Road Trip!

 A few weeks ago we made another road trip to Oklahoma for the newlyweds' reception

On our way there, we did a little exploring to look at some new country

I didn't take a lot of pictures because I was too busy soaking in the trip. 😉 

A friend and business associate of Kenny's kindly let us use the Lake Country Club for the celebration and it was perfect - we decorated a little

                                            

Set up an arch for pictures

And 2 co-worker / friends worked their magic on the grazing table

Look how pretty! They could do this professionally!

Our girl dried the orange slices to decorate the cake: So delicious...and pretty!

And everyone raved about the cupcakes too!

Our girl and I made a trip to Roanoke for 60# of crawfish and 8# of shrimp

This was our first crawfish experience

Crawfish for the win!

Lots of folks bellied up to the crawfish tables - someone will ask what else was added to the crawfish boil - there was crawfish, shrimp, sausage, baby potatoes, mushrooms, corn on the cob, and green beans, plus the seasoning they used (no, I don't know which one it was) and Kenny's mom made an awesome remoulade sauce that was the perfect accompaniment. 😋

Such a fun celebration, but I don't remember ever being that tired! Whew - we were smoked. We stayed at a very cute hunting cabin just down the road from our girl's place

And it was perfect

We passed out the second our heads hit the pillows

Oklahoma is so green and our garden girl has discovered a green thumb!

I didn't plant a garden this year and with virtually NO rain and these kinds of temps, I would have been hard pressed to grow anything

On our way back, we took another route and foundered on some wonderful barbecue our girl recommended

We planned on stopping in to visit with my BIL the next day so we stayed in Mineral Wells that night and walked around downtown to stretch our legs after so many miles - we had a taste testing at a winery

And stopped to enjoy a local Idol contest

 and to enjoy an appetizer

And retreated into the cool of a local brewery when the humidity chased us desert rats indoors

Such a fun trip, but we were pooped and someone was very glad to have us back home!

And Two Shall Become One

Well, it's taken me a while, but I think I've finally composed a wedding post. It takes a while to sort through 4000 photos. I know I'm biased, but this post will be filled with fabulous wedding photos. 😉

This was a big day for not only the bride and groom, but for the Bride's Daddy as well. She's always been a Daddy's Girl and I've always loved how close they are

Our girl's vision of a forest wedding came to fruition

A friend of hers officiated - back in January she asked him how far he was willing to travel to officiate her wedding. His response: The outer banks of Mongolia would be my limit. 💖

Our granddaughter, who just turned 2, was the flower girl and she took her job very seriously - she had never even seen that basket until her Daddy handed it to her and told her to feed the birds.

Such a precious age

Kenny's best man and his sweet wife are talented musicians and they played beautifully 

And two shall become one

Adventure lies ahead!

                                        

                                

One of  the funniest moments was what was taking place behind the scene when this photo was being taken

The maid-of-honor, her husband, and their darling baby girl were providing the entertainment, trying to get Emma to look up and divert her attention from her flower girl basket. I thought we were all going to implode we laughed so hard at Scottie 'just a swingin' back and forth. 😂

Shelby truly captured the magic of Caitlin and Kenny's special day and I highly recommend her as your legacy photographer for those special moments in your life.

 I don't like photos of myself - I'm much more comfortable behind the camera, but Shelby captured the joy I feel every day being married to this dear man 

I always tell him he missed his calling because he's incredibly witty and makes me laugh unexpectedly, out-loud every day

So grateful to be the parents of these two wonderful chiddlers 

                                        

She caught family shots

                                      

And we're so blessed that these two have expanded our family

Sweet behind the scenes moments

                                             

Black and white shots are always so elegant and timeless

                                 

And I love this one because she has a great laugh and I can hear it when I look at this shot

                                 

You'll not only get a talented photographer, you'll get a girl who can pivot with grace to tackle any situation and she'll jump in whenever she sees a need, all while making sure the desires of her clients are met and exceeded.

 Girl, you are a gem!

Shelby-Caitlin Photography

Welcome to the family Kenny - we love you both!

May God's hand guide and bless you as you travel though life together - 

Outtakes from a Wedding

 Our girl has a college friend who is a photographer that lives in California and she asked our girl to 'PLEASE let me shoot your wedding' and the memories she captured are magic.

She also took the engagement photos 

and will be at the reception next week as well. I've decided we're just going to adopt her. Not only is she a talented photographer, but she's just a delightful girl. She even slept on an air mattress and got up at 1 a.m. after the wedding, and drove 3 hours to the airport to catch a flight to take surprise engagement pictures of her best friend on a boat off the California coast. She's a gem and once you see the photos (she took those two above) you'll want her contact information so here it is

                                                           Shelby-Caitlin Photography

She's done a beautiful job and those photos will be forthcoming. In January, our girl and her fiancé decided they just wanted a very small ceremony in the middle of the forest here in May.

For our part, we just pulled everything else together. Just 20 for this weekend. We rented a VRBO for 10, the newlyweds got their own little spot, and everyone else had individual accommodations because they chose to stay longer as this little mountain community is a popular getaway.

                                         

I've been making lists about lists for some time. DH is always helpful, but I think he's been a little surprised at all of the preparations and it's not even a big, elaborate wedding. She didn't want a venue and 'no stress' was at the top of the list, but it still takes some planning. I'm sure DH was trying to process the fact that his little girl was really getting married.

I spent Thursday and Friday packing and cooking. I took a double batch of Cowboy Cookies, made Italian Wedding Salad (Kenny's mom made Chicken Salad, Jalapeno Pimento Cheese and wine) and gathered fresh veggies, cheeses, and various sundries to fill in. I also made a batch of cinnamon rolls and took ingredients for Breakfast Pizza one morning and Breakfast Burritos another morning rounding it all out with fruit and yogurt. Everyone else brought drinks and chips and snacks.

We all gathered at a restaurant (Texas Club) on Saturday evening

Our granddaughter and the maid-of-honor's daughter bonded instantly

They were just precious together

And we had a caterer come to the VRBO for Sunday's supper, after the wedding

All hands on deck to haul the arch (borrowed from a friend)

Yes, that's the bride wielding the screwdriver 😉 

And the rugs

 and chairs (borrowed from my in-laws), 

and floral arrangements to the ceremony site.

It was a group effort 

And once everything was set up, we caravanned  back to the house and changed into wedding attire

Wedding photos up next!