My Blog title will only mean something probably if you are my age. There was a commercial where the woman would say Calgon Take Me Away after a rough day. LOL It's not been rough but it has been hectic to say the least
It been a wild and crazy ride since November rolled around and then by December everything went crazy. Working with our wedding planner and coordinator, confirming vendors, and picking up last minute items for the wedding, Holy Crap! It's been at times overwhelming, scary, stressful, exhausting and okay sometimes fun. But I was ready to be done. I know the kids are too. It hasn't been all that bad really until the 2 weeks before the wedding. I know, I know, Remain Calm and Breathe.. LOL
January came in like a hurricane and out just as fast but I'm not up to speed yet. Getting there.
Friday (1/3) Us and the other Kennedy's went to Calvert to try out a new place called the Cowgirls Tavern & Grill. The food wasn't bad.. Might have to go back and try something else. They even have a small boutique of clothing, earrings, boots etc. I want to go back so we can sit out back on their patio. This picture is off their FB page. Looks inviting doesn't it?
Sunday (1/5) We went to lunch with our good friends the Prudhomme's. We hadn't seen them in months. We had lunch at the Giddings Brewery. Pretty tasty food and drinks. David and I had seen the place driving through Giddings and then we saw it on Daytripper and decided to try it out. So we suggested it as a meeting place with Larry and Sylvia. It was great catching up with them. Now that Sylvia is hopefully on the mend we can get together more often plus once the wedding is over we'll have more time. We were talking so much I didn't take any pictures this time and it was too cold and windy to take one outside.
Well I say that our calendar is clearer.. David got the racing schedule for this year and starting the end of February, David won't be home too much. This guy has a need for speed. And he likes Top Gun. He'll watch that movie every time it comes on and when Maverick and Goose go "We have the need for speed" I think of my man. mmmm what kind of trouble can I get into while he's gone for a day or maybe two...mmmm
On Monday (1/6) David went with Pamela and I when we met our Day of Coordinator Karina at the Venue for some final planning and note taking along with The Gin manager Jael. Both these ladiess were a great help. David had never been inside the venue so he got the tour. We picked up Pamela and hit Taco Bell before going to The Gin. He was still working on his drink while there and he kept making noises trying to get every last drop out of that cup. He had us laughing.
If you need a Day of Coordinator I would highly recommend Karina Munoz Backhus of KM Events. She's very organized and helpful. Thanks to her we got someone to bus the tables throughout the evening. What are the odds that Pamela would wear pink and so would Karina. LOL Great minds I guess. Karina took care of the decorating, setting up the reception area, and getting us down the aisle and out the door at the end of the evening. She made our lives extremely easy.
I'd also highly recommend our wedding planner Rochelle Delong of The Social Spree Events. If it hadn't been for Rochelle poor Karina would have had her hands full with us. Planning a wedding was totally out of my comfort zone. Rochelle lives in California but she can plan a wedding or a social event for anyone from anywhere. She did it for us here in Texas. There were things she suggested that I hadn't thought of and she was a great guidance for Pamela. She's taking the selfie and that's her sweet Mom Angela behind her. She happen to come back to Texas in October and The Gin was having an open house. Perfect timing.And the manager, Jael Clark at our venue The Gin at Hidalgo Falls
was so helpful. She helped us finalize the table layout. We were having trouble getting it laid out properly. Pamela fell in love with the aesthetics of The Gin the minute we drove up to it months ago. The idea of it being a cotton gin was perfect. Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin was a cousin 5 generations back. Quick family history lesson. LOL Had my cousin in Missouri David Griffin, who is the genealogist for the Whitney family to confirm I wasn't making up shit. LOL Kaleb was impressed with The Gin too so it was a win win.
On Wednesday (1/8) I was a nice wife and made David a lemon bundt cake. It was a bribe of some kind if I remember right. He liked the orange bundt cake for his birthday but he really thought I should try making a lemon one. So I did. It seems like I've become a baker since the bridal shower back in September. Looked nice and he said it tasty.
Time was getting really close and we needed to get the bubbles ready for the send off of the newlyweds and Kelli was offering to help in whatever way she could so I told her come help me get the bubbles ready. I figured if we didn't finish then Sheryl could help me the next night when she came to stay the night.
She took off and went home and I found a basket to put them in and put it on the pool table with everything else Wedding. The Pool Table was my staging area. I had to load all that stuff in my car Friday night so when I woke up Saturday I could just drive away.I decided after that much fun I would try my Bourbon cream I bought at Total Wine aka Adult Disney Land. Kelli gave it that name and I think it's appropriate. LOL
Thursday (1/9) was book club but I had to miss. Too much wedding stuff to finish off and Sheryl was coming to stay the night. The group discussed The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. Everyone loved the book. Lillian had cooking classes in her restaurant with 8 students. You will meet each student and see how cooking sparks a memory or a feeling. They are all looking for something and maybe that something will happen while cooking. Her teaching method was not so much about the recipe but about the smells, the spices and the flavors.
Only 5 girls attended but as always they had fun. And they even took a picture. I'm so proud of them. I put Kelli in charge and she did good.
Friday (1/17) the day before the wedding was a busy one but thanks to Karina, is picking up the table linens from the rental company and off my task list. I was up and out the door by 9 with Sheryl. When I told her my schedule for Friday she said can I get my nails down too. Of Course. 
Pamela, myself, and Hannah from Missouri had appointments but we'd have 7 more people needing mani's and pedi's. So we let The Nail Spa in College Station know the number and they brought in staff to take care of everyone.
And yep 3 of them were the guys. No they didn't do poloish but they needed they're nails trimmed and looking nice especially Kaleb.
While the girls were finishing up the guys sat together laughing and talking.
Sheryl and I went with them to Torchy's for lunch and then we were off for errands and pick up Pamela's dog Bri and take her to the kennel. We'd all be gone so much from here on we decided to kennel Bri, Bruno and Sadie until Sunday. I called David once I had Bri in the car to meet us at the kennel in Caldwell with our two rowdy pups. SaPaHa Kennels is great. The owners Paul and Sally are so nice and they seem to really care about the dogs. Got pups are dropped off so it was back home to get cleaned up and changed for the Welcome Dinner.
I tried to get to the dinner a litter early in case Tori needed help with the décor but she had Kevin, Her daughter Sarah, Sarah's wife Ashley, and her Dad Jim and his wife Stacey all hard at work. They had everything under control and looking great from twinkle lights all round, toile, greenery, candles and live what I'm gonna call fancy Hydrangea's. And let me tell you those fancy Hydrangea's lasted for another 8 days. Tori sent some home with me after the dinner. They were so pretty. 
Before dinner the bridal party and David stepped outside for a quick run down of what to expect and do tomorrow with Karina. Short and sweet. Kevin and Tori welcomed everyone and it was time to eat. The food was really good. Brisket, sausauage and some chicken with sides and fixings.
After dinner I gave Rochelle our wedding planning and long time friend the quilt I made her. Pamela picked out the fabric according to what Rochelle had told me were her favorite colors along with the help of pictures her Mom sent of Rochelle's apartment. We're sneaky like that.
She was super surprised! I think she liked it.
She has it now displayed in her house on a ladder and said she uses it when she curls up on the couch.
Well I need to stop for now but my next post will be all about the wedding itself. Be prepared I may have a hard time deciding what pictures to post. Right now I only have pictures that were shared with me. Our photographer is busy compiling all the pictures she and her assistant took. More on them in the next post!
Until then...Joined together in
friendship, united forever in love!
Then I ran the bags of décor I had to the venue hall. This was 2 of the boxes to hold the bride's cake. My friend Bekki created the label. There were 4 boxes in the set but they were smaller and they were used to hold some of the cupcakes. I told Karina to use everything however she saw fit. 
Everyone was busy at work.
Then the bridesmaids got dressed. Each girl was allowed to get the style of dress they wanted that most flattered their body. The color burgundy was the only requirement. This my special photographer for this event pictured here. I'm so glad Lesley doesn't mind me assigning her this task. LOL But there are other people who I need to thank for sharing pictures they took.... Like my sister Barbara, and Cresia, one of Kaleb's Aunts, my niece Shelby B, good friends Kelli and Samara. I know there were others but my mind has gone blank. I should have taken better notes. I missed so many things and their pictures helped. 
House Party.
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