Shower #3

I have been anxiously awaiting writing about shower #3! It was also held in Corpus and was hosted by several women from the church JR and B have both attended. It was on a Sunday afternoon in the home of one of the hostesses. This shower did not go without a hiccup. Though everyone involved in hosting did a remarkable job making everything so wonderful the bride to be and her entire family arrived thirty minutes late. Somebody say “We made a memory!” It seems that we arrived on time at the wrong address only to realize that the shower was actually across town. Those hosting as well as the guest were extremely gracious about the whole mix up and were able to make everything flow smoothly in spite of our mishap.
 
When we finally arrived, all of the guest were mingling and we started playing Bethany Bingo. A game that had been made up to help everyone get to know B and the rest of her family better. I had been contacted a couple of weeks prior to the shower and asked to come up with interesting facts about B. Boy, was that fun! While eating tasty treats and drinking wonderful coffee punch we all visited. Everyone tried to get the info they needed about B out of us. It was really fun and a great way to get to know people. I am so blessed that B will be surrounded by so many wonderful women. When the game was over B began opening her gifts. They were all so thoughtful.
 
I must say that there was one that was really special. JR’s mom gave B a book that was given to her by her mother-n-law when she was newly married over thirty two years ago. It is a very special book about being a daughter-n-love instead of a daughter-n-law. The pages were worn, yellowed, and filled with special handwritten notes. As B’s soon to be mother-n-love stood and shared with us what the book was about, her mother-n-love stood beside her and shared how she had never been disappointed by her daughter-n-love and how she was just like her own daughter. It was a very special time and I am so blessed that B will be loved in such a beautiful way by such special people.
 
As the shower continued the tears flowed freely as each of B’s sisters; her soon to be sister-n-love; her soon to be mother-n-love; and myself all shared words that we had been asked to prepare ahead of time. She was blessed with accolades of encouragement, and affirmation. We let her know how happy we were for her and how much we believed in her choice of a husband. It was so nice that the hostesses chose to honor her in such a special way. Everyone gathered around her and JR for prayer as this lovely afternoon came to an end. B gathered the hostesses and presented a special thank you gift just to let them know how much she appreciated all their hard work.
 

As this wonderful weekend of celebration ended I couldn’t stop thanking the Lord for His goodness! I know that God’s Word is true and that what he has planned for us is far beyond what we can imagine. I am so grateful for the love that I have experienced in the Body of Christ. Thank you to all you wonderful women who have done so much to make this a joyous occasion.
This past weekend B had a lingerie shower and a batchlorette party in Brownwood. I got to stay home and keep “The Jewel.” It sounds like they had a wonderful time. You can hear more about it later at beaversbeyond.blogspot.com. And don’t forget the special day is quickly approaching!

Shower #2 Corpus Christi

The second of B’s showers took place in Corpus Christi. It was given by six wonderful women who have watched JR grow up. It was so nice to hear from them, especially a comment one of them made during prayer,“ Lord, you know all of us had hoped that JR would marry one of our daughters…” which was nice to hear from ladies who have known him most of his life.
These ladies went all out! The shower was in the morning so we had yummy brunch food as well as a chocolate fountain. They new one of Bethany’s favorite desserts was chocolate.
 
 
 
The hostesses planned some really neat activities. The theme of the shower was “Sunrise, Sunset” based on a song from “Fiddler on the Roof.” The creativity in the room was out of this world! We began with JR and B telling their engagement story while unwrapping items in a picnic basket. Heather, one of the hostesses, had put the basket together after hearing JR and B’s story. Each item represented an aspect of their engagement to help them remember everything.

B and JR’s Fathers were asked to write out the story of their engagement from their points of view. As the stories were read aloud the tears began to flow. It was so special to hear their story from a Dad’s perspective. Both of these fathers seem to be very happy with the choices their adult children have made. There blessing was apparent.
 

Sheri, another one of the hostesses and my new BFF, revised the song “Sunrise Sunset” to make it personal for JR and B. She sang it for them and we laughed hysterically! It was sung beautifully and so appropriate for the occasion. It seems that most of these women knew in their hearts that B and JR were meant for each other long before either of them did.

After being showered with love, care, and many wonderful gifts the shower came to a close. Before they left, B and JR presented the hostesses with a special gift ( Remember, I will tell you more about that later).

Again I left another event with my heart full of joy due to the overwhelming kindness others had shown my daughter and her soon to be husband. Thank you all for letting God’s love flow through you to our families.

THE MAN KABOODLE

MATCHING APRONS MADE BY SISTER MELISSA AND A HOE DUBBED "THE SNAKE KILLER" FROM GRANDMA BETTY

B's First Bridal Shower

B had her first bridal shower and it was amazing! Six of my special friends and their daughters hosted the shower and they did an amazing job! All they asked B and I to do was make a guest list. We kept it to about 60 invites and had about 45 attend. From the moment we walked into the room we both felt honored and blessed. We were greeted at the registry table that was decorated with framed baby pictures of both JR and B. The guest tables were set with four place settings at each one. The tablescapes were all different. Each hostess brought her china from home and decorated the tables with fresh flowers to compliment their dishes. They were all gorgeous and done so creatively. Having only four to a table made conversation flow freely. As we were all seated the daughters of the hostesses (all girls who had been in Bible study B had for them in our home) began serving the food. Oh, the food! A woman by the name of Melissa James and her sister Angela prepared it all. The meal began with a crisp tossed salad and dressing followed by chicken served with a mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a dinner roll. It was amazing! I was so impressed not only by the wonderful flavor but also the fact that these women would do so much work to make this occasion so special for me and my daughter. I cried through most of the meal. Let me not forget the dessert! We were served a puffed pastry with strawberries on top that was quite refreshing. I’m sure the dessert had an official name but I never got what it was. As the hostesses served us coffee the soon-ly-wed game began. B and JR were asked questions about each other and had to try to answer the way they thought the other would. It was hilarious! I cried more from laughing so hard. After the game, B proceeded to unwrap all the wonderful gifts that everyone had brought. More tears flowed from my eyes as I watched my daughter and her fiance savor each gift as though it was the first one they had ever received. They stopped and read every card and thanked each person that was present. It was a wonderful afternoon that was filled with the love of friends that feel like family. The afternoon came to an end as Bethany and JR called the hostesses to the front and presented them with a special thank you gift that she so thoughtfully put together ( I will share more later about the thank you gift) Words could never express the warmth I feel in my heart over the love that was shown to my daughter by the women I call friends and their lovely daughters.
Just a few pics!



I am also blessed to have such a sweet daughter who genuinely appreciates what others do for her. My life has been touched deeply by the kindness many wonderful people have shown through their gifts. Tears continue to flow even as I write, and I pray that I would never take for granted these wonderful acts of kindness.
 
 
 
 

Let The Festivities Begin!

Let the wedding festivities begin! Though we have had a wonderful time planning B and JR’s wedding nothing compares to the fun we are embarking on as I write. We have spent the past six months dreaming, creating, investigating, spending, and just making wonderful memories. I so enjoy planning events! B has had everything she wanted for her wedding in her mind for a very long time and I have had the privilege and joy of helping her dream come true. In the next few weeks many fun events will unfold and I will do my best to keep you all posted without giving away any secrets. We have already had some interesting things occur that will make for some sweet remembering for years to come.
I have had the opportunity to help many brides plan and carry out their special day, but I must say that none of those event’s compare to helping my own daughter, especially when it comes to the budget planning. Everything takes on a different perspective when you are spending your own money. Thankfully I am blessed with four frugal daughters!

Recently while having a family discussion about weddings, one of my daughters shared about a friend who helped plan a wedding with a $250,000.00 budget. After asking for clarification on the amount, my husband looked at me and said “I guess that means we are having a “garage sale” wedding!” I took his response as a compliment because I know that he has always been affirming of my tendency to frugality. Garage Sale wedding or not, it will be wonderful because this bride and groom have decided to make the emphasis of this covenant making ceremony Christ and His love for His bride, the Church. Nothing is more important to them than honoring their Lord with their lives. All that said, they both have been given a grand dose of creativity and this wedding will be unique because of it. So please stay tuned and we will share our memories with you.

Love A Rainy Day

At 4.11 inches of rainfall recorded this past month, I would say we have had a wonderfully wet July! Being that I am a “girl raised in the south” I was accustomed to afternoon rain showers, and day long thunderstorms, but after moving to west Texas twelve years ago I learned to accept the fact that a good rain shower would not be a regular part of my life. I have so enjoyed the rain over the past couple of weeks!

Although our lawn is green, and the newly planted grass is taking over, our beds have lost all their mulch, and the few bedding plants that I planted in the spring have all washed away. Our yard was not prepared for this type of saturation. I must say the plants that have survived are looking better than I’ve ever seen anything in my yard look (Thank you Tim for all your hard work). If your yard is green, luscious, and overflowing with vegetation, you must try to understand where I am coming from. The only green and luscious things that have been in my yard over the past twelve years have come from the half off sales at Hobby Lobby. Yes, I’m talking about silk, plastic, artificial, or whatever you choose to call them. I’m that woman! I cope with this hardship by making regular trips to the florist for discount cut flowers to enjoy inside my home.
I'm not sure about you but many times I try to cope with the drought and the storms in my life the same way. I try to figure out ways to experience the good things without waiting patiently on God. I'm not always willing to tarry as long as it might take. Spiritual drought can make me quite uncomfortable but I am also not always prepared for the saturation of His love when he pours it out on me. The sad part of this is that when I do things my way I only get to experience artificial fruit and not the luscious rewards that God has for me. I ultimately rob myself of true genuine growth. What about you? Do you find yourself trying to help God out with His plan? How about the rainy days in your life , do you love them or do you fear the possible out come ? How do you cope when things don't appear to be going the way you had hoped?
Do tell!
Oh the beauty that awaits us when we do things God's way!

These are a few stems I picked up from a local florist. For $16 I had a beautiful bouquet for Bethany's bridal portraits. Stay tuned for more on the upcoming wedding.