a drive and there's that whole pandemic thing which puts a damper on the mood, plus none of those spots offer a better view than our own backyard so home it was.

3. Hubs grilled a filet to perfection and we toasted to another year of married life with a glass or two of Schramsberg. Then we scooped everything up and ate inside because it was too cold and windy to dine al fresco. In June. 

Crazy but crazy is the name of the game in 2020. Fun fact-Schramsberg is known as the White House champagne because it has been served in the White House by every President since Nixon. 

4. Speaking of the White House, we spent our very first anniversary as husband and wife in Washington D.C. Hubs keeps this picture handy to show people when they want to see a picture of his wife. 

They're not confused at all when they meet me in person. Ha! 

Takeaway from Anniversary #1-you'll grow older, wiser, and grayer but three+ decades on you'll  look at your spouse and still see the boy/girl you married. 

5. We talked about some of our other anniversaries and a few stood out. We spent anniversary #5 dining in a fancy frou frou place in NYC. We were living in North Jersey and had a little bitty daughter at home. My parents drove up from South Jersey to babysit so we could have a fun night out in the Big Apple. 

What hubs and I both remember about that particular anniversary is not so much the dinner, but more how we thought we were going to die in the cab ride to the restaurant. True story. The driver was an absolute maniac and I have never traveled that fast in a vehicle in the middle of any city as I did that night. But hey, we lived to tell the tale so there's that. 

Takeaway from Anniversary #5-always wear your seatbelt. 

6. We spent our 20th at an 8th grade graduation. Woohoo! Good times! Sixty students from approximately 15 different countries crying their eyes out as they bid farewell to friends leaving England for their home countries or other new adventures. 

Takeaway from Anniversary #20-anything can be fun if you're with the one you love

7. Our 24th found us dining at the very elegant Cliveden House, enjoying every morsel of a meal that would make my list of top ten best meals I've ever eaten. Cliveden is where Meghan Markle spent the night before her wedding and it's dreamy. Remember Meghan Markle? 

Takeaway from Anniversary #24-your shared experiences in far away places will cement you togther in a way very few things can for ever and ever amen.

8. Of course sometimes it's elegance and sometimes it's raw real life. The very next year we marked 25 years as man and wife in a lawyers office in Northern NJ, signing the 101 documents you need to sign to call a house your home.

We were mid-move, settling back stateside after a few years across the pond, and were living in a hotel while we waited on our belongings to cross the ocean and clear customs.  

Takeaway from anniversary #25-there are a lot of mundane tasks and boring paperwork in the world of adulting. Also, memories are precious but new chapters are good too. 

9. I do know over the course of our married life we've spent at least a couple in two different geographical locations. Anniversary #27 found me home alone in NJ while hubs partied it up in India.  

Not really. He was working, but the hotel staff posed for some pics with the gorgeous flowers on display to help us mark the day. 

Take away from #27-you don't have to be physically near to be close in heart. 

10. I do know we spent #30 on a fun trip to Portugal. One of our most fun anniversaries ever filled with so many of our favorite things...dear friends, wonderful food and wine, travel, new cities, new places, adventure, and bling. 

Takeaway from Anniversay #30-friends add to the richness of life. 

11. So how did we top that in year #31? Back to raw real life, surrounded by boxes as we packed up the house from anniversary #25 and headed south. 

Take away from Anniversary #31-life is full of change. Learn to embrace it. 

12. And then five years flew by and here we are. Something like that. My point is, it really doesn't matter where we are or how we mark the day or even if we mark the day, although we always do. The calendar turns and what matters is we're still sitting side by each in the roller coaster cart of life, saying hold my hand...I'm glad it's you...I love you, forgive you, need you, like you, bug you, want you, am glad you're mine. 

Take away from a long married life-those vows were not cliche. They paint a pretty accurate picture of what marriage will be...better and worse, richer and poorer, sickness and health...it's all of those things at one time or another so keep honoring the vows you made. 

36 years and we still haven't figured out the selfie.

Anniversary 2020 feels like it should come with a Public Service Announcement- Hey kids! Marry someone you love but also like, because someday you might find yourself in the middle of a global pandemic at home together for 98 days and counting and you're not even mad about it because you married someone you love and also like. 

Happy Weekend Everyone! 

Love In The Time Of Corona

For a season where everyone is mostly home and not a lot is happening a lot has been happening. On Saturday this happened-

Can't you just feel the happy?

Daughter2 and her mister met through mutual friends a couple of years ago and I always think friends is a good place to begin. They started dating last fall and now here we are celebrating love and life and the future with the soon-to-be marrieds.

Y'all know we don't do simple here so of course there are logistics and a pandemic and a sister in S. Korea so things to figure out, but God has been so good to our sweet girl and this lucky boy and we cannot wait to walk beside them as they join their lives together.

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." 

Psalm 126:3

Showered With Love

Y'all. This weather. Ugh. 

I just needed to get that out of the way so we can discuss all things bridal shower. 

Last weekend the bride's bestest friend aka her sister planned and hosted the loveliest shower for the soon-to-be Mrs. In true Daughter1 fashion she thought of every little detail, except perhaps exactly how long it would take to assemble this fabulous balloon arch. 

Yowza. 

You should know Daughter1 is very particular about her diy and the balloons needed to be placed just exactly precisely so. The instructions said it would take anywhere from 45 minutes to 160 minutes depending on the size arch you ordered, and of course ours was ginormous (definitely the way to go!) so took every minute of the 160. Thankful for sisters-in-law who are also diy-ers and helped us get it all put together. 

The shower was held in our neighborhood clubhouse which is a really lovely neutral space with loads of room, comfy seating, and plenty of tables and chairs available. 

There wasn't a theme per se,  just lots of pretty pastels and florals to match the gorgeous invitation. Minted never lets us down when it comes to printed products. I have never ever been disappointed with anything I've ordered from this company and I highly recommend. Their customer service is also fantastic. 

Our menu was brunch and along with egg and veggie casseroles and an assortment of salads we had a crockpot of homemade tomato basil soup and a tray of pimento cheese sandwiches which were perfect for a gray day. 

Did I tell you the weather has been abysmal? 

We had a yummy mimosa bar (neglected to snap a picture) and I ordered three flavors of scrumptious cupcakes from a local baker (neglected to snap a picture). Daughter1 provided these darling little favors -

Yay! a picture!, and  I had floral arrangements made for the tables. We snapped lots of photos under the balloon arch, which was worth every minute of labor! 

Lots (and lots) of family came to town to celebrate our girl and she was absolutely beaming the whole day long.

So special to have her grandmas here to share the love. I have to say I hope I look like this when I'm a great-grandmother...

Daughter2 is gaining a wonderful mother-in-law and we loved having the groom's parents in town for the weekend.

Her soon to be mother-in-law gifted Daughter2 some beautiful Italian linen napkins and table runner which would go perfectly in my dining room. Ha! 

Lots of Daughter2's teacher friends were in attendance, and a very special young lady also joined the party. While in college and a few years beyond, the bride babysat for this sweet girl and her brother too. Her mama has been so kind to my girl and I loved finally getting to meet them both. And I did snap a picture but I don't want to post it without asking. 

My daughter watched hers go from toddler to tween and she watched my daughter go from a brand new college student far from home to grown up woman 'goin to the chapel'.

There are things in this world that make me so happy. 

The bride loved being surrounded by so many of her favorite people, and she received so many nice things. Some from her registry and a few surprises too, which are always fun.

This girl loves to bake and has wanted a Kitchen Aid for a long time now. This one is adorable! My momma who also shares the baking gene gave her a special edition Kitchen Aid in matte blue with a white hobnail bowl. 

I think she likes it.  

This is the cheese tray Daughter1's mother-in-law made for Daughter2. Shh...don't tell, but I plan to stash it in my cabinet when she's not looking. It's gorgeous! Daughter1's mother-in-law turns bowls and also gave the bride a beautiful salad bowl she had made. 

A full fun day all the way around, but my favorite part was this-

photo credit: my sister-in-law

My girls side by each.

In photos like this one I catch a glimpse of the little girls they once were. The smiles, the arms wrapped tight. The way they lift each other up.

They live miles and miles in geography from one another, but are still thick as thieves. Peas in a pod. Kindred spirits. Confidants. From the moment daughter2 entered this world her big sister has loved her to bits. And that love has been returned to her 100fold.

This past weekend was a wonderful prelude to the big day.
Can't wait!!