A Christmas Wedding

My niece and her fiance were married on Sunday in a small town south of Houston. It's the one that I wrote about when I altered her wedding dress only two weeks before. We decided to drive in early to lend a hand where needed, and then to drive home after the reception. It made for a long day as Alvin is almost five hours' drive, but it gave us a chance to chat without interruption. Always a good thing! 

On the way to Alvin, we stopped in Lake Charles to attend Mass at St. Margaret of Ireland Catholic Church. It's easy to get to and the church is beautiful. 

Check out that organ! The organist knows her instrument and the choir knows how to sing together. They were flawless to my ears. It was a bit difficult paying attention to mass when there were so many distractions. 

Those stained glass windows, for example, are stunning. The glow on the top of the windows? Oh, that's the noonday sun shining through. Yes, they are that brilliant! There was also the multilevel altar. I've never seen one, so I was curious how things were done. I kept my eyes on every movement of the altar servers and eucharistic ministers and, of course, the priest and deacon.

Amanda and James

But the stop in Lake Charles was part of a bigger event: my niece's wedding. It was beautifully decorated in wine and white with touches of gold and many Christmas lights in the park were the venue is. The venue itself is an old train depot that's been transformed into a visitor's center and small wedding venue.

One thing is certain, my family knows how to do weddings. Even a small one (45ish people) is a big family thing. This is the bride whose dress I altered a couple of weeks ago. She was beautiful and poised and comfortable enough to close the evening still in the dress and heels. 

a toast to the bride and groom

Doug and Lee (mother of the bride)

Like all weddings in our family it was a family affair. Four of us eight girls were present and each of us had a chore. Angie served as official and as general mistress of ceremonies. Lee is the mother of the bride, so she was in everything. Laura is an accomplished photographer. 

Half of the sisters: Angie, Lee, Laura and moi

I was kitchen help, sort of. I just hung around the venue letting people in, putting out food, and whatever needed doing. I have experience with several weddings and proms and anniversary parties, so I know what needs doing. (Besides I do like to be bossy.) And there you go. 

Tea Party!

One of my best friends calls me her sister friend. (Isn't that just a loving endearment?) Leta's daughter is getting married in less than a month. Today was one of her bridal showers. Since Jules (her nickname) loved to play tea party when she was a little girl--her late grandmother was a true Southern Lady--Leta decided to have a tea party theme. 

The ladies of her church prepared a variety of tea party foods, I loaned a few of my rose decorated dishes, and a couple of other friends pitched in to decorate and prepare. 

Leta (mom) and Jules (bride to be)

The beautiful decorations created a lovely, fun party atmosphere for a bridal shower. Having it right after Easter means that there were lots of fresh "yard" flowers in bloom to create bouquets for the tables. However, the weather was downright cranky: cold and windy, then cold and wet, then miserable. 

Still, we had a wonderful, cozy time dressed in summery dresses and sandals with light sweaters. So very perfect for a spring tea party. Packing the dishes and linens to the truck proved that getup to be a little skimpy in the rain and wind, but I survived. 

Oh, one more thing: remember the bunting that I made a couple of weeks ago? That little project for this party.

I love having friends who are there for each other. Leta and I have been through many years of laughter, fun, tears, heartache, and friendship. I know I can always count on her. And I am committed to being there for her anytime she needs. Happily most of her calls are for help with a fun project, but I love her no matter what she calls for.

Who is the friend that you can call no matter the circumstance?