Where do the years go?

 

     Today is my daughter's birthday! I posted this picture of her early this morning on Facebook with a birthday greeting. I should have known she would have an interesting response. I was almost immediately sent a text of the picture below...

 

 

I have no idea where the 29 years

have gone, but we are certainly blessed!

 

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

 

 

Sharing the Joy-A Shabby Chic Wedding

    

 

      How many of us get to watch someone come full circle in their lives? Well that is exactly how I felt as I watched my friend of 10 years get married this month. My friend Debbie was one of the first people I met when we moved here. Over the past 10 years I have watched her life seem very "together", watched it fall apart and been a witness to her finding joy and serenity once again. It has been a painful journey, but I have never seen her as happy or peaceful as she is right now and it is such a blessing to see her happy ending.

 

 

     In the midst of massive rain the week of May 10th, the skies cleared just long enough to have the ceremony. The attendants were the children of the bride and groom, the flower girls the daughter's of Debbie's cousin and best friend.

 Her son, looking so grown up, escorts her to her groom.

 

 

     The venue for the ceremony was the field in front of a historical barn. The chairs were arranged in a way that they were able to walk in front of all of their family and friends.

 

     This wedding was both elegant and casual. Debbie is a perfectionist and both the wedding and the reception were very different than what she might have planned in the past and yet everything was just perfect. Families were invited, there were kids everywhere. Her friends helped with everything from setting up the ceremony to decorating for the reception. I loved being a part of doing the bridal bouquets and floral arrangements. This was the perfect blending of two families, surrounded by family and friends that couldn't be happier for them. 2

 

The happy couple after the ceremony.

He makes her so very happy. It makes my heart smile!

 

     The reception was at a building at the lake. This is not a fancy building, but it took on an entirely different look with the twinkle lights, flowers and fun decorations. They did something I have never seen before with the food. They had all of their favorite things from favorite places. I took the pictures before everyone got to the reception, so the chairs and flowers aren't in place yet (or some of the food). The sweets table had pie made by the groom's mother, cake made by the bride's aunt, mini pies made by her very good friend and various other treats and sweets.

 

 

 

     Mason jars with name tags and matching straws were picked up to fill with drinks and taken home at the end of the evening.

Adult Kool-Aid and

Amaretto Stone Sours for the grown-ups.

 

Pink lemonade and McDonalds sweet tea.

Mashed potatoes from our local fancy place, and

fried chicken and noodles from our local family restaurant.

The local "best in town" Italian restaurant lasagna.

Chicago pizza shipped in as well

as salad from The Hill in St. Louis.

A Fluffy Burger station-burgers from

 her hometown (not local) meat market.

 

Make your own tacos in a bag station.

 

The room before the chairs and flowers arrive.

The beautiful daughters of the bride.

 

     Music was a playlist created by the teenage children of the couple and it was mostly kids dancing. As you can see, it truly was a family friendly, happy event that was filled with love. Who could ask for more?

 

 

Stop by and see Michael @ Rattlebridge Farm for

Foodie Friday!

 

 

Another May 13th

 

     It was 3 years ago today, May 13, 2010, that I lost my mom. It was 47 years ago, May 13, 1966 that she lost her mother, my grandmother. May 13th, Mother's Day, they always come together and I remember that Mother's Day was always bittersweet for my mom. I get it now, I wish I could tell her that.

 

     In many ways it seems as if she has been gone forever and sometimes it seems as if those 3 months from a healthy, happy mom to losing her, just happened yesterday. I'm still using a bottle of her perfume and it hasn't been long enough that the bottle is empty yet. There are so many things I wish I could ask her and so much that I would love to tell her.

 

     She lost her mother very suddenly when she was 36, with 2 little girls at home to raise. She never faltered. I never saw her cry although my dad said that she did often. She was the type of woman who protected her children from seeing her pain. I was only 11, so I had no idea what she was going through. I lost her at 55. I cried every day for the first year and some days I thought I wouldn't survive without her here. I wasn't stoic like she was, I called my daughter in tears many times and she was there for me in ways that I only wish I could have been for my mom.  

 

     Mom absolutely lived for her grandkids. She would hate this picture...but, you can see the love as she held my son for the first time. She is younger in both of these pictures with my babies than I am now. From that moment on, they shared a very special bond.

 

My daughter, a vision in pink on the way home

 from the hospital, also captured her heart.

 

     In the 3 years she has been gone, there have been so many changes in our family. My sister has had two daughters get married, I have one engaged. She would have been so happy for our girls and as wonderful as these moments are...something is just missing without her there. Some of her 6 grands have really thrived in the past 3 years, others have struggled and her youngest...is now 17, driving, going to prom and growing into a beautiful young lady.

 

     Mom was our rock, the glue that held our family together. She was the one that we could talk to, who never minced words with us. When we spoke, she really listened and our kids had a respect for her opinions that they have never had for ours.

 

     Life does go on and it certainly has in our family. Some wonderful things have happened since she left us and some not so great. We have had to adjust to things that are painful and difficult and yet we have survived. My sister and I are closer than ever, my daughter has really tried to step up and fill the void left by my mom, even though I tell her it isn't her job to "mother" me. People say it gets easier, and it does. The pain is no longer acute. I no longer wake up crying in the night and when I think of mom, I smile. The missing her, never gets better. She is with me every day of my life...and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

     So, is May 13th a day of sorrow for me? Not really. I don't miss her more today than any other day, every other day. Is it jinxed that her mother died on May 13th and so did my Mom? I could think that (and I probably wouldn't go sky-diving today), or I could remember what someone wise told me...it is a special day. It is the day my Mom got to see her Mom again, after a long separation. I think that is a much better way to think of it. Love you Mom.

 

Our last "3 generation" picture.