MOB: Honorably Retired

Here's my favorite bridal photo of Babs in her wedding gown. I don't have photos from the wedding itself yet, but will share some when they become available.

The wedding could not have been more perfect! Threatening weather never materialized, so there was no rain. The flowers were gorgeous and the chapel was filled with family and friends. The music was beautiful and the service meaningful. I loved how the congregation sang out energetically the closing hymn "Be Thou My Vision."

We had a wonderful time at the reception--the food was great, the band fun and everyone danced, especially the children. The happy couple left in a shower of bubbles and blessings.

And now with that string of superlative adjectives, I hereby declare that the MOB honorably retired!

(Note to self: Break in new shoes before wearing to the next big event.)

Joyfully and exhaustedly yours,
QG

MOB Redux Update: Closing for the Duration

Gentle Readers, it is now time to close QG until after the wedding on Saturday. Everything has fallen into place very nicely, and I find it certainly helped to have some experience in wedding planning!

We're excited, praying for good weather and for God's blessings on Babs and P-Dubya as they begin their new life together.

I'll be back next week with a full report!

He WAS Listening...

Dear God,

I know I made the mistake of ever-so-briefly wondering what I would do with myself when BSD and the wedding are finished. Foolish me, I didn't really think you were listening.

So now I'm asking you to help me pull it together to lead Take Six and Go! (a study of selected parables of Jesus plus a mission project) on Wednesdays in May and June at the church.

And this time I KNOW you are listening.

Thanking you in advance,
QG

MOB Redux Update: Blowing Bubbles

Many thanks to those of you who commented on my last post. Babs decided she wanted a bubble send-off and since Teri allayed my concerns about the bubbles and gave them an enthusiastic endorsement (see her comment on this post about a Houston wedding last weekend no less!), we'll be blowing bubbles as the happy couple depart.

Ordered the bubbles. Check. On to the next thing on the list!

MOB Redux: No Birdseed, No Rice, No Sparklers

I've got a bit of a MOB dilemma. When Portia got married the guests at the reception lit sparklers and waved them around as Portia and DK left the reception. That was SO pretty and made some lovely pictures for her album.

Now however I have learned that the place where the reception for Babs and P-Dubya's wedding will take place bans not only rice and birdseed (pretty standard) but also sparklers.

So I've looked on the web for alternative ideas but we're not really thrilled with any of them--water soluable confetti and bubbles seem pretty popular right now but I'm concerned that if its raining the colored confetti could stain Bab's dress and the garments of the guests and bubble soap is bound to spill and make the area slick. Dried flower petals are ok but don't seem worth the trouble.

Portia suggests we don't have to have anything we can just cheer and wave as the happy couple depart--which is true. But I'm wondering if any of my Gentle Readers might have another suggestion???

MOB Redux Update: Bridals and Operas

Babs and I got to see her bridal portraits at the photographer's studio yesterday. So beautiful!! There were some cute candid shots of Portia and Babs together because Portia went along on the shoot to lend a hand.

We're counting down to the last two weeks before W-Day and everything is falling into place quite nicely. The MOB does wake up at night thinking of little details that still need to be addressed, and her dentist remarked at this week's check-up that her inside lip was looking pretty chewed up, but all in all she's feeling pretty good and looking forward to the big day.

This weekend there will be a brief Wedding Planning Time Out for the opening night of Queen of Spades at Houston Grand Opera. Our precious Catherine has a small part so my sister, brother and sister-in-law are coming from San Antonio for the performance followed by a reception at El Jefe's law firm.

Catherine has been learning Russian with a private tutor all year to prepare for the role. Thank heaven HGO projects subtitles in English! It's a very lOOOOng opera--3 1/2 hours. I'm not sure we can keep El Jefe up past his bedtime that late. I look at it as payback for all the sports events I've had to sit through over the years. He'll still owe me.

MOB Redux Update: A Busy Week!

I'm back again with a Mother of the Bride update. Last week was a very busy week in our Wonderful World of Wedding. Here's what was accomplished:

• Invitations printed
• Invitations addressed
• Shower guest list sent to hostesses (thanks, friends!)
• Wedding music chosen and outline for service made
• Soloist confirmed--Yay! Valerie O.
• Tuxedos for groom, best man and groomsman chosen
• Meeting with caterer for reception scheduled
• Bridesmaids luncheon confirmed at restaurant
• Limo for bride and groom reserved
  
• MOB found dresses for the rehearsal dinner and bridesmaid's luncheon

Whew! Looks like a very busy--but very happy--March and April coming up.

MOB Redux Update: Various

We're fixin' to get into high Wedding Mode Chez QG now. The calendar is starting to fill up with:

• wedding dress fitting on Saturday (Kleenex will be provided)
• juggling shower dates and themes
  
• Portia finding a date for the "bachelorette" party (no MOB's allowed!)
• looking at linens for the reception
• addressing and mailing the "save-the-date" announcements
• deciding on the invitation format
• Flowers, music, etc etc

Oh my Lord, May 1 is approaching faster than I thought!

MOB Redux Update: Wedding Riddle

Here's a little riddle:

What's dark purple, three pieces, flecked with silver threads, looks better on a person than on a hanger, and is now in my closet?

Answer: The Mother of the Bride dress.

Woo-hoo!

~Thanks to BFF Dorothy for helping choose it~

MOB Redux Update: Cake Tasting

Yesterday Babs, P-Dubya, Portia and I went to a cake tasting. This is one of the most fun parts of the wedding planning! The baker was recommended to Babs by a couple of recently married friends and we loved the website (isn't it cute?).

Babs requested samples of an almond cake; white chocolate and strawberries cake and a white chocolate cookies and cream cake. Unlike most tastings where you get a see-through slice of the cake and several separate frostings and fillings to sample, we were served regular portions of the completed cake. Yum! All were super delicious.

Babs has a firm NO FONDANT policy because she doesn't think it tastes good. She is all about buttercream! So they chose the cookies and cream cake for the bride, to be decorated with fresh flowers.

The grooms cake is still being debated, but Portia suggested that the almond cake in the shape of her dachshund Olivia (who is crazy about P-Dubya) would be an excellent choice. I'm betting on the almond cake, but not the dachsie shape!

Landscaping and MOB Updates

Landscape Update: Thanks to everyone who contributed suggestions for our back yard! I'm thinking about planting a red oak and an elm for shade, adding some sweet olive near the back porch, moving the knockout roses now at the back of the house to a sunnier area and replacing them with azaleas, and adding Mexican firecrackers and dark red crepe myrtles to the oleanders and knockout roses along the back brick fence. Then I'll put in a Meyer lemon near the courtyard. Pictures will be forthcoming when we get this done--which could be a few weeks.

MOB update: Babs scheduled a cake tasting next week! Yum. The best part of the planning! She and P-Dubya previewed a rehearsal dinner venue yesterday in the driving rain, so I'm not sure what they thought of it. Music for the reception is the next issue to settle, but that will be fun, too. Then all will be quiet on the MOB front until the New Year.

Aside: don't you just hate it when Blogger's scheduled post feature doesn't work? I had to save a book review I want to post tomorrow morning instead of scheduling it because the darn thing keeps publishing it. Check back tomorrow for an advance preview of Mitch Albom's new book Have A Little Faith, which will be published September 29.