weddings . . .weddings . . .and more weddings

We are definitely in the season of weddings. There are so many stages of life and seasons - not the kind where leaves change and days grow shorter or longer but seasons of life. We have been in wedding season for a couple of years now. Back in December, we went to a beautiful wedding at our church. Maria and Zach met in college and since Maria grew up at Trinity, they married there. The sanctuary was beautifully decorated with white poinsettias and gorgeous flowers on the altar.  (if you read yesterday's post, you can see once again how the flower committee arranged the flowers so that they pointed your eyes to the cross)

I had to put the camera away during the ceremony.  We have a no flash picture during any worship service policy (of course, people still take pictures - I always want to ask, "what part of that statement did you not understand??)

 

The reception was at a cool venue.  That has been one of the fun parts of going to all of these weddings.  Mark and I have been to lots of new places.  The reception was at the Avon Theater in the Lakeview District.  It was decorated beautifully also.  The food was really different which was great.  They had little cups that looked like tomato soup (but were actually marinara sauce) and a triangle of grilled cheese sandwich on a skewer.  They also served chicken on skewers which were actually made into part of the decorations and they served shrimp and grits and all sorts of other yummy food. 

I have no idea why this picture looks like this.  I was taking the pictures with my Iphone - three beautiful girls - Carrie, Tina (who is a mother of three little girls - look how beautiful she is!!) and Laura.

 

This is a funny picture of Mark and Geri and Billy!

This is an even funnier picture of Mark, Guy and Billy.  I think that someone dared them to do that!!!

A fun time was had by all and Maria and Zach are settled here in town.

Flowers to the Glory of God

Why do we forget and take things for granted? Perfect example . . . years ago, we had a tiny arrangement of flowers on our altar each Sunday because of cost, etc. My sweet mother-in-law was the first chairperson of the flower committee at Trinity. She has recently given up that position because she doesn't need to be climbing up on that altar to arrange flowers!! Anyway, we have a wonderful committee of committed persons who purchase the flowers each week - some from the wholesale florist, some cut from their own yards or the yards of friends. These persons - two at a time, I believe, then spend their entire Saturday mornings making an arrangement that brings Glory to God. The committee had a workshop several weeks ago and this arrangement was the one from their workshop. It was amazing and I love how the top of the arrangement points your eyes to the cross - indeed flowers to the glory of God.

Hola!

Mark and I love Mexican food.  I swear - I think I could eat rice and beans and chips and salsa every day.  Those foods are at the top of my favorites list!!  Mark and I also love our friends!! We don't get to spend nearly enough time with our friends!! We met Gary & Dona and Guy & Phella at a local Mexican restaurant a few weeks ago (I am at least blogging about things that have happened in this calendar year now!!) -- I love the decor at the Iguana Grill. It is just too fun!!  In the background is a table - with a tree in the middle of the table . . .with lights all in the tree.

These cool lights were hanging from the ceiling above our table.

What does Gary see?  I have no earthly idea but he might have been looking at some of the decorations.  Mark is chuckling.

Good evening!! Food, fellowship, fun and friends - can't have a better mix (oh and I think I had a margarita)!!

Holiday Shower

Wedding showers are so much fun, aren't they? I was privileged to be a hostess for a Holiday Shower for a friend's daughter. The party was during January and we had so much fun!!  The party was at our friend, Donna's home, and she did a great job with decorations along with a couple of other hostesses.  They decorated the dining room for Easter.  Look at these baskets they got from the local wholesale florist.  One is a basket and one is a purse!!!!

Aren't those gorgeous tulips?

We served the food from the dining room.  Since we are good southern girls, we used our pretty silver and other pretty serving pieces.

The breakfast table was decorated for Valentine's Day . . .with sweetheart roses and a cute Valentine tree.

The entry hall was decorated for Halloween.  I think Gerbera daisies are one of my all time favorite flowers!!

The bride received some great gifts.  She opened gifts in the den which was decorated for Christmas.

We had an excellent menu - breakfast casseroles and cheese grits and little buttery biscuits with smoked ham. We also served a hot fruit dish and sweet rolls. We served Mimosas and coffee and water to drink. I volunteered to wash dishes because that is just a good place for me! For some reason, I actually enjoy washing dishes at a party!!


One of the other hostesses is a minister's wife. She and I were comparing our stories from working in the church and she said, "I hate people who always have to top everyone else's story . . .but I just have to do so." She then proceeded to tell the funniest story I think I have ever heard. I laughed until I cried. I'm debating whether to tell it on here or not. I guess it will be ok. I hope I do it justice!! She said that their home phone rang one day and it was a church member - a lady in her mid 70's. She asked to speak to the minister. When he answered the phone, his wife said all he was saying was, "hmmm. ok. hmmm." When he hung up, she asked him, "what in the world did she want?" Well . . . . . .evidently the lady's husband (mid 70's - remember?) had recently had an implant to enhance their marital activities. I'm trying to keep this "G" rated. This implant had a pump of some sort. They were planning to participate in the aforementioned marital activity . . .and the pump somehow malfunctioned and "things" were left in a very enhanced state. I hope y'all have good imaginations and are filling in the blanks in your minds!!!!! She was embarrassed to take her husband to the emergency room because people would talk and would know that they had been participating in aforementioned activity. So . . . .she was calling her PREACHER to ask HIM to drive her husband to the hospital emergency room. I cannot imagine calling my preacher about that. I would rather tell the doctor in the ER than tell my preacher. Well, anyway back to the story. Minister's wife said to minister, "you can't take him to the hospital. People might see y'all and then see his "condition" and think y'all are/were together." (how sad but we all know how things like that get blown out of proportion - hahaha - sorry - couldn't help myself!! -- read the sentence again if you didn't get it). As I washed those dishes, I said, "What in the world did your husband (the minister) do???" She said that he called a friend who worked at the hospital and told him to meet them at the ER entrance. He literally drove his car up to the ER door. . . let the man out and drove off. Now this story may not be nearly as funny as you read the typed word but let me tell you . . .it was funny when she told it. I think that is one of the things that I love about women - our storytelling to each other. I had never met this other hostess before co-hosting this party together . . .and we experienced good soul-cleansing laughter together!! . . . the bride probably never knew!!

New Year's Eve - Gumbo and Goodies

Oh my goodness - I love our friends. I feel like we are the most blessed people in the world when I think about our friends.  Surely Mark and I are rich - not in money, but in the love of friends.  We've been having a gumbo party for years now.  I honestly can't remember when we first started the party.  It was always on the Friday before Christmas and it was to be a casual, fun and restful evening for our friends.  Last year, we moved the party to New Year's Eve because of the wedding and my job and a million other reasons - I just couldn't get everything done.  We enjoyed having it on New Year's Eve so we did it again this year - we may have a new tradition.

I make a ginormous pot of gumbo (ginormous is my new favorite word).  I always make a pot of some other kind of soup in case there is someone who can't eat shrimp, etc.  Some years I have made cornbread but this year, we had hushpuppies.  Some folks bring an appetizer, some bring wine or beer and some bring a dessert and we provide a few of those kinds of food also so it is a huge spread. 

People rotate through the kitchen, den and dining room and visit with each other through the evening.  We can't seem to make it until midnight though.  Actually, Mark and Becky and I finished cleaning up the kitchen at 11:45 and I said, "everybody sit down.  We are not going to bed until midnight!!"  And lo and behold, they minded me!! 

The conversation is always good.  We solve some of the problems of the world.  We talk about a few people.  I didn't really type that, did I?  We say only nice things.  Really!!

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Every year, I always have a picture of Mark with a pretty woman friend.  This is our friend, Terrie and she is pretty!!  Her son just got engaged so she will be a mother-in-law soon!!

Scott and Bonnie were babysitting and they brought sweet Grayson with them.  I don't know where the post is but back in May of 2010, we hosted a baby shower for this pretty baby girl and it was a pink explosion!!  I think she is eating a hushpuppy!!!

Kay and Lynn have such pretty smiles!!

If you look at the first picture and then look at this one, you can see how people have changed around this table.  I love that part of the evening - catching up - hearing about other Christmas celebrations - hearing about kids that we've watched as they have grown up.

I cannot think of a better way to ring in the new year (or almost since we can't stay up until midnight - we've got to try harder next year!!) than to spend it with friends. 

Family - how I love thee!

I love our time together as a family. As our kids grow up and move out and away . . .those times become less and less. When we are all together is special time. This first picture isn't very "good" but it shows grandmother's ginormous (sp?) sofa and how we all tend to gather in that room. At times, the sofa and every chair has a body and there are usually two or three sprawled out in the floor. When you spread a few boys (men!!) who are six feet tall or taller over a floor . . .they take up a lot of space.  Grandmother's den adjoins her kitchen so it is a nice way for us all to be together while some folks are cooking . . .without crowding the cook.

For the last several years, we've been trying to get pictures of all of us together . .. anytime we are all together.  I don't mean this to sound morbid (and I'm not thinking morbid thoughts) but I've come to realize that we really don't know what tomorrow might bring.  We need to celebrate life!!!  By the time that I was 25 (like Glenn and Laura) . . .both my parents were dead.  So here we all are . . .the back row -- Mark, Lisa (me!) and Susie -- row in front of us -- Bob (married to Susie) - Grandmother in the blue, Alice and George (don't you just love that hat?  Evidently some of the other men in their supper club have one . . .. ) -- front and center - B - i - double L (that is what Mark calls him - Bill).  Look at all those stockings hanging on that fireplace.

Here is the next generation -- Lauren and Glenn standing on the back and then Laura and Grace sitting in the chair.  Ben is on the left (he is studying at Vanderbilt and will begin applying to medical school soon!!) and Paul is in the middle (he is in law school at the University of Richmond) and Thomas is on the right -- he is in high school still. 

We are family - we love each other - we irritate each other - we come together to celebrate!!