Dream Wedding: Cocktail Hour

Our reception was held at the Muskegon Country Club -- the same place where my brother and sister each had their wedding receptions.  While the bridal party was off taking pictures at Lake Michigan, all the wedding guests were at the country club enjoying hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail hour (open bar compliments of my amazing parents!).

The country club entrance was flanked with the bride and groom planters pictured below.  These guys were a last-minute addition to the wedding.  My next door neighbor had thrown me a lovely bridal shower for my out-of-town friends the day before the wedding and she had borrowed these planters to have on her porch for the shower.  We commented on how cute and unique they were and asked if they were available for the wedding.  We all kind of laughed and that was that.

Fast forward to our wedding day... I ran the 5K race, zipped home to shower, and was in the car with my maid of honor ready to leave for the salon when I remembered the planters again.  We ran next door, each grabbed a planter, yelled at our neighbors that we were taking the bride and groom, and seat-belted them into a seat of my minivan and took them to the club.  They were such a last-minute addition and yet served as a perfect welcome as people walked through the door.
  Sometimes the best things are unplanned.

 
After the beach pictures, we arrived at the club and the cocktail hour had already been going for about 45 minutes...

A cool picture as we climbed the stairs...

And we've arrived...

I think some of the first people who greeted us were my parents and then Chris' parents.  I do remember very specifically that amidst all the hustle and bustle and joy of our arrival, Chris' dad made a point to come over to me in my first 2 minutes of being there to give me a huge hug and welcome me to his family.

 

I also remember that a waiter came over to me very promptly to ask what I wanted to drink (I asked for water) and I remember thinking what amazing service... and then I realized that I was the bride and that was probably why the wait staff was so attentive.

Waiters delivered drinks, guests visited the bar, hors d'oeuvres were passed, and the photo booth was open.

The hors d'oeuvres were delicious and my dad made sure that some were set aside for the head table (since we missed most of the cocktail hour, and were mingling during the time were were there).  Fruit, vegetables, cheese, and crackers -- AND stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, and CANDIED BACON!  Oh my, I still dream of that candied bacon!

Waiters delivered drinks, guests visited the bar, hors d'oeuvres were passed, and the photo booth was open.  It was a wonderful cocktail hour and the perfect start to our reception.

Year of Dates: March

I am so behind in posting about our year of dates... and we have had dates in March, April and May... so here goes the start of catching up:

Hubby and I had our March date at the end of March during the week of our spring break, which we spent up in Vail, CO.  I had been looking forward to this particular date for months!

 The Lodge at Vail... the hotel right next door to my parents' condo at Lodge Tower have had a restaurant/bar for my entire life and before called Micky's Bar.  It was named Micky's Bar because of the entertainer who plays the piano every night during ski season and who is a one-of-a-kind AMAZING entertainer and wonderful pianist.

Vail's piano man, Micky Poage!

Micky can play anything, and what's more, he is such a true and gifted entertainer that you can go years without seeing him and the moment you walk in the bar, he remembers you, he gives you a hug, he remembers your favorite song (and plays it for you almost immediately) and makes you feel like HIS night is made because you came to see him.  What a gift!

About a year ago, the Lodge at Vail had a different vision for their future and it didn't include the amazing piano man who had entertained Vail for decades.  Subsequently, Micky found a new gig at a very nice restaurant in Avon, CO and this is where Hubby and I had our March date.

Local friends of Micky come to sing with him occasionally... the man in the glasses is singing along with Micky's playing

I hadn't seen Micky in years and I hadn't seen him since I have been married so it was so nice to introduce him to my husband.  Micky knows my parents and my siblings and remembers details about each and every one.  To see him is like visiting an old friend.

We had a wonderful night!

The menu was very expensive, but the food was DELICIOUS!  We were able to figure out a way to share plates for a few courses and enjoy a terrific meal and linger to hear Micky over a few hours.

We ate, we laughed, we sang a little (quietly, to ourselves at the table), we danced (Micky played "Moon River" for us), and we had a wonderful March Date!

Friday Letters: The Culmination

 

• Dear This Week, Oh wow!!!  I feel like this week have been the culmination of so many unresolved, incomplete, hanging-over-my-head for MONTHS projects that have all FINALLY come to a head -- all at the same time -- this week!  You have kept me hopping, crazed, jumping from one topic to another, moving so fast I have a hard time remembering what I'm doing from one moment to the next...  But, it seems like, today, when the lights go off Friday night, I will have SO MANY things checked off my on-going To-Do list.  That is a great feeling.  THANK YOU, This Week!!!
• Dear Lexie Lee, I miss you so much, but I know you're in the best place you could be with my parents in Michigan... but we really miss you.  I think Lloyd really misses you too.  How are you handling life without your little brother?

• Dear Hubby, I kind of feel like I won't see you until September.  The end of the year is so nuts for us... and then I go to Greeley... and then St. Louis... and then Tuscon... and then maybe elsewhere.  It will be nice to catch up -- in September.  I'm only half kidding here...

• Dear Life, Your ups and downs and mysteries and secrets and surprises and roller-coasters and floods and droughts and mountains and valleys are just wonderful.
• Dear Season Finales of TV Shows, You are bitter sweet.  I come to enjoy you throughout the school year and you break up the monotony of the weeks.  I enjoy the drama of the series finales, but I don't like that its over for the year.
• Dear Students, You were such a joy this week!  I am so lucky to be your teacher.
• Dear St. Louis, You gave us such a great weekend.  It was so exhausting, but so rarely can so much joy and so many loved ones be packed into one weekend.  I will cherish the times we had that weekend forever.

• Dear Little Nugget, Our new niece or nephew, We are SO excited to meet you.  You just cook as long as you need to... but it would really help our summer schedule if you could arrive on July 1.  We'll love you regardless of when you arrive... but why don't you be a team player and arrive on July 1.  :-D

Critters on the Road

Lexie and Lloyd came with us to St. Louis this past weekend, and they are just such joys to bring with us on a trip.  We were handing Lexie off to my mom in St. Louis for her to spend a summer in Michigan, and Lloyd got to come along and play with his Missouri cousins.

Here are some fun animal pictures of our travels:

Lloyd sat in the car for HOURS as we loaded and made ready to leave... he wanted us to know in no uncertain terms that he was ready and wanted to go with us.

Hubby and Lex... we drove all night, through the night on Thursday, so we're a little tired in some of these shots.

Late night fun in the car.

Here are some animals we ran into in Kansas City... in a Cabelas display.  These shops are really cool.

More animals in and around Cabelas...

Our little queen of the car... she's usually a very good little traveler.

She doesn't always like to be photographed... notice her annoyed look.

Another comfy spot in the van.

This guy loves to travel too... and no annoyed looks from this puppy.

It was a LONG trip...

I thought this was a cool picture.

A Mother's Day picture with my Momma and my little Lexie (and I may have been crying a little at the idea of sending Lex to Michigan for the summer)

I love Momma and Lexie!

Chris and his mom playing with Lloyd and his cousin, Angel.

These dogs have SOOO much fun together!

 We absolutely LOVE our animals and miss our Lexie girl so much now that she's in Michigan.

Rodriguez Baby Shower

This past weekend, Hubby and I made a WHIRLWIND trip to St. Louis for several reasons, the most important of which was I co-hosted a baby shower for Chris' sister, Becky!

Becky and Daniel are expecting a baby in early July and I collaborated with a friend of Becky's in St. Louis for her BIG baby shower -- about 40 guests.  The verdict was it is much more difficult to plan a shower long distance than on-site, but the joy of blessing friends remains a constant.

Here are some picture collages of the fun shower:

The shower was for Becky and Daniel (Chris' younger sister and her husband)... although it was basically a women-only party.  Daniel came for the last part and opened a few presents that were just for him.  We are so excited for these wonderful people, amazing siblings, and we know they will make amazing parents.

Here are some scenes of the shower... pink, blue and yellow because they didn't know the sex of the baby.  We had the shower at her grandmother's home and the space was so beautiful.

Flowers and rubber duckies, and desserts, Oh My!

Opening presents -- some of the best ones include: a bib that said "Are these people REALLY my relatives?"'; a onesie that says "I love my grandma" in Spanish (since Daniel is from Mexico); a pair of baby scrubs; and a wall decal that says "For this child I have prayed..."  Becky and Daniel and their little Nugget were so blessed

Some pictures of shower guests -- only a few of them... there were so many people!

 Some family pictures from the shower -- my momma and me, Chris' mom and Grandma (the will-be Grandma and Great-Grandma to Nugget), Chris and Becky and me, Becky and her Grandpa Miller (who picked her a little flower bouquet), and Mandy, Becky and Me -- the Miller girls (as soon as Nick and Mandy get married).  I am so blessed to be a part of his family.

 We had a wonderful, wonderful weekend... and this shower was just a part of it.

Okay, little Nugget Rodriguez, we're ready for you -- in about 6 weeks when you're done cooking.

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