A True Hostess

Chocolate Cake Nana made for a Sunday night treat.

I remember one day not so long ago saying " I will never get stoked about dishes, it just won't happen!" That
 time has come and gone. One of the things I am most excited about in my new married life is having an organized kitchen filled with beautiful dishes that all match. I am excited to serve dessert on actual dessert plates, and coffee in cups with saucers. I am excited to have serving pieces that match instead of finding random bowls that fit the portions prepared. I don't believe this would at all be a big deal to me if I didn't grow up surrounded by people who instilled in me the joy of hostessing. This seems like a trivial lesson but after years of watching my Nana and preparing to embark on my own hostessing duties I am so much more appreciative and wowed by her meticulous dinner planning and the importance of it. Nana always puts place mats down on her tables, whether it is breakfast alone (before my Mom rises from her slumber cave) or if it is a dinner for 20. The table is always fully set with flatware and napkin. She takes great pride in serving her food in beautiful bowls even it if is just a few of us eating together. She frowns when someone comes to her beautifully set table with a paper cup, and  why not after putting in the effort to make it look amazing I would hate to have someone use a red solo cup instead of my lovely goblets to drink from. We used to all moan and groan when Nana would break out the gold ware for Thanksgiving dinners because it all had to be hand washed. As I watched her get the gold forks out to serve along side a birthday recently I realized she uses these little touches to make moments even more special. She takes such care in her dinner presentations and desserts sharing or even a mid afternoon coffee because she cares about who she is serving and wants to make them feel important. Plus she just really loves her beautiful dishes. I am so grateful and proud to have been able to watch and learn from such a wonderful hostess. I know I will take these lessons with me into many many years of hosting my own dinner parties for friends, family or just my husband and I. Thank you Nana for being such a wonderful teacher.

The past two months I have cherished my time spent in my Mom and Nana's home. I have joked that after I marry I won't move out because they have taken such great care of me. Nana always has a homemade treat around for snacks and takes pride in preparing meals for her guest, me! This time in their home has reminded me so much of the months I lived with Nana and Grandy before moving back to Amarillo. We shared our evenings together, morning coffee, lunch breaks. It was such an wonderful time of quality with Grandy and Nana which I will cherish forever! This time has been just the same with Mom and Nana! I have been so blessed by this time and am so grateful the opportunity it has given me.

A Concert for Girl Time.... 8 days left

Last night in an effort to do something fun and different I talked all the ladies in my family into going to the Francesca Battistelli Concert. Mom has a constant craving for music, especially Christian or Kenney Chesney, and I felt it would be a great opportunity to spend some time together before things actually get crazy with wedding bonanza. Tammy, Neeley, Kelsey and Nana all were gracious enough to join in. The night I must say started off a little chaotic as all things in our family tend to but we managed to wrangle it together. Sitting to the far left of the stage having only a profile view of the artists we jammed, sang, jumped, threw our hands in the air and praised God for his blessings together!  As soon as we sat down Mom started fumbling through her purse, when I asked what she was looking for she said her phone. I asked why and she said just wait in a minute they are all gonna have their phones up, I kinda laughed thinking no they won't. As the band The Afters began singing their single Light Up the Sky, they asked everyone to put their phones up, and of course at that moment Mom couldn't find her phone! It was a great and uplifting time spent with the people I love so dearly!

Today I am running through mental checklists in my head as I down Zicam and Mucinex DM to combat a cold that may be trying to show itself. This weekend I will remove all my belongings except what I need for next week  from my Mom and Nana's house into the cleaned out and organized closets Drew and I will now share. Honeymoon attire is hanging neatly all together in a closet next to my clothes for Santa Fe ready to begin the journey.

Anxiety is high. Will everything I have planned for the last 6 months really work? Is there something major I am forgetting, it feels like there is. When am I going to finish spray painting? Gosh I am just so ready to be on a beach in Jamaica!

Here we go- 10 days

Completely blessed by God's chosen one for me. His love never dulls but shines brighter every day! 

Overwhelmed, In the best way.

Sleepless nights are a reoccurring thing in my world right now. The other night I had a dream I shaved my head and woke up freaking out about what to do with my hair for the wedding. Nana and I share our sleepless stories with each other in the morning as she is usually kept awake during hours at night. One of these nights I know we are going to be awake at the same time and have a tea party at 3am.

Nana is the hat queen, we spent 30 minutes trying on hats on Friday night and she looks amazing in each one!

Friday night I got home from work to find my Mom anxiously waiting for my arrival home. She had a plan for the night, which was a rarety! She wanted to have a girls night out with Nana and I. Just the three of us. We ate steaks and had a great dinner together. Mom then wanted to take me to the mall to "get stuff to take with me." Not knowing exactly what that meant but not wanting to disrupt her fun we headed out. I soon found out she meant my lingerie for my shower/honeymoon etc. Let me tell you it is a funny thing shopping for lingerie with your Mom and Nana. I am sure the pieces they had in mind were not the same with what I did but we managed to all agree on some nice selections. Mom then wanted me to get new lotions from Bath and Body Works. It was so sweet to watch her determination as she guiding Nana and I through the mall to the store, she couldn't tell us exactly what it was called but she knew it when she saw it. The three of us topped off our night with some Downton Abbey and homemade Nana malts! My mom is growing increasingly emotional and I am trying to focus as much time with her as possible.

Drew trying out our new mattresses.... a present from my Mom for our wedding!

Moments with Drew are a stolen treasure right now. I look at him and cannot believe that in just over a week he will be my husband. We spent Sunday afternoon together working on our house, well he worked. I sat outside and drank sweet tea as he raked our yard and we talked about the flowers we wanted to plant together.

Time is winding down, and quickly speeding up. I am about through with all my purchases for the wedding and the time is coming to pack it all up for the four hour drive to Santa Fe.

We are having quite the turnout for our destination wedding, we hoped to have at least 40-50 when we started our planning process. We will have 75 guests celebrating with us as we wed. I am overwhelmed by the love shown from so many who want to be there. Feeling incredibly blessed and looking so forward to seeing all their faces.

A note from mom

Meg-

I am so happy for you. Words cannot express how much I love you

and how proud I am of the beautiful woman you have become! You

would make any mother proud! You've been more than a daughter-

you've been a very close, best friend. You have been the one to

bring joy, happiness, fun, tenderness, and loyal support into our

home always.

I know you and Drew together will make a wonderful home where God

will be the center and the special guest at every meal and every

activity. My prayer always will be for that and for your

happiness.

You will always be "my little girl" the "Princess" that made our

home full of love!

Never, Never forget how much I love you!

Mom

We were about to start our second episode of Downton Abbey for the night when she interrupted me starting it to read me this note. She has tried tirelessly to write it out herself but ended up dictating her words to Nana who wrote them out. I am so blessed by her kind thoughtful words and her unconditional love. 

Oh My Stars... I AM GETTING MARRIED!

24 Days, that is like practically no time at all! I watch the "wedding hall", a usually deserted hallway in my Mom and Nana's home grow fuller and fuller with wedding supplies and realize my days of putting off tasks are no more! They must be done immediately!

I had a terrible nightmare last night about all things wedding going terribly wrong which ended with me crying in the middle of the aisle... nice!

Drew's wedding gift came in yesterday and I must say he is going to love it!

I am looking forward to seeing the precious friends who are traveling to be by my side as we say I do! The sacrifices you are making do not go unnoticed! (Especially a new mother spending her first Easter away from her daughter, you are amazing!)

I began working on my table seating yesterday and that is one hard job!

My stomach is in a constant anxious knot.

Drew told me Sunday he sat on the couch and cried listening to Aaron Neville after hearing him on the morning new show. Needless to say we are both emotional and anxious! I now realize why it is so important to take a honeymoon right after a wedding... you need rest and relaxation!

Here is a pic of what we were living with last week, 19 inches of snow dumped on us forcing the town to close for 2 days... it was amazing!