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!!!

Bridesmaids Luncheon

Beautiful table.....

The "Bride" and Genavive

Gene and Rebecca

A beautiful " Bridesmaid luncheon" was given by the " Flower Girls- Gene and Melanie" on Friday morning.  It was over in the home of Gene and George...( the house that we copied because we have loved it for so many years)  The vintage dining room table was set with so many pretty flowers from the yard and arranged by Melanie.  The china was Gene's "Fall china" that we have eaten  so many great Thanksgiving meals off of.  There were memories every where for Michelle.  The food was perfect and enjoyed by everyone.  Michelle opened a few wedding presents and was presented with the " six pence that I wore in my shoe, our family's vintage pearl necklace that is 95 years old, my pearl ring ( for something borrowed) and the cake cutter that we cut our cake with 46 years ago.  Along with a " wedding book" that was just like the one that Chuck and I got for our wedding.  Becca made the " bouquet " out of the ribbons off of the presents for Michelle to use at the rehearsal dinner.  After a wonderful time, it was time to get back to work on " wedding stuff".   The rehearsal dinner was next.......which I didn't take any pictures of.  I know!!!  I was the " Mother of the Bride" and had other things on my mind besides using the camera this time.   I'll see if I can dig any pictures up from someone else.  It was really a great time.....

Oktoberfest in Cullman

German music

Wonderful German Buffet......

Different breads.....

Yummy Desert Table...

Charlotte and the " hay Germans"

Raimey and Charlotte...

Watching the " beer stein " contest

The winner held it for over 5 mins...

Miss Oktoberfest....

A couple of weeks before the wedding, we were invited to go to Oktoberfest with the BNOE ( Charlotte and Raimey), in Cullman.  A wonderful German buffet was held at " All Steak" .  It was the BEST ever!!!!  In fact, we decided it was the best meal we had eaten out, since we have moved here.  Lots and lots of German food that I grew up eating at " the Blomberg's".  The fun music went along with it.  After we ate, we went down to the festival for more fun.  There was a band, dancing and a " beer mug lifting contest".  The contest was were you had to hold a heavy glass, full of beer ( which was water here) straight out in front of you for as long as you could, without spilling a drop of beer ( water).  The women were against each other as the men were against men.  The winner for the women held the mug for over 3 minutes and the man winner held his for over five minutes.   I don't think I would have lasted a minute with my little skinny arms.  As I was watching all the women trying to win, I thought of Marina.  I bet she could have done it.   I'm still thinking of and missing my best friend who I grew up with.  Happy Oktoberfest Marina!!!!

Wedding Flowers

Michelle making all the flower arrangements.....bouquets and
boutonnieres  for the wedding.....

Becca with her head in the eucalyptus bucket

Craig's car was FULL with all the five gallon buckets of flowers that Michelle bought in Nashville when he drove down to Cecil for the wedding.  They all got placed on the dining room table in the lodge.  Michelle got busy with making all of the bouquets for the bridesmaids, along with hers.  The boutonnieres were next along with most of the arrangements for the decorations.  All her girls got busy and made the many, many swags out of the eucalyptus.  Someone came into the lodge and said it smelled like a " funeral home" ....ha....it was a " man".  Us women thought it smelled good.  Michelle had many helpers at the end, trying to use up all of the flowers for decorations.  There were just sooooo many flowers!!!!...which made the wedding just beautiful!

Cotton Harvest Time

Huge bails of cotton.....wrapped in yellow plastic.  

The field next door to us.....

Little dots of yellow out in the field next to us.....

Every where you drive, you see cotton fields that have been harvested.  There are big bails of cotton wrapped in either yellow or pink plastic. Before the field next door to us was harvested, it looked like it had snowed.   It is so fun to watch them suck the cotton off of the plants with this big machine....and bail it.  I don't know what is the most fun...when they plant the field in corn or cotton.  It's just fun living next to such a big field that they use for farming.  Never in my dreams did I picture this.......always loving living where I do!

Fall at Brambly Pines

Pumpkin Quilt

Dining room....

By the back door....

Back porch wreath....

Front porch wreath....

We have been waiting FOREVER for our normal Fall weather this year.  On top of it being so hot, we have been in a severe drought and our Fall colors aren't pretty this year.  The leaves on the trees have just turned brown and are falling.  I am so ready for winter this year and I usually enjoy Fall as one of my favorite seasons.  A cold front came through and we are down to 47 this morning.  Now that's more like it!!!!  It's time to put all the plants into the green house and sun room.   I took a 1/2 day and changed out my closet so I'm ready to start wishing for snow.  The fun of four seasons!!!!!