What Really Matters - I DO!

This weekend I did a wedding and was reminded what really matters. THe couple approached me needing to do a ceremony stat, as the groom's grandmother was ill. We planned a date with only weeks to do the wedding.

I stood out in our church's courtyard the day of the event with 20 of the bride and groom's friends and family and thought this is what its all about. The bride found a dress and shoes, we asked a florist friend to make a bouquet for $20 and she brought unity sand. The couple's friend plugged in a playlist from a laptop and we were a go. My dad performed the ceremony.

It was beautiful, simple and about more than a price tag and of the moment decor. It was about the couple, their love and new life together. Pure wedding moment that was a breath of fresh air.

Don't get me wrong, I love planning perfect moments for couples, but sometimes the details take precidence to the truly important part - a commitment for life.

Party Palooza

This year I get to experience what happens when I have a baby in the same month as my husband and stepdaughter's birth month. Christmas came and went but my pace stayed holiday speed. New Year's Day brought my husband's 50th birthday. His actual birthday included a few friends and family over with an homage to his mother. You see before my mother-in-law passed away 2 years ago, Kevin's birthdays were spent watching sports at her house with Bloody Mary's, stuffed jalapenos and sometimes crab legs. So the past two years we've made some of Kevin's favorite, hot, foods and had Bloody Mary's.

The following weekend was his party. I found a great collage of pictures in the shape of 50 on Pinterest, originally from MarthaStewart.com - and here's my rendition.


We had a great celebration! I did a slideshow and asked people to answer questions on butcher paper on the wall like - what's your favorite thing about Kevin? One Memory of Kevin? A Word to Describe him. After the party I typed up what was said so he could keep it.

The next weekend was Katie's birthday. I said no party but actually ended up doing more. We went to Fresno for dinner at CPK, then the next day had cake and ice cream at the house.

I had a weekend off, and now I am getting ready for Caleb's first birthday! We are doing the "First Year Happens in a Flash" theme. I will definitely post pics of the party to share afterwards.

Crazy month! Definitely Party Palooza!

Resolutions

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. It's not that I don't believe in bettering oneself, it's just that I believe the time to make a change is when you know there is a problem.  That moment can come January 1st or first thing in the morning, but it can also come at 2 o'clock on any random Tuesday.  making a change is a big deal, it's a commitment and it comes in response to a life of one always seeking to be the best person possible.

Change involves a plan and too often people just jump on the January bandwagon of new path and it's not too long until they've been booted off by some bump in the road.  Seeing a problem only gets the ball rolling.  Routing your journey is essential in road trips and in life.  Knowing yourself and figuring out what works for you gives you a better shot at success.

Change involves accountability and that  involves community. Too often we run out on our own in hot pursuit of the preverbal carrot missing the mark because we didn't involve our support network.  We were made for relationships and the teen years alone demonstrate how the right or wrong people can motivate our choices. 

So maybe that ball dropped and as you said, "Happy New Year," you realized you needed something to change, or maybe you are like me and you had a good night and just continued the course.