She Said "Yes" to the Dress!

We went wedding dress shopping last night. 

My girl is getting married next year and wedding preparations are starting to kick into high gear.  Of course, high on the list of have-tos is finding that perfect dress.  But, between working very long hours and being out of town on business trips, Ashley has had a hard time fitting it into her schedule.  We finally managed it last night.  Grandma joined us and so did her sister Rachel.  It was just "us girls."  The three generations out for a night of shopping.  What could be better than that?

It's quite a personal thing, wedding dress shopping, and finding that perfect dress can raise the anxiety level of even the most cool-headed bride.  Ashley figured this would be a trial run, just to get a lay of the land and see what is out there in wedding dress world.  She really didn't have a concrete idea of what she wanted so she thought she would take a peek and try on a few things before she made any commitments.  She did know what she didn't want - nothing too flouncy or frou frou.  She is tall, like her sister and I, hovering around the six foot mark and doesn't want to add a lot of lace and fluff.  She likes to keep things simple. 

So, here we are, waiting for Ashley to come out of the dressing room in that white gown, in breathless anticipation.

When Ashley was a little girl there was nothing she liked more than looking at herself in the mirror.  She especially liked store mirrors, where she could see herself from all sides.  As soon as we would enter a store, she would beeline for the dressing rooms and twirl around, singing at the top of her lungs. 

When we walked into the bridal store changing room last night,  the mirrors reflected into each other to infinity, plus they had risers, for that inner superstar!  Rachel said, "Ashley, this would have been your dream come true when you were five years old!"

Well, my girl is no longer five years old.  She is a beautiful young lady preparing for her wedding day and when she walked out of that dressing room door in a white dress, it was a little bit hard to take in.  I didn't cry, I wasn't even very emotional.  It was a bit surreal.  I'm not really believing this yet.  It's going to take me a while to really absorb the fact that she is moving into another phase of her life.  I am really more excited for her than I am sad for me. 

It has been easy welcoming Daniel into our hearts.  He is easy to like, with his infectious smile and his teasing, middle-child ways (fist-bump for the middle child.)  He clearly loves our daughter and loves the Lord.  Ashley's face lights up when he walks into the room.  She is head over heels in love.  What more could parents ask for?

So...back to the dress.  After trying on a few, not-so-flattering, four-sizes-too-big dresses (what were those sales ladies thinking?) and one very cute, almost-there dress Ashley opened the dressing room door and came out in "the One"!  As soon as she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror the biggest smile spread across her face.  She could not stop grinning.  This was IT.  There was no reason to keep looking, or to try on another dress.  We were done.

As Ashley put it so succinctly,  "I can picture myself walking down the aisle in this dress and feeling beautiful."  What more do you need than that?

Well, here's a glimpse from last night. 

This was the "dress that almost was."  It's just a teaser and all you're going to get for now.  You'll have to wait until next June to get the real thing.

In the meantime, this mama is happy, because nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids smile!

Let Them Eat Cake

Well, I can safely say that I consumed more cake and pastries in the past four days than any other time in my life.  That is really saying something.

This represents just a portion of the goodies I have consumed.  I am SO not kidding!

The wedding is over, the bride and groom are in London, and life is returning to normal.  I am not even sure where to begin.  So much to do this week, to get caught up.  Taking pictures and listing product in my etsy shop, catching up on my writing, creating jewelry, cleaning the house.  I know it will eventually get done, so I need to relax and remember what a beautiful weekend we had.

Last night we got together with some of our dearest friends (if you weren't there it doesn't mean you're not dear).  We sat around reminiscing and laughing until our sides hurt.  Hard to believe we've known each other over twenty years.  Where has the time gone?  We gave that latte machine one more solid workout and I am not... I repeat... not... eating another dessert for at least a month week.

As we sat around, we were thinking back to when our kids were born and how time has flown. Now several of them are getting married and have children of their own.  We are in the midst of planning our own daughter's wedding next year (yeah!).

I have to admit, as a parent. that it is both exciting and terrifying to see your children become independent souls, as they make their own mistakes, achieve their personal victories and discover who they are.  I am comforted by the support of dear friends, as I tackle the challenge of parenting and am reassured by the knowledge that my children are ultimately in God's tender hands.

Our daughter R has discovered that one of her passions is horses, just like her cousin Megan!

She just packed her boots and left for a week of wrangling and counseling at Calicinto Ranch with her sweet friend Lauren.

I know they will have fun but also, that they will be blessed as they minister to the kids of prisoners.  These types of experiences are always life changing!

My challenge now is recovering from a major sugar/caffeine crash.  I need to get my energy back and figure out how to keep a Star Wars-obsessed,  energetic 12-year-old boy occupied this week.  Any suggestions?  Maybe just one more latte...

The Wedding - A Final Peek

Yes!  I have more pictures to share.

Following the ceremony, the bride and groom turned heads as they cruised through town in a cherry-red classic Thunderbird convertible.  I want this car! 

Natalie looked stunning in her sleeveless chiffon dress and Adrian was so handsome in his shades and gray suit with yellow socks to match Nat's flowers.

The mother-of-the-bride was also a bridesmaid.  My beautiful sister!

It was great to have friends and family gather from far and wide - Canada to Arizona and points between.

The reception was held in the backyard of the bride's parents.
They transformed their gorgeous yard with lanterns, candles and strings of lights.

 Kathy was determined to have candles floating in the pool, but the wind decided otherwise.

The coffee bar was a huge hit.  The father-of-the bride approves.

Julie and Cheng were kept busy all night, making delicious lattes.

The pastries and cake from The Blue Frog Bakery were killer!

For the kids, mountains of cupcakes were eaten

and a candy bar, with real movie theater popcorn was devoured.

Toasts were made and the father/daughter dance brought tears to my eyes (that always gets me).

The night ended with a screening of Princess Bride on the lawn, enjoying the beautiful California evening.

What a wonderful day!

"but the greatest of these is love" 
I Cor. 13:13

Mr & Mrs Contreras

Wow!  What a day we had yesterday.  The weather was beautiful, the bride was stunning, the groom was beaming and...

my camera broke!

Yes, on the one day of the year that I wanted to take pictures more than any other, my camera decided to slip peacefully over to the other side, where all good cameras go.  I can't tell you how ticked I was, but in the end I decided there was nothing to do but relax, enjoy the day and steal other people's pictures off the internet.

So, since I'm stealing, I decided to steal the best (maybe it's a good thing my camera broke!)

Actually, Natalie and Adrian's photographer, Hugh Forte gave me permission to post these incredible pictures from yesterday, a sneak peek for you.  He is a gifted artist with his camera and lenses, capturing Mr. and Mrs. Contreras' personalities and the beauty of the day perfectly! 
Here's the link to his site.  Check it out - hughforte.com/blog


I want to be just like Hugh when I grow up.

As more people download their pictures of the ceremony and festivities, I will grab them and share them with you.  Enjoy!

Today's the Day!

This is it!  The big day for Natalie and Adrian and the whole family.  We are now in panic mode.  Why isn't the iron working?  Where is my bag of makeup?  Can you run up to Marshall's and get an extra  vase?  It is unreal how much goes into planning a wedding!  But we know it will be worth it all in the end as we watch the happy couple come down the aisle.  Then we can all relax and enjoy the party. 

I started my morning with a quick trip to the store for a few essentials - hair color (don't want roots showing in pictures) and coffee (got to get my morning fix).  I had the most amazing surprise when I drove up to the window at Starbucks.  The girl at the window told me.  "The lady in the car ahead of you has paid for your order.  She wanted you to have this."

At first I didn't understand her. She repeated her words and handed me my coffee and a little card that read, "May good things happen for you!  Breeze".  The card had a picture of an adorable lab and the sentiment was handwritten.  Now, I didn't buy just a cup of coffee this morning, I bought a pound of French Roast to bring home.  Some stranger, randomly paid for my pound of coffee.  What a blessing!  She couldn't possibly know that I was strapped for cash and that coffee is my love language.

I've heard of these random acts of kindness but have never had a stranger do something so thoughtful for me.  It made me think of all the acts of love I receive every day from my family and friends.  I pray that my life reflects that kindness back to  others.  Can't wait to return the favor to some other unsuspecting person!

I must be off.  I have errands to run, hair to straighten and shirts to iron, but I will be back tomorrow with loads of pictures to share with you.

May your day be blessed and may you choose to share those blessings with others!

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Love Is In The Air

I mentioned before that my beautiful niece Natalie is getting married soon.  Well, tomorrow is the big day!

Family has arrived from out of town, dresses have received the final nip and tuck, the church is being decorated and there is a sense of excitement in the air.

I love weddings and usually need to bring a tissue. I think this will definitely be a two tissue event for me.  I can't imagine how many I will need at my own child's wedding!  I remember the day our sweet Nat was born.  We have watched her grow up to be a lovely young lady. She picked a guy that fits her like a hand in a glove and in the short time we've know Adrian, we have grown to love him as well.

Since weddings are on my mind, I took a peek through my pictures and have a few to share.

These pictures of my parents are great- so young and happy.  They were driven around town on the chassis of an old car.  I love the red roses and dad's white socks!

Here are their going away outfits.  So stylish. Mom and dad married on September 13, 1958 and are still having fun and in love!

This was the first wedding I ever attended.  I was the flower girl and I only remember a few things.  I loved my gold satin dress.   I loved everyone looking at me and I got very tired at the reception.

Steve and I were married 29 (gasp!) years ago.  What a beautiful day.  Boy, we were young!  After all these years, I can't imagine being with anybody else, through thick and thin.

My brother married two years later. His beautiful bride Shelley looked amazing in her aunt's vintage wedding gown but it was a very hot day and she almost melted.  They  just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary.  Congrats!

My sister wore our mother's gown on her own wedding day.  The gown had been sold (my parent's needed the money) and we tracked it down to return it to my mother on her 25th wedding anniversary.  In the end, that dress was worn by four different brides!

Tomorrow, my sister will be the mother-of-the-bride.  She and her husband Norb will welcome one more son into their family.  Can't wait for the festivities to begin!  I have my camera ready!

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 

bind them around your neck, 

write them on the tablet of your heart.

^{Proverbs 3:3} 

 

Couldn't resist one more picture.  My sweet sister and me with all that hair.  We were rockin' the 80's!  (Where did I put those hot rollers?)

Wedded Bliss

Today my favorite stylist came over and cut my hair.  There's nothing like having a great stylist in the family!  My niece, Natalie, came over and chopped off several inches.  I feel like a new woman.  Why is it that a good haircut can be such a boost?

Nat is getting married in just a few more weeks, to a very nice young man.  We love Adrian and he is already part of the family.  They are so excited about the wedding and starting their new life together.

Today we spent some time chatting about marriage and relationships and what it takes to keep a marriage healthy.  It made me reflect back on my own wedding, over 28 years ago (yikes, I can't be that old!).  I was 19 and Steve was 22.  We were SO young and naive.  It is a miracle of God's grace that we didn't kill each other in the first years.  We were both stubborn and hard-headed.  We loved each other passionately but also argued incessantly.

Life has knocked us around the last 28 years.  We have endured a near-fatal heart attack, epilepsy, illness, pain, heartache, financial stress, the deaths of loved ones and countless other bumps in the road.  We have celebrated the births of our three beautiful children, their triumphs and accomplishments and we look forward to expanding our family next year when our Ashley takes that trip down the aisle to become Daniel's bride.

I know that it hasn't been the times of happiness and triumph that have strengthened our marriage, but the times of deepest trials and pain.  These are the times that have tested us and forced us to either draw closer to one another and to God, or pull away.  We have not always risen to the challenge and have endured one another in our failings.  But here we are, 28 years later, in love and more importantly, closer than ever to the One who holds it all together.

I do not claim to be a marriage expert.  I am still learning and often fail.  But, I encouraged Natalie, as I have my own children.  Stay close to Jesus and trust Him with your future.  Without Him as the center, the whole will fall apart.

"Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing."
I Peter 3:8-9

P.S.  The beautiful picture of Natalie and Adrian is by Hugh Forte.  Check out his website!

MOTB

We are planning a wedding at our house and it is so much fun! Talking about wedding dresses, how many guests (got to trim that list!), locations, food, flowers and all that is involved, is way more fun than I remember when we were married (almost 30 years ago - yikes!). But, the most fun of all is seeing my daughter beaming with joy at the thought of being a married woman.

I think back on all the years her daddy and I spent praying for her and for her unnamed husband-to-be. It is thrilling to see how God had prepared each of them for the other. And, he's a middle child, just like me!

So now I will be a MOTB (that's mother-of-the-bride for the uninitiated). I have mixed feelings as I think of letting our little girl go, but realize that she has never been 'only ours'. We dedicated her to God and have enjoyed watching her grow and exert her independence from us while becoming more dependent on God. That is exciting! To know that their marriage will be built on a foundation that is solid.

As the day approaches, I can't wait to share with you all the joy and excitement that we anticipate. Just a sneak peek -the picture above is from the park where they are going to be married - SO beautiful!


"Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything." I Peter 4:8 The Message