Arthur and BF are married!

Arthur and BF are married. For one week now, actually. They are on their way back from their honeymoon in the Bahamas, as we speak!

That means BF (boyfriend) needs a new name. Now he will be SIL (Son-in-law).

Last Friday me and Hubster loaded up the SUV and Courage's car with boxes of wedding stuff, luggage, suits and dresses, snacks, and four girls and headed to South Georgia. We stopped about half way and ate at Subway and DQ. We arrived at the White House Bed and Breakfast in Montezuma at around 2:30 in the afternoon. We were greeted by Ms. Yoder, the Mennonite lady who is co-owner of the B&B there. She was wonderfully sweet. She immediately took us upstairs to to our rooms, which were decorated so pretty and homey, and soon she baked us a plate full of home-made chocolate chip pecan cookies.

After bringing up all our stuff, then exploring the house and grounds, we loaded up and headed out to Ideal Baptist Church, where the kids were getting married, for the rehearsal dinner, and rehearsal.

SIL's family treated us to roast turkey, green beans, potato salad, and several other good dishes. We got to meet the groomsmen and SIL's grandparents. Rehearsal went fine and soon we were back at the B&B to get some rest. We thought we would be bored with no t.v. or radios. But the girls had fun goofing off in their rooms, and me and the Hubster were so tired, we went to bed early.

The next morning the girls got up at 5:30am and starting getting ready. First, they had to shower and dry their hair. Mrs. Yoder brought up a most wonderful breakfast at 6:45am. She made thick slices of country ham, home baked bread, scrambled eggs, the best grits I'd ever tasted, a bowl of fruit, and home made cream cheese croissant pastries. And add REAL butter and homemade strawberry jam. It was so delicious.

After eating, the girls headed out to His and Hers Hair Salon where Ms. P and her crew coiffed and beautified the girls. In the meantime, Hubster and I were showering, dressing, and then loading up every one's stuff. We arrived at the church about 10:30am and started helping set things up for the wedding.

The girls all arrived at about 11:00am or so, and they all begin to get dressed. We had a little scare with the wedding gown, as we could not find the special snap the seamstress added to the halter strap, but Aunt Pam came to the rescue and fixed it all up! Now the bride was ready, and she and the groom began the long, arduous ordeal of all the photograph taking.

After two hours of photographs, arranging flowers, helping girls with this and that, and making sure everyone knew where they were supposed to be, it was time to begin the wedding. The guests had arrived and were treated to a slide show of the wedding couple featuring pictures from the time they were little babies up until their engagement and wedding showers. Also, the harpist played while they were being seated.

Finally, the grandmother was seated, then the groom's mom, and then me. Arthur's little brother did a wonderful job serving as usher. Hubster and I didn't trip and fall while lighting the candle, that was an accomplishment! I cried when I saw Arthur, on Hubster's arm, coming down the aisle. It's a moment you can't believe is happening, when it does happen. Even though, 27.4 years ago, when she was born, I knew this day would come. SIL was waiting at the alter for her, and he looked as handsome as she was beautiful.

SIL sang to Arthur as part of the ceremony; there was barely a dry eye in the house! He sang Alan Jackson's, 'I'll be here', and he did a wonderful job!

At last, they said their vows, and became husband and wife. The rest is a blur, as everyone filed out and walked back to the fellowship hall for the reception of ham croissants, a really neat veggie 'tree', finger sandwiches and all kinds of goodies. SIL's family did a good job 'hosting' the wedding. They really wanted SIL to be married in the church he grew up in, and since that is 3 hours away from where we live, unfortunately, they got the brunt of the work.

After the cake was cut, the bouquet thrown and bubbles blown, the bride and groom changed clothes and climbed into the car (that the groomsmen decorated quite well) and headed off in into the sunset to celebrate their new beginning.

And Courage caught the bouquet! (oh, me).

Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009

Two items from my last minute wedding 'to do' list is finished; the veil, and the 'throwing bouquet'. If I say so myself, they are beautiful!

Tonight we have a few errands to run and WW meeting, and hopefully I can finish a couple more items. Must start packing soon!

I may have to take a break from writing until after the wedding...or maybe very short posts. Like this one!

Wedding Projects (Last Minute)

I have several last minute projects to finish for Arthur's wedding next Saturday. They are mostly small things that need to be done, but will involve me stopping every thing else in order to get them done. Please send up a prayer for me to 1) gain motivation, 2) keep focused, 3) work diligently till finished with each.
Project 1. Finish up the power point project.
Project 2. Make a bouquet. (I finished purchasing all the items needed to make a 'stand in' bouquet for Arthur to toss to the unwed ladies in attendance. She refused to throw her 'real' bouquet! I have silk roses, baby's breath, ribbon, white beads on stalks, and a plastic base to build from.

Project 3. Attach the (loaned) veil to the hair comb.

Project 4. Hem the sleeves of the dress I am wearing to the wedding (so that people can see I do have hands).

Project 5. Assemble the gift bags for the ring bearer and flower girl. Also, persuade Courage to decorate those bags.
Project 6. Make a list of everything I need to take with us to South Georgia on Friday so that HOPEFULLY nothing will be left behind.

Project 7. Start packing wedding items in boxes (with labels so we know what exactly is in each box...so that any one item can be located quickly, I hope).

Needless to say, a project I've been working on for church, Ed's medical notebook updates, and my housecleaning, are ALL on hold until after next weekend.

Now, I must clear a path to the bedroom so I can get some sleep!

Cholesterol

Back on April 1, 2008, I was laid off from my job of five years. I immediately signed up for unemployment benefits and began job searching, and started exercising and eating healthier.

Within a few months I had lost five pounds. I went for my check up in July, and learned I had high cholesterol. My doctor wanted me to go on medications to lower it, but I asked her couldn't I try something else first? She hesitated and wrote the prescription anyways. I didn't get it filled.

Instead, I began running and eating even more healthier. Next, I joined Weight Watchers with my daughter and ate even healthier and lost another 20 pounds.

I went week before last to get my blood work again. Guess what!? After all that exercising, and all that dieting, my cholesterol reading did not go down even one point! Want to talk about disappointing!

At 115 pounds I have gastric reflux disease, (which I have had since my early twenties), high blood pressure, seasonal allergies (year round), and now, high cholesterol. So that is 3 pills I have to take each day now. Oh! And add to the fact I am still ovulating, I still take birth control pills, make that 4. I also take a children's Flintstone multi-vitamin a day (per WW advise) and various other vitamins and supplements on a non-regular basis.

So, when you see those ads in your magazines about the two kinds of cholesterol you may have - the kind you get from food and the kind you inherit from Dear Old Dad, well, I've got the kind you get from DOD.

I'm becoming your regular, everyday, pill-popper.

Beautiful People

Sometimes, you meet the most beautiful people!

Arthur and I have met one of those people. She is the seamstress who has been working on Arthur's wedding gown. She is from Russia and has lived here in the states seven plus years. She is so sweet!

Liliya does alterations from her home. When you come into her front door you are greeted by the smells of (perhaps) food from her native country, and an enormous mirror, probably for the viewing of wedding and prom gowns. When you meet her and see her work, you realize she is very professional and gifted.

She has a room dedicated to her craft and she has many wedding gowns and formals hanging all about, either in the works or finished and ready for pick up. She has a sewing machine (of course), a pulley in the center of the room for hoisting up heavy gowns, and a professional steam cleaner. You see pins, needles, spools of thread, and bits of lace and tulle here and there. She has a rack full of lovely creations waiting to bring smiles to beautiful brides, handsome grooms, and excited prom queens.

But beyond the needles and thread, the lace and buttons, you see a wonderful person, so kind and full of friendliness. This woman who never knew us before we showed up at Formally Yours Bridal Shop, has shown us more kindness than we thought possible from a stranger. Yes, we are a client, we are paying her for a service, but we are getting so much more than you sometimes get from a 'vendor' or 'service person'.

On our previous visit, she offered us the use of a crinoline type slip, which would have cost us about $100.00. Tonight she offered us the use of a beautiful veil, edged with beading just like the beading on Arthur's gown! Arthur, being the easy going person she is, fully accepted this gift (a loan) and said she will 'make it her own' by adding her own comb and tiara, if wanted. That's a decision for later this week.

I paid Liliya $180.00 for the alterations, but she gave us so much more. She made us feel welcome and comfortable in her home based 'office', she offered us the use of some items that is over all probably saving us $200.00, and when we left she hugged and kissed us both!

We both left with a glow. The glow you get when you meet beautiful people.

Ground Hog Day

Today is Ground Hog Day. It means nothing to me, but thought it would be a good title. ( I don't know if our local weather predictor, Robert E. Lee, saw his shadow or not!)

I can cross one thing off the list that needs to be purchased for the wedding...candle holders. The Hallmark store on Hwy 20 in Grayson is going out of business, everything is at least 50% off, some items are 75% off, and they had ONE candle holder (for the unity candle set) left. It was the display, but nothing was wrong with it. I bought new flowers to go with it, told him to keep the display flowers because they were a bit dusty and dingy. It is pretty and I am quite pleased with my purchase!

I ran into Tony, from WW, tonight at Wally-World. Tony's daughter is getting married this spring. We both expressed our wish for the weddings to come, go, and be lovely, and be happy, and be over. Tony has been out of work for quite some time (ever since I met him back last summer). He said his daughter's reception alone was costing him $8,000.00. I nearly fell into my Wally-World buggy! He also said his daughter and her new husband would be leaving the wedding in a helicopter, which costs roughly $500.00 an hour. I told Tony we were having a smaller wedding. No caterers, no helicopters. Tony expressed his dismay at having to resort to credit cards. Hey! His daughter is having the big blow out wedding, but at least I won't have the big blow out bills afterwards!

My friend 'S' at work, her son is getting married the same day as Arthur. Their wedding sounds more like along the lines of our wedding. But 'S' has hit a few rough patches with her son's future mother-in-law. 'S' is so incredibly sweet, I cannot imagine anyone not getting along with her and not just loving her!

Hubster has pretty much finished his project for the wedding...the music CD's for the reception. He has done such a good job on CD #1, I am going to listen to CD #2 tomorrow! I enjoy playing #1 over and over in my car. I pretend he made that CD of love songs just for me! (smile)

Tomorrow after work, Arthur and I go to see the seamstress, to pick up the gown after alterations. The seamstress is loaning her a crinoline type slip to go underneath the gown. It makes the gown go 'POOF'! In a good way! I am so happy about the loan, because those things cost about $100.00 for a good one!

Thursday, I have a hair appointment. I called and worked with the girl at the salon for about a half hour on trying to find a spot with the stylist I wanted. At first we settled on NEXT Thursday evening, but the more I thought about that, the more I thought well....maybe it will be okay if I ask to leave early one day this week to be able to make an opening this week. NEXT Thursday is only 2 days before the wedding. That is REALLY cutting it close. Having it done this week is more better.

Oh me...I have THREE BIG THINGS I NEED TO FINISH...a project for the wedding, taxes, and work on Mama and Ed's medical bill book. AAAGGGGHHHHHHHH!

February

February Notes and Ponderings:

*The wedding is only 13 days away!
*Granny two has been gone 2 years now. She would have been 92 this year.
*I am still a 'temp' at Gwinnett County Gov., have been for almost 4 months and probably will be forever.
*My church held 'election' last Sunday, and I couldn't attend. For the first time in YEARS, I am not elected to any position. That is weight lifted off my shoulders, but it feels weird.
*I lost 20 lbs in an effort to a) help Arthur lose weight, and b) to help get my cholesterol down. Guess what. It didn't make it go down a single point. How discouraging! Now I have to take cholesterol lowering medication.
*My youngest daughter is now a Sophomore in college. She is taking some seriously hard classes this semester. But she has dug right in!
*Ed is still having seizures. The seizures are not as severe. That is the only good thing about that!
*Ed is half way finished with radiation! yeaaah!
*Ed is now bald from the radiation. And he doesn't look that bad as a bald man!
*I am addicted to Smoothie King smoothies. The Peanut Power Plus with strawberries.
*I got the worst haircut in years, only 4 weeks before the wedding. Trying to decide if I want to risk yet another haircut, or tough it out and let it grow, which is also risking looking like a total dork at the wedding.
*I have so many unfinished projects that I go insane thinking about them.
*The Hubster sold Old Betsy, our first Honda, a 1997 Civic. I miss her.