Here Comes The Bride

Y'all. So much has been happening here I haven't had a minute to sit down and tell you so much has been happening here.

So much has been happening here.

Is it okay to talk about Easter more than a week later? I'm going to say yes because Easter was a big day around here. For starters this happened-

If you've read here for any time at all you've likely seen pics of the boyfriend turned fiance on my blog. They've dated for 'a while', ahem, and on Easter Sunday he officially asked her to be his bride. We love them both so much and are so excited for this next new chapter in their lives.

Let's back up a bit because you know nothing is ever a straight line in our little corner of the world. Hubs drove over to Tennessee the Thursday before to collect his mama and bring her to the lake for Easter weekend. The boyfriend had spoken to hubs a couple weeks prior and mentioned it 'might' happen over the weekend but there was some sort of delay in the hardware department so it might not happen over the weekend.

I of course proceeded as if it were a done deal because how am I supposed to be an over the top excited mother of the bride if I live in a world of maybe? And I knew if it did happen I'd want to have a couple of fun little gifts for my daughter when they came back to the house. Personalized cookies wouldn't be too extravagant would they?

In my defense I told the baker it was all a maybe and she informed me I could freeze the cookies if need be.

Hubs texted the boyfriend Thursday afternoon and he said it was definitely not going to happen Easter weekend because he didn't have the ring back yet. I resisted interrogating him via hubs text messages and instead called Daughter1 and facetimed my grandson because he just makes every little thing in the world alright.

Here he is in the Evergreen State in all his Easter finery-

Have you ever seen a cuter baby boy?

Meanwhile in the Palmetto State...I had my sister and brother-in-law and my niece and her boyfriend, and my brother-in-law's brother and his girlfriend all coming for Easter dinner and I hadn't seen my sister since Christmas so I just made up my mind to celebrate this beautiful Easter day and know the engagement would happen someday sometime but not today.

Easter dawned bright and beautiful and church on Easter Sunday is always one of my favorite things so hubs, his mama, and I all had a nice morning. We came home and put lunch in the oven and then my sister and company arrived around 2 and we were all having a grand time.

Daughter2 had texted earlier saying they were hiking that afternoon but would be to our house sometime late afternoon. She texted again later saying they wouldn't be there now til closer to 5:30 because they were passing a pretty waterfall and decided to check it out.

A few minutes later she Facetimed me and with a great big smile on her face said, 'We're engaged!!' 

My first thought was to say, 'No you're not-the ring's not here', but I managed to catch myself. Pshew! Then I noticed she was wearing a ring, a very pretty ring that looked remarkably like an engagement ring.

Turns out her groom couldn't wait another day or week or minute so he asked and she said yes. We all find it hilarious that he managed to surprise his bride and both families because when two people date for a long time you feel like there's no way an engagement will be a surprise. Yet there we all were with our jaws dropped grinning from ear to ear at the loveliness of the surprise. He gave her a ring that belonged to his aunt and before that his great grandmother to wear as a placeholder until her ring arrives.

Sentimental stories are my favorite kind.

Daughter2 said they'd be to our house in a few minutes so I leapt from the table, ran to my closet to grab the goodies I'd purchased, and quickly set up an impromptu little celebration complete with an Erin Condren planner, bride bag, mug, and COOKIES!

Go big or go home, right?

Here's her grandmother and her aunt waiting not so patiently for the bride to arrive so they could give her a big hug.

I couldn't wait and had to give my hugs and kisses in the driveway.

Hubs popped the bubbly and made a wonderful champagne toast-

 ...and we all said Cheers to a lifetime of happiness for the most adorable couple we know.
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A Note To Hodepodgers

Hello Hodgepoders! There is a little too much going on in real life here at the moment and somethings's gotta give. Sadly today that is going to have to be the Wednesday Hodgepodge. I have so much to blog about and would love to be doing just that, but real life before blog life right? I hope you'll drop back by here later this week for my fun family news and more.

The Hodgepodge will be back in action next week, April 11th. Thank you so much for understanding!

Hodgepodge Take Out

Welcome Peeps! It's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you because that's what makes a blog hop hop. Here we go-

1. What's a word that describes your life? A word you wish described your life?

A word that describes my life? Full.

A word I wish described my life? Accomplished. 

2. Back in my day we___________________________________?

...had to wait one whole entire week to watch the next episode in a TV series. 

3. When it comes to takeout are you more likely to opt for Italian, Mexican, or Chinese food? Does a typical week at your house include takeout?

We don't do a lot of takeout here because we live a long way from any place that would make the take out option convenient. We've never done Mexican takeout. I do like Chinese takeout, but as I said that's not a great option here. We do Italian every once in a blue moon, but honestly it's just easier to eat in a restaurant. By the time we bring takeout home it's cold which means reheating and eh, that's not my thing. 

4. Think about the people you most respect. What is it about them that earned your respect?

I think without exception it would be their high integrity. Oftentimes it's also their brains and/or skill in a particular area, a strong work ethic, and the way they treat others in addition to integrity, but never without it. If a person lacks integrity I will struggle with respect. 

5. What's something your friends might see and say is 'so you'?

British stuff, hedgehog stuff, lake life stuff to name just a few. Also I felt like I needed to look up an official definition of the word 'stuff' so I did, and it totally works for me here. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Happy Easter everyone! Love wins-

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 346

I will refrain from mentioning here how I haven't been on my blog since last week's Hodgepodge. Consider it unmentioned. Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with all your peeps.

1. What's a word that describes your life? A word you wish described your life?

2. Back in my day we___________________________________?

3. When it comes to takeout are you more likely to opt for Italian, Mexican, or Chinese food? Does a typical week at your house include takeout?

4. Think about the people you most respect. What is it about them that earned your respect?

5. What's something your friends might see and say is 'so you'?

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Springtime In The Hodgepodge

Hello Hodgepodgers and Hello Spring! I spoke to my mom (up north) a little while ago and she said they're expecting a foot of snow on Hodgepodge Day. I have to say she was not real excited and I don't blame her. Our forecast Wednesday is for wind and I'm getting my hair done which seems like an icky combination but hey, at least it's not snow.

Did you come here today for a weather report?

Let's move on...if you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the person before you because everybody can use a little springtime cheer. Here we go-

1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you're looking forward to in this season of the year.

Does more daylight fall under the category of weather? If not that's my answer. I'm also really looking forward to having my mom, my mother-in-law, my daughter's mother-in-law, one of my sisters, my niece, BOTH of my daughters AND my grandson here on Mother's Day. 

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards? Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases? Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

Windows or baseboards-ugh! I'd rather have a cup of tea and watch hubs take care of those things. Hubs is washing windows as I speak and I think he kind of enjoys it, plus he's particular so carry on hubs! I guess that leaves me with the baseboards.

Closets over the garage any day. And I'll dust the bookcases and leave the fans for hubs. I think a ladder is required for some of our fans and I don't do ladders. Well I do, but he'd rather I not.

I'll wipe down the lights and let hubs handle the outdoor furniture. I wipe down lights and switches in bedrooms and bathrooms on a weekly basis anyway. 

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? Sour cream? Whipped cream?

I don't eat a lot of any of these products. Let's go with cheesecake for the cream cheese and I make a yummy sour cream pound cake which is pretty much the only thing I use sour cream for, so pound cake it is. 

Now whipped cream is another story. Give me a bowl of whipped cream and a spoon and I'm good. I don't ever actually do that, but I easily could. Angel food cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream is one of my favorite desserts so that's my answer. 

The fact that I picked all desserts is not lost on me.  

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?

According to that list I've been pronouncing regime incorrectly. Hmmm. The word acai always gives me pause. I have to think the pronunciation in my head before I say it aloud. Again, not a word I'm saying often but when I do I have to really stop and think before I speak. 

5. What's a song you love with the word 'rain' in the title or lyrics?

I wanted to be different and original but I love CCR and especially their song Have You Ever Seen The Rain so that's my pick. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Hubs and I went to see the movie I Can Only Imagine on Monday afternoon. It's the story behind the song of the same name (by Mercy Me) and we both really enjoyed it.  I'm just going to go ahead and say it, but sometimes these films with a Christian theme aren't very good. The intent is good but they're not well written or well-acted. This one I thought was well done on both counts and is a wonderful story of forgiveness and redemption. Plus the song is a favorite of mine so I loved hearing how it came to be. Has anyone else seen it? Did you like it? 




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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 345

It's spring! The calendar says so even if your temperatures do not. Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then jump back here tomorrow to share answers with all your friends and neighbors. See you there!

1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you're looking forward to in this season of the year.

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards? Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases? Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? Sour cream? Whipped cream?

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?

5. What's a song you love with the word 'rain' in the title or lyrics?

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Monday March Madness

Good Monday afternoon. I intended to say Good Monday morning, but it is Monday and when I sat down to blog I got distracted by
Pinterestall the things on my desk. There's still a pile, but it's smaller.

So anyway who is loving the madness of March? By madness I mean the NCAA basketball tourney, and not the crazy winter weather that's around. Not around here of course because our weekend weather was gorgeous. We text friends up north pics of us sitting outside in shorts and they text us pics of their patio furniture buried in snow. I do not miss the March snows.

Basketball! You don't even have to follow college hoops to enjoy the NCAA tourney. So many underdogs pulling off upsets and ruining my brackets but still so exciting to watch. I love it because any school can pull off a win and so many games have gone down to the wire.

Question-are you running heat or a.c at your house? It got warm here last night and I informed hubs I was not going to be able to sleep without opening some windows or turning on some air. We're trying to keep the windows closed until the pollen settles down and he informed me we don't run the a.c. in March. Huh? When did that become a rule?

I say when it's 77 degrees in the house we run a.c. no matter what the calendar tells us. I like it about 57 for sleeping but hubs thinks that's nuts so we meet in the middle some where. Also I turned on the a.c.

The view from my pillow first thing in the morning-

The post in the center is one side of a window frame but I didn't take the time to pretty up the shot. This is sunrise au natural.

Friday hubs and I drove to Asheville for the Vintage Home Show. It was a beautiful day for a drive and look whooo we saw en route just hanging out on the power line.

He looked me right in the eye and I gotta say it was a little creepy. I had my window rolled down and it felt like he might swoop right on in. He flew off instead and had an enormous wingspan. So cool!

In my opinion the Vintage show was just okay. It was really crowded and I did get a few ideas for the house but we didn't buy anything. We went over to Sierra Nevada for lunch instead because lunch is always a good idea.

If you've never been and you're in the Asheville area Sierra Nevada is worth a stop, even if you're not much of a beer drinker. They spared no expense in the build and it's absolutely gorgeous. Their food is wonderful too, and the setting makes it even better. Since it was such a nice day we ate inside then hung out for a while at the ginormous firepit out back.

Saturday Daughter2 and her boyfriend came out to the lake for St. Patty's Day and we went to a local favorite spot that was having live music and a food truck featuring Irish fare. They have one of those shuffleboard games, not a court but similar to an air hockey table, and it's my new favorite. I think I've talked hubs into getting one for the house.

Sunday afternoon daughter2 and I attended a fun event near the small big city which I'll talk more about later. Today let's discuss this picture she snapped-

My baby girl is sooo photogenic. Why do my eyes look so tired? I blame the pollen but I'm sure it's nothing a week at the beach couldn't fix. Or a heavy concealer. Or a nice pair of sunglasses. And also maybe a smallish nap. We had a splendid afternoon and not to sound like a broken record but this weather! Fantastic!

We watched a lot of basketball all weekend long, and the 'kids' played a little cornhole too. You have to zoom in to get the full effect, but my daughter's face in this picture makes me smile. She takes her game playing seriously.

Definitely her mama's girl!

Now I need to wrap this up...hubs and I are off to see a movie because it's Monday and we're retired empty nesters. Ha! Take that Monday!