Belle Chevre

Elaine outside the closed creamery 

two old goats!!!

very expensive!!!!!

The Belle Chevre goat creamery in Elkmont, Alabama wasn't far from the apple orchard that we visited.  Chuck and I have been wanting to check it out for some time now.   The thing is...when we got there, the creamery tour building was closed but you could visit with the goats and the store where you could buy things, was open.  Yah!!! for us.!!!!  They let us sample everything that you could buy there.  Different cheese's, ice cream and cheese cake!!!  It was all wonderful!!!!  Would have loved to have brought everything home with us but we did buy two different cream cheeses .  Chuck " thought" about buying a cheese cake since it was sooooooo good!!!!...until he saw the price of $30 for a small cake.  It made our free sample that more enjoyable....ha

Another Apple Orchard....

Crab apples....

Elaine trying to decide what kind of apple stuff she wanted

the BEST apple cider EVER

bought some.....

not only apples....but gourds and pumpkins

Fred under the chestnut tree

chestnuts on the ground....

chestnuts on the tree

Fred and Elaine followed us home from the wedding to stay for a couple of days.  They were a big help to us around the house with Fred helping Chuck re wrap the green house for the winter and Elaine helping me keep things watered with the drought we are in.  We needed a " fun day" before they left for North Carolina to see friends.  ....sooooo we went to the apple orchard that is on the Alabama/Tennessee border.  Elaine wanted some apples to take home with them.  Scott's orchard had tons of them!!!  They also have the best apple cider you could drink.  It's like drinking liquid apples.  It's WONDERFUL!!! Chuck and I have been to this orchard a couple of times and never noticed that they have two big chestnut trees out front.  I had never seen chestnuts growing before so didn't know that they are in cased in a covering of prickly thorny things!!!!  The covering splits and then the chestnuts fall out.  Have you ever roasted chestnuts on an open fire?????  I have and didn't like them.  They are mushy!!!!  like boiled peanuts.  ...( Fred).  We left with apples, apple cider and vinegar.  Our next stop was to the goat cheese creamery...........

The Beautiful Wedding!

Little Miss Vivienne waiting for the wedding to begin

Michelle and her girls ( minis Genavive) 

Genavive, Ryan and Heather......

Her walk with her daddy....

Ryan walking Vivi and I down the aisle

Vivi sees the " Bride/Mama" 

The pretty Flower girls....
Melanie and Gene

Saying their " I Do's"

Ryan walking Genavive out...

Their first dance....

Happy parents....

Dancing with her Daddy.....

October 15, 2016 was a happy day!  Michelle and Craig got married!!  Everything about it was beautiful!  It   took place in the most prettiest place it could have been.  For 37 years, Michelle had been coming to our best friend's house for Thanksgivings and summer vacations.  Michelle and Becca had been best friends since birth.  Gene and Melanie had been a part of Michelle's life, growing up.  Where else should she get married......Alabama of course! ...with Becca her " maid of honor" and Gene and Melanie as her " Flower Girls".   The bridesmaids consisted of  Genavive ( her niece ) Kendra and Kerri ( her best friends in college) and a very good friend, Meredeth ( from Florida who moved to Nashville last year) did a wonderful job of marrying them.  It was a beautiful ceremony.  Not only the setting, the flowers, the decorations but the words that Meredeth wrote.  Everyone had " happy tears".....even Michelle and Craig.   Family and friends came from Florida, Georgia and Illinois.  Two families coming together to form one.    The strangest thing that I have been faced with is calling Michelle " Mrs. Michelle Leigh Eck".  After all, I gave her the name Michelle Leigh Peterson and always thought it was so pretty.  That was her name for 37 years....and now someone has renamed her.  How can that be????? ha.  I did warn her that it might take me a little while to call her by her new name.  I remember my mother calling me Barbara Beck instead of Peterson for awhile after I was married.  I think it's just a " mama thing".

Getting Ready....

The country chapel ......( AKA the pole barn)

the many glasses for everyone to use and take home with them 

cutting the veil.....model ( me ) and
Heather helping Michelle 

Vivi getting clean in the laundry room
sink ( the same sink that I have a
picture of Michelle and Becca in
when they were Vivi's age. 

It took days to get ready for the wedding....right up to the last minute.  Michelle had lots and lots of help with everything  that she wanted for her wedding .  The girls worked hours on making the eucalyptus swags for the decorations, signs, balloon tassel's,  arranging flowers, setting the tables and everything else that Michelle could think of.  Just two hours before the wedding, her veil was being cut and sewn by Melanie ( one of the flower girls).  I managed to hem Craig's pants to his suit, make the ring pillow and sew the lace motif that Melanie put together, onto the front of Michelle's dress. Gene and Melanie set up Gene's dining room table with mirrors and everything that the girls would need to get their hair and make up done.  Everyone was helping with each other.  I felt like a " queen" instead of " the mother of the bride".  The girls did my hair and my make up.  It was time to head to the barn.....and Michelle still wasn't in her dress.  More than one of us were yelling... " Michelle!!!  it's time!!!!  We piled into two cars...one was our pilot.  I was driving.  What a moment .....I had Michelle in the back seat and Becca in the front.  .....taking them to get Michelle married.  Becca said....all we need is Enya music...( it was a long time joke) so I stopped the car and pulled out an Enya CD and we had " Enya Music" on the way to the barn.   What laughter there was.   There has always been laughter in our lives with our Alabama family.  We love them so much!!!