2015 is going to be a year jam packed with significant events that we as a family intend to celebrate! I really need to tell you about them now as I am going to be one busy momma and if I find time to update my blog it is going to be a miracle!
The first birthday of the year is in June for my amazing husband who turns 50. I had thought of planning a party but we might just go out to dinner and let someone else do the cooking. June is going to be a busy month of planning for a very special day in July!
Our son is getting married! We were just so thrilled when he sent through a photo of the ring he had just presented to his girlfriend. His fiancee is the sweetest Christian girl you would ever want to meet. She loves the Lord with all her heart and she puts Jesus first in her life. She is kind, thoughtful, sensible, intelligent and practical and she shares my love of beautiful china! They met at Bible study at the church they attend. I also met my husband at Bible study. They have decided upon a short engagement as they want to be together and we approve because we know that God approves! (Proverbs 5.18)
The wedding will be held at a country property belonging to a Godly couple we have known for many years and it is where and son and his fiancee wanted to be married. We were so happy to find the date they had chosen was available. It is the most stunning setting with gorgeous gardens and a beautiful barn for the reception. No surprise that the tables will be set with vintage china though if my daughter-in-love had wanted something more modern we would not have minded but it just so happens she loves vintage elegance and classic style. This is a table I set up at a recent wedding expo. It will be a different colour scheme as it is a winter wedding and the roses will have stopped blooming but fresh flowers will feature in the decor.
There will be a tea station. This was the tea table I set up at the wedding of a friend's daughter recently. Guests just love being able to choose a pretty teacup and the tea table decorates a space beautifully!
I think we are going to have enough plates! For a number of reasons we have decided to self-cater. I have catered for large crowds in the past but never a wedding. It's a challenge we are willing to take on to help out our son and his wife to be. A spit roaster has been purchased and tested out. Have you ever tasted lamb slow roasted over charcoal? It is some kind of wonderful. Thankfully, the internet has a wealth of resources for those who are considering this. I found an old but very helpful website put together by a lady with a wealth of catering experience who cooks for her church. They enjoy a fellowship meal every Sunday after the service. We are not talking a pot-luck dinner or standing round the barbecue with a sausage sandwich in hand but a sit down sumptuous chef cooked meal and dessert. Oh the fortunate people who attend that church. They are very close and have got to know one another really well. It was very interesting to read about but most useful to me were the recipes, tips and advice on catering for a wedding. And yes, we will be asking family and friends to help us. You have heard of 'doomsday preppers'? We are going to be the 'loveday preppers'! Already we are seeing God's favour and blessing as we look forward to such a special and significant day in the life of our family. I couldn't resist sowing some seeds of love. What a wonderful name these poppies have and they bloom over winter here!
There are a few more significant events following the wedding. My vintage girl turns 18 in August and she is planning a 1950's ice cream sundae party! She doesn't care that it is winter. She says she will have hot fudge sauce with the ice cream which will be served in vintage sundae glasses. I hope to devote a whole post to that celebration later in the year. Her older sister also turns 21 in November but she is more excited about her upcoming trip to Canada and the United States in May. Yet again, she gets to stay with my sweet friend in Vancouver, Camille from 'Flowers in His Garden' and will spend three days with one of my earliest blogger friends, Carrie from Farming in Faith in Missouri. So not fair! I want to stow away with her! I am just grateful to these lovely ladies who are opening up their homes to my girl on her big trip.
Spring is coming my dear friends in the Northern Hemisphere and I am grateful for the cooler days that lie ahead for us after a very warm and humid summer. Blessings to you all.