02 November 2014

18-31 October 2014 - a look back


it has been a very interesting 2 wks.

let's start back on the 18th of October.

my mom arrived at 2230 hrs that nite. she was here for her grandson's wedding amd decided to make it a time to visit me and my family a week b4 the wedding. my other siblings and their families would be here later in the week. from the start, it was go, go, go. there was a lot to do in the short time b4 the wedding day.

the first thing we did the 19th of October was have a pizza gathering minus my son-in-law. the next day on the 20th, i took mom down to see my youngest daughter and her family. u see, she has the 3rd great grandchild. my mom then found out that her fourth great grandchild is "in the oven". les made a great lunch for us all and i enjoyed watchin' my mom play with her great grandbaby.

i am very proud of my youngest daughter and her husband. they r doin' quite well in their relationship. quite a nice visit. then, it was back home to go shopping for clothes for me.

apparently, mom had decided that i would get a nice dressy outfit to wear to the wedding. i didn't know about this until she got here. since i am very picky in what i like, i was skeptical about finding what i would be pleased with and not end up giving it away right after the wedding. well, guess what? i found what i liked and plan on keeping it.


we found the outfit in record time, one evening, including the shoes. the accessories were all gotten by the 21st of October. the rest of the week was spent on getting the accessories put together and finished. the last thing i did was make some homemade cookies and holders out of paper plates. mom came up with the idea of covering the holder with purple gift wrap. we then placed the cookies inside and wrapped them individually with clear wrap with purple ties and hearts crocheted. they turned out quite nice. forgot to get pics tho. DOH!!

the rest of my family arrived thursday nite. on friday, my brother and his daughter came for a visit. i had my brother test the cookies i made. they passed the taste test so i knew the cookies would be a hit with the others. it was nice that he made the effort to visit us b4 the wedding. tho he couldn't make it during the day due to other stuff goin on, i was really glad to see him. he test rode both our bikes and we chatted for bit. since it was really late, after midnite now, they said their goodbyes and off they went.


WEDDING DAY FOR MY NEPHEW

25 OCTOBER 2014
mom and i went to get our hair done and my nails done. we were done by 1430 hrs. getting home we waited on my daughter to help us with our makeup but she was held over at her daughter's cheering. what a bummer! cuz i am not good putting on makeup. don't wear it on a daily basis. in fact, the blush and eye shadow i have is over 10 yrs old. but it was still good. couldn't use the eye shadow cuz i didn't have the color to match what i was wearing so i borrowed my mom's. after we got all prettied up, we headed to Lewisville. with it being a fair piece away, we wanted to leave early enough to find the place, get good parking, and not rush it all. we were able to make it to the destination in plenty of time. we stopped at IHOP for something to drink.
finally, it was time for the wedding.


we arrived at the place and signed the guest book after entering the building. it was all set up for a small, intimate wedding. after hubby returned with our gift, he sat down next to me and we waited. we were asked to turn off all camera phones and cameras as they did not want others taking pics. only the hired photographer would get the wedding pics. i didn't like it but i closed my tablet.

TJ, my nephew, was standing at the front. he looked good all decked out in his tux. a single flower adorned his jacket.

my sister was escorted down the aisle by our brother and walked to a table that had some glasses with sand in them and one that was empty. she poured some into the one that was empty. when she finished, she seated herself. next to come down was the bride's mother. and she looked absolutely stunning. sorry i don't recall her name but i do remember how beautiful she looked. she had what looked to me to be a turquoise-colored dress on. the dress just looked stunning on her. and her hair was perfectly framed around her beautiful face with it pulled to the left side. her hair accessory perfectly matched the dress. she, too, poured some sand into the same container as my sister did. with that completed, the bride's mother went back around to bring her daughter out for all to see. i was sad that Des did not have a father to walk her down the aisle, but when i saw her with her mother, who was beaming from ear to ear, that thought quickly vanished.

with the colors being purple and white, the bridesmaids and maid of honour were beautifully dressed holding a simple flower arrangement. the groomsmen looked smashing in their tuxes.

the wedding party now in place, it was time for the bride to make her entrance. and make an entrance she did. with her mother guiding her at her side, Des made her way from the doors to the last row of chairs. as i watched her, i noticed her face had a glow that enhanced her natural beauty. i then looked at my nephew. he was smiling and had a hard time looking away from her. it seemed his full attention was focused sharply on the woman walking down the aisle to him. i really don't think he saw anyone else. 8)

Des had on a simple white gown that was nicely fit around her figure that flaired out at the mid lower leg. the dress was strapless with a triangular short train made of lace mesh. her flowers were simple and in the same arrangement as the others. to put it simply, Des was simply gorgeous. her hair was done in a tight bun where the veil was placed. the veil was only in the back. there was no from piece to the veil. the mother and daughter looked so beautiful!


now this is where it surprised me. u see, my nephew had written God off a long time ago. and to be honest, his life reflected it. but unbeknowst to me, my nephew made the choice to return to God and his wedding vows reflected his commitment and choice. i had no idea that TJ had made the turn-a-round. i found out later while talking with my sister, that he didn't want to tell people with words but with his actions and choices. so, his vows to his bride were made with Jesus at the center of them. it made me quite happy tho i was skeptical during the wedding. it wasn't until i was able to talk with my sister 2 days later that i was at peace with it.


TJ's vows to Des were founded in God's word and His love. and to be honest, there really was a more peaceful look on his face. one that i had never seen. prayer really does work. 8) i was proud to celebrate the union of TJ and Des that nite. the whole nite was peaceful with lots of joy, fun, and energy. when i would glimpse at my nephew, i saw the peace and change in his face and eyes. i pray that God will always give him the wisdon on how to be the man for Des and for God. i pray that TJ has such a tight and close relationship with Jesus that u can't tell them apart. with that kind of God relationship comes a strong marriage. will always pray for u both.

PICS
after the wedding, pics were taken. and once again, no cameras. tho everyone was taking pics of family who were waiting around to be photographed. to be honest, i hate having my pic taken. but that nite, i was happy to take part in the wedding photos.



THE RECEPTION
moving from the place where the wedding took place to the reception area, i felt a bit awkward. but that's ok. i was a bit nervous. but i had no need to be. the atmosphere was light. the attendant was doing a good job getting everyone situated. she really did a great job. all of the wedding staff did an excellent job.

after the wedding party arrived from the photo session, dinner was served. it was a simple dinner and very good. there was a bar for drinks if u wanted some.

hubby got me one glass of wine with the meal. i made it last about 2 hours. he had a couple of drinks through out the evening. and mom had one glass of wine with her meal.

after the dishes were cleared away, it was time for the music and dancing to begin. as is traditional, the bride and groom took the floor for their first dance as husband and wife. then the mother of the groom and groom did their dance. the mother and bride also danced. after those were done, it was time for everyone to join them on the floor. and did people join them! it was great seeing everyone enjoying themselves. even my mom got out there and showed off some moves. a great time was had by all. 8)






below is my favorite pic of the nite. it was spontaneous and turned out perfect. 😊



SURPRISE AFTER THE WEDDING
at about 2230 hrs the bride and groom were sent off on their way. my sister was frantic for some reason. and it wasn't about the wedding or anything connected to it. but she was wanting several of us to join her at the hotel she, audie and andy were staying at. supposedly for some chatting and drinks. but when we arrived, the bar was closed and a few of us were wondering what we were there for. come to find out, a certain person named Andy had a purpose for the gathering.

Audie and Andy have been together for about 4 yrs. Audie has gone thru a lot with her man. Andy is a veteran and that is all i will say on that. apparently, Andy has been planning this for a while. audie loves him dearly and the two really do look good together. they compliment one another well. for all they have been thru, Audie did not see this coming. Andy did a good job hiding this special announcement. only those that needed to know, knew. and i was not one of them.

as we sat around, Andy looked a bit nervous. he tried waiting for my brother and his family but just couldn't wait any longer. looking back, his love was really showing for Audra as well as his nervousness.


with a trembling voice that was barely above a whisper. he fumbled for words as he got down on one knee as he reached into his pocket. as i did my best to lip read, i noticed that Audra was shocked and surprised, had tears in her eyes and was shaking. b4 Andy finished asking, her head nodding yes and her voice, too, was barely above a whisper. it was so touching! and now, the glow on Audra could be seen in the black of nite. she was absolutely glowing with tears in her eyes and the biggest smile that didn't leave her face. for her, that nite was complete. she shared in her brothers joy of marriage and she was now engaged to her best friend.

25 October 2014 was a nite to remember. such a beautiful, peaceful, and joyful nite that celebrated a marriage union and an engagement.


SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014
a quiet day for us. no pressing matters to take care of. out of the blue, i get a call from my daughter telling me that her hubby wants to come over for a visit. of course! i would never deny them a visit with my mom. should have gotten a pic but i didn't think of it until they were leaving. oh well. the visit was short but nice. the grandkids enjoyed playing as always. for some reason, papaw is a good playmate. they enjoy playing with him.
as i look back, i saw a quiet difference in my son-in-law. i'm praying!!!

THE GOODBYES
on monday, 27th of October, mom had to be at the airport. so i got up early to ride with hubby to work and then take mom to the airport after we enjoyed breakfast at IHOP. got her there just in time. the traffic was thick as usual that early in the mornin'.

after dropping her off, i met my sister at her hotel and we chatted for a few hours. quite a nice visit. i truly enjoyed the time we spent together. she shared with me how TJ had gotten saved and wanted people to see the change in his life thru action and commitment. she chatted about her new place of employment and the town she now lives. looking forward to seeing it. just b4 it was time for her to get to the airport, we went for lunch at Denny's, her treat. after dropping her off at the airport, i headed back to get hubby from work.

after leaving the airport, the drive was fairly quick. the trouble? i took a left instead of a right after exiting the highway. had i gone right at the light, i would have been at hubby's work at 1600 hrs. instead i took a left and ended up in Frisco. after turning around, i made it to hubby at about 1700 hrs. he was sitting outside on the curb waiting for me. i felt like a heel. but he said it was ok as i apologized.

31 OCTOBER 2014
without goin' into detail, my oldest daughter's marriage had been experiencing really tough times. but on this nite, u couldn't tell.

normally, it's just my oldest daughter and her kids that make the rounds in the neighbourhood for candy. this time, it was the whole family! 8) and my granddaughter's bff and brother had come along. their car was parked in front of our house. i really didn't know they were here until they knocked on the door, which we didn't answer. my son-in-law then knocked on my window where i was playing on the computer. had them enter the gate and come in. apparently, my grandson had an accident. after all entered, grandson and father went into the bathroom to clean up. all the kids had pumpkins full of candy. after they were finished in the bathroom, grandson and father joined everyone in the living room. it was quite loud here with the kids squealing about their candy and my daughter trying to keep their dad from stealing it. 8) i remember those days when my dad would walk in and do his best to take all the good candy. 8) when my grandson got his pumpkin full of candy once again, he started giving it away. i got some and so did daddy. my hubby chose not to accept any as he can't have that kind cuz it's made with cow's milk and other stuff he has trouble with. so the rest of us enjoyed the free candy. my granddaughter also shared one small snickers candy with me. 8)

i noticed one thing that was missing for a sometime in my daughter's family and that was a husband/father that participated. i saw my son-in-law participating with his wife and children. it was really nice to see.

3 comments:

  1. Congrats to TJ and Des! Congrats to Audra and Andy for their engagement!
    Also, I hope TJ will stay in his Faith this time...

    Also, mom you looked beautiful, very beautiful. No matter what anyone else says or does, you are a beautiful woman - Love ya mom :)

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