Surprises

I am seriously the world's worst secret keeper.  I develop tourette's syndrome when keeping a secret and blurt things out to random strangers.

It's really a trial.

Lacey and Tyler decided to get married October 4.  When the planning first started it was going to be a small, "them and the preacher and their witnesses" event.

Then two weeks ago, Lacey decided she needed her people there, and was talking to me about Skyping  Kip in at the chapel, and surely to goodness they had WIFI there.  I could hold the Ipad and Kip could watch.

Well.

One quick call to her daddy and a plane ticket later, we all had a little secret to keep.

For. Two. Weeks.

We all decided that it was best not to tell Gram or Grandma, because they might inadvertently blurt it out, not meaning to.

Trust me, though, I am the WORST.  I ended up telling Hallie because my eye was beginning to twitch, and I had to tell someone.   I went in to find Lacey at her work one day, and ended up blurting it out to Linzy Hall, her co-worker and partner in crime, who cried in her office and reinforced it to me that Lacey could NOT know.

Oh, The. Pressure.

So I avoided.  I didn't talk to my mom, I barely talked to Lacey and I tried to put it out of my mind.  Except for then, at a volleyball game, as my brain, constantly on alert to NOT divulge any secrets to people, let one of my friends, Laurie Miller, in on the fact she was getting married  (Wanting to keep that a secret as well) says to me,  "Oh, is she having a shower????".... gets me to thinking, I have enough secrets I'm trying to keep, let's throw another one in for good measure, and MAKE IT A DOOZY.

So I planned a shower.  A surprise Shower.  And if it hadn't been for Donna Brewer Gibson, and the swell folks at Havenbrook letting me use their beautiful and handy as a pocket on a shirt, event center, I would have NEVER pulled that one off.

But first things first.  Kip getting here.  She called me the night before (Thursday) and wailed to me, "I just lied to my sister for an HOUR!  She skyped me and wanted to talk strategy and wedding details and I just lied and lied".  That's tough for my straight as an arrow Kipster.  I told her it was ok, I hadn't spoken to mom in 2 weeks.  (Later my mom tells me, "I thought you were mad at me") So, here you go.

Then as I raced back to Norman to get the kids and head back to Edmond with them, my mom, and cousin Mike (who snuck up for the big event), my girl had her sisters in tow.  It was pretty awesome.

Then we did this.  And all of us cried.

Especially LB, sitting by me.  I looked over at him, and tears were streaming down his face, and I hugged him and he said, "I so emotional. This so beautiful".  And he was right.

You pray and pray that your children have a great life.  And pray and pray that their choices are wise.  I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my Lacey will have a great life, and made a wise choice as I watched this gentle man with a servant's heart commit his life to hers.  It was so beautiful.

That was Friday night.

Saturday was a whirlwind of preparation, because, of COURSE, I waited until the very last second to make the final food purchases for the shower.

Because that's the way I roll.

One thing for certain.  In a pinch, Walmart will NEVER let you down.  Told them to put the happy couple's name on the cake.  No Congratulations or Best Wishes....because I've seen what happens when people try to spell congradulashuns.  Just their names.  That's all i wanted.  Was that too much to ask??

 

We are so lucky.  Even redneck spelling on the cake would only happen to us.   

And it, like everything else that happened over the weekend, Was Perfection.  

Great Shower, Great Wedding, Great friends, great memories.  

Congradulashuns Mister and Misses Holt, I wish you nothing but joy and love your whole lives.