Slideshow

It's Sunday night and that means the work week begins and before I know it, it will be the weekend again. I think I am almost ready to move on from the wedding and post about other things but before I do, I thought I would post the link to the wedding slideshow put together by Caroline. I love the song that she chose to play to the slideshow. She is pretty high up in my book right now.

Right now I feel like saying, "I pity the fool who doesn't have Caroline take their wedding pictures."

Mr. T channeling through me.



http://carolinefontenot.myshowit.com/whitlach/index.html

Day 4 of the 4 Day Wedding Whirlwind

3/20...Saturday... Sad-urday if you ask me. It was hard to leave that beautiful resort, that perfect weather, the food that I didn't have to cook or clean up after, that daughter and her new husband....and head home and back to reality. Spring Break was coming to an end and my other 2 kids had to get back to their college campuses on Sunday, so we booked our flight home for Saturday. I wish we could have had one more day. But really at the end of that day, I would have wanted another.



This day started with my eyes popping wide open around 7:00 am...even though we weren't officially waking up until 8. I realized that the one thing Jordan had asked us to do for her was to take all the gifts to their townhouse before we left for the airport. Of course we could do that for her. The hotel staff had brought all of the gifts and decorations to our room the night before.


Only there was a slight problem. And it was this that woke me up.


I had forgotten to get a key to Jordan and Chris' place ....and an address. I knew I could look the address up...but with no key, how were we going to get in there? I couldn't call her because she was ......in the.........honeymoon suite. And even I knew that you don't call the honeymoon suite. I was in a pickle. I suffer from CRS syndrome and it had attacked again. (CaN't ReMeMbEr Sh#*)


I thought and thought....and woke Chuck up and worried some more. And then....I fretted.


And I tried to go back to sleep and I got back up and made coffee. Then I got back in bed and then got back up and started packing. Stopping a hundred times to think, think, think. Which wasn't easy because I had a major headache. Could be the adrenaline, the lack of sleep or the champagne. Pick one. No, pick all three.

And while I was busy packing and thinking...

Around 8:30 am, she text me!

And the text said we were all going to meet for lunch (with Chris' family, too) before everyone headed out of town. The newlyweds weren't leaving for their honeymoon until Sunday. So the valet service would unload all of the stuff into Chris and Jordan's car for us. Hallelujah! Problem solved. I would like to think my worrying helped.



The hotel staff came with 3 carts and loaded up the gifts, the boxes of decorative items and our luggage and we reluctantly left the place. But not before I walked around and took some more pictures. I wanted to commit all of this...ALL of this to memory. But I don't trust my memory so bear with me once again with all the pictures. The first few were taken the night before on our walk back to our casita.

Goodbye cute patio and birdcage.

Will went this way....

And Chuck and I went that way....

Only I stopped to get a closer look....goodbye gorgeous fountain.


See the yellow lights glowing up ahead on the right?
That's our casita.

#127

While my morning shower water was warming up,

I grabbed my camera

so I could remember this color forever.

And just a hint of it in the floor.

Our walk in closet.....as big or bigger than my utility room.

A built in chest of drawers, a full length mirror.....

a dream closet.

To the left was the closet rod with a shelf above....with 2 wicker baskets on it.

Below the rod were 2 suitcase valets.

They really were prepared for us to stay awhile.

Robes.

The rug....with the morning sun peaking in.

Remember I am fretting at this point...

so yes, I took a picture of the rug.

Cactus on a staircase.

Yes, God. I did think of you.

Seeing this cross the morning after the wedding made me tear up.

So much to be thankful for.

Doorways.

Rooster on a cross.

Kids on a bench.

Iron door.

Mark and Jack coming through the doorway

to the center courtyard.

Behind them is the entrance to the resort.

Sweet cherub.

Looking the other way....to Camelback Mountain.

It was about 63' outside.

And to all my fellow Houstonians,

they have this thing called NO HUMIDITY.

It's awesome.

Mark ...singer, dancer extraordinaire.

Feeling relief and sadness and joy.

And a serious headache.

Goodbye doorway.

Heading through towards the car.

Goodbye fountain.

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Whitlach.

Mark, Will, Chuck, Kim and Jack waiting on their Zipps burger.

Sofia and Jack....who may or

may not have partied too much at the reception.

I handed them my air sickness bag just in case they needed an extra.

If you haven't flown lately, the video screen

now has a debit machine embedded for you to swipe your card to activate it.

$6.00 for your viewing pleasure.

I caught up on some episodes of The Office and The Middle.

Will's checking on the clouds.

They looked like a blanket of snow.

I left out a lot of detail from this day....but I can sum it up

by saying we were all very happy,

very tired,

very sad about leaving,

very hungry,

very ready to just get the getting back home over with.

Day 4 was:

Packing up and checking out of the resort.

Meeting Jordan and Chris and Chris' brothers

and wives and mother at Zipps for lunch.

Getting to the airport.

Getting to the plane.

Getting back to Houston.

Getting back to our cars.

Getting back to our houses.

Getting back in our own bed.

Insert a few grouchy moments here and there during the day.......

Husbands dropped all of us off at baggage to return the rental cars...leaving the mamas and the kids to wait on them for what seemed like hours..... finally checked in, went through security which has just gotten to be a ridiculous circus act, getting to the gate 2 hours early thanks to a very uptight traveling man, having some go shopping, some go cruising for coffee, some just sitting, some run into an old friend, and some excel at being cranky.

Grouchy a little, maybe...but all of us were still reeling from the fun of the last 3 1/2 days.

What a milestone for us.

And now I want to give credit where credit is due..............

To Jordan and Chris,

When I say "you".....I mean both of you.....

Your wedding and the activities leading up to it and after it were perfect. You found a beautiful venue and with the connections you had, the florist, photographer, deejay and minister...it could not have been better. You planned this wedding and your personalities were evident through the entire event.

My wish for you, from the moment you were engaged, was for this wedding to be about the 2 of you. You, your friends, your music, your colors, your food choices. It was your day and watching the 2 of you on that alter.......so calm (maybe you weren't but you looked like you were) and so sure of your decision was such a joy for the people who love you the most.

From the engagement pictures to the Save the Date cards, to the invitations, to the notes at the Bridal Luncheon, to the fun Rehearsal Dinner....to the wedding ceremony and finally to the fun, fun reception......it was all so you.

Playing the game, "What's your favorite part?" .....mine would have to be watching the 2 of you on the dance floor surrounded by all of your friends. That is exactly what I wanted for you. I couldn't have imagined it would be so perfect.

Thank you for making it happen.

And on that day when you are surrounded by bills and laundry and dirty dishes ........remember that you are committed to each other and when the two of you work together......great things can happen. You pulled off a wonderful wedding and reception. What's a little dirty laundry? Nothing you can't handle.

Smile at each other. Be nice to each other. Look at your wedding pictures often.

We love you both.

Day 3 of the 4 Day Wedding Whirlwind

3/19...Friday...

THE day is here. This is the day we've been waiting for. All things and dollars and people coming together for this day. It was gorgeous weather, moods were wonderful (I say this because moods are not always wonderful when you get all of us together...someone's always a grouch...not naming names), I was on autopilot. The plan for the morning was for the girls to get up early, get dressed and head to the Bridesmaid Luncheon. We had to have our things packed up before leaving because we were moving to the resort where the wedding would be for the night. The guys would be checking us out of our ONE ROOM place and getting us checked in to the resort before we saw them again. We said our "good mornings" and "goodbyes" all in the same sentence.





We headed to the Bridesmaid Luncheon hosted by my sister Catha. She insisted, we were honored. It was held at Arcadia Farms....a place we were told about on one of our first visits to Phoenix and have made a point of returning to each time. They had me at "black & white." As you walk through the rooms, you see black & white checked upholstered chairs, black & white art, black & white toile china.....then a pop of color on the walls. I can't get enough of that place.......the decorating and the food.

Cameron posing for me outside of Arcadia Farms

As I said, my sister hosted this luncheon. She set it up, sent out the invitations and paid the tab at the end. I told her I would take care of the place setting/favor.....and that is all she would let me do. Jordan's bridesmaids' dresses were the color of a pear. So that's where this idea was born. Small clay pot, painted gold then black & white

ala Mackenzie Childs,

curled wire stuck in to hold a card, then tied with a bow. Jordan wrote a note to each person in attendance and wrote their name on the outside of the envelope. Place setting now becomes photo holder party favor. I made 2 more than we needed and exactly 2 were broken in shipping.

Thank you party favor angel.


There were 3 tables of 6.....

friends, mothers of the bride and groom, bridesmaids, and relatives.

All special in some way to Jordan.

I always try to match the walls of parties I attend.

Seriously, is that yellow washed wall the cutest thing?

Or is it just cute to me?

We had our very own room...actually building...

behind the outdoor patio of this place.

Jordan's first friend...Whitney. Whitney and her family lived 2 doors down from us in our first home...where Jordan lived until 9th grade. Whitney is only 6 weeks older so they really did grow up together. Whitney is now a successful accountant in Houston and she brought her mother, Denise, my friend and old neighbor...with her to Phoenix for the wedding. We had such a nice time reuniting and Whitney and Denise
made a vacation out of visiting Phoenix and the Sedona area.

In trying to keep our numbers below 120...the guest list was predominantly friends of Jordan and Chris. Whitney was allowed to bring a guest and I was so excited when I found out she would be bringing her mother. Denise and I spent many evenings on her driveway watching our kids play. Those days seem like so long ago now.

Cameron's gift to Jordan.

Cameron lives out loud and always makes sure we laugh.
She brightens the atmosphere.

The bridesmaids gifts were wrapped in

oilcloth vintage printed bags. The tags were simply a metal initial

found at Hobby Lobby. The girls can hang them in their room or....

...wear them as a bold statement necklace.

Whatever works for them.

Thank you does not cover it.

I love you does not cover it.

Jordan loves you does not cover it.

But Catha, I think you know

how I feel about you

and about this.

Thank you.

I love you.

Jordan loves you.

***********************

The following sentences will not have punctuation because the next few hours went by incredibly fast and there was not a moment to breathe or stop as a period at the end of a sentence would suggest.

We got back to the resort at 1:00 pm and had until 4:45 pm to be ready for the wedding so we rushed from our room to the reception room to the bride's room a trillion times because by the time I got to my room to set my clothes out for the evening someone would call me and say Jordan needs you to help her in her room and it was on the complete opposite side of the resort and I would head over there and then someone would text me that the reception room was almost available for us to start decorating and so I would travel on foot to the other side of the place and it wouldn't really be ready so I would start unpacking some of the votives and frames and stuff and then I would get a text from Chuck to meet him in the bar where he was just sitting and working on the toast for the night but then when I would get over there to see him he was all nervous and teary eyed and then I would start to walk back to the reception area and halfway Jordan would need me again and I would go over there and spend some time with her and then Will would text me and ask me to head to our room to help him with his tux and by the time I would head to the reception area again Chuck would call me and then I finally left it all in other's hands and got back to my room in time to get cleaned up and change into my wedding outfit and get back to the chapel garden by 4:45.....all this is to say it was an extremely busy 3 or 4 hours and then....

Before I knew it, I was sitting on the front row at my oldest child's wedding and she was standing beside this man she loves and wants to spend the rest of her life with.

And then we partied.

And she headed off to a bright future.

The End.

Except I really need to say a couple of more things here....do you know me?

In that rush and madness between 1:00 pm and 4:45 pm there were 3 people that I depended on and could not have done all of this without. They are my sister Catha and my two best friends, Karen and Debbie. They took over the decorating for me and gave me more peace of mind and comfort than they will ever know.

Catha is my calm in any storm.

Karen is my other half when it comes to decorating.

I knew it was in good hands with her. She reads my mind and then improves on it.

You may remember Karen is my traveling companion....Silver Bella and London. It was a treat to have her there. Thank you Karen for taking the time out of your busy, busy life. It meant the world to me to have you there.

And Debbie.......would do anything in the world for me. And she did.

But what she does the best is make me laugh. She gets me. It was good to have her around for those 2 days to make me laugh.

She is the little sister I used to beg my mama for.

I love you DeeDee.

If I had said to Chuck, "Please set all this out and then sprinkle glittery sequins around it all....", I would have been met with a blank stare.

These 3 girls sprinkled the glitter

without a blink of an eye.

And then there's this girl.........Caroline Fontenot....who captured it all.

So I can relive this milestone forever. Grab the passwords below, then Go check it out.

Wedding ...no password

Rehearsal....password chilada

Bridesmaid Luncheon...password arcadia

(Really Caroline? Even your passwords are cute!)

Thank you Chuck for being a wonderful father and husband. And providing Jordan with this wonderful wedding. And not really growling when we went over budget....because I warned you we would. Your money was well spent.

And your Father of the Bride toast was the sweetest. I loved that you cried.

Day 3 was the best day. Day 4 is still coming. Come back.

Day 2 of the 4 Day Wedding Whirlwind

3/18...Thursday...Remember in the last post how I mentioned that I announced to everyone that I wanted to sleep in until at least 9 am? uh, huh. Well this is how that all went down.

In order to save money...hahahaha....we rented a hotel suite so that all 4 of us...Chuck, me, Cameron and Will could stay in one room. We thought "suite" would be a divided area...as in wall and door with a living area with a pull-out sofa and then a bedroom with a queen bed. We had all that minus the divider. It was one room. ONE ROOM.

So I was in bed first the night before but others were watching t.v. and coming in and out and whatever they could do to make noise. I heard Chuck call the front desk and leave a wake-up call for 7:00 am. And then I fell asleep.

7:00 am. RING. RING. RING. RING. RING.

Apparently Chuck isn't going to answer the phone...WHICH IS ON HIS SIDE OF THE BED.... so I start to turn over and reach for it when my elbow punches his eyeball.....accidentally. He screams out in pain and continues to moan and groan and say ow. I apologize and say I'm sorry...it was an accident....are you okay?.....I'm so sorry....

and all the while.......RING. RING. RING. RING.

He finally picks it up and hangs up ('cause that's all you have to do to stop the ringing.) And he goes back to sleep.

And I lay there and try to go back to sleep.

And then. A loud roaring noise that sounds like we're at a Nascar race starts up outside our window.

bbbbbbRRROOOOAAAAARRRRRuuuuummmm. RRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR

bbbbbbRRROOOOOOOOAAARRRRRRRRRRRuuummmmm.

(THE OBNOXIOUS NOISE COMING FROM THE CHAIN SAW STARTS UP THEN STOPS, REPEATS, REPEATS. SO NOW I AM LAYING THERE ANTICIPATING IT STARTING UP...THEN STOP...THEN START UP...THEN STOP.)

Chuck sits up, calls the front desk and says very loudly....

"We are trying to sleep. Can't you do something about the noise outside our window?"

They say, "Sir, they're trimming the bushes around the pool and will be through in 30 minutes. We apologize...."

Chuck responds, "Well, we're awake now."

Now at this point, it strikes me as funny/ironic that Chuck called for a 7:00 am wake-up call, gets the call but goes back to sleep. Then 10 minutes later when the yard men wake him up he calls the front desk and complains about the noise and says "well, we're awake now...".

Like a Seinfeld episode.

This is how we operate. And now I am awake at 7:10. So much for sleeping in.

The 8 of us (my family and my sister's family in the same hotel) begin to rotate in and out of the free breakfast buffet and take turns going back to the room to get showered and dressed for the day. I don't need to tell you that that takes a long time. The guys head one direction and the girls head towards the direction of the place where the bride and her bridesmaids are having their pedicures.

And the bride-t0-be and her beautiful bridesmaids get pedicured....

You got boyfriend? You so pretty.

She do for us.

All pedicured.

By the way, this is the same place that Catha and I had our pedicure the day before. My lady commented on the hair on my big toe. Yes. She did. She remarked that it's black and white. I told her I highlighted it....because my husband likes it that way.

What else do you say to that comment?


She giggled and moved on to the sea salt application.

I sat appalled that I have hair on my big toe and she didn't offer to get it off...merely commented on the different colors of the hair. ugh.







Anyway...time flies and now we head back to get cleaned up
and re-dressed for the Rehearsal at the Royal Palm Resort.




Waiting in the bar until the Rehearsal begins.

This is the Ivy Family....Jack, Catha, Kim, and Mark. They did not need to rehearse anything but Chuck wanted Kim there for support.

Chuck is starting to get nervous at this point.


Me and Nervous



24 hours before I Do.


Bride and Maid of Honor.

Jordan and Cameron.

Passed this walking towards the garden where the ceremony will take place....

Camelback Mountain with

the setting sun shining on it.

Getting ready to rehearse.....

...and finished and headed to the Rehearsal Dinner. It was held at Aunt Chilada's about a 30 minute drive away. It was great food and lots of fun...and time spent with the groom's family.

Bridesmaid Rachel.....interned with Jordan at The Fiesta Bowl, became good friends, lives in Phoenix and works for the ballet company, she is more beautiful in real life, quick witted, sweet...

and she was the official make-up artist for the bride.

Bridesmaid Veronica...also interned with Jordan and Rachel, hired on at The Fiesta Bowl when Jordan did, lives in Phoenix, hails from Louisiana....a LSU graduate, Geaux Tigers, is so gorgeous and funny.

I think she's Ethel to Jordan's Lucy.

The Bride To Be ...Jordan

Maid of Honor Cameron....younger sister by 2 years and 6 1/2 months, shared a childhood with Jordan, sweet, smart, loud, funny, beautiful, an Aggie,

soon to be a mechanical engineer

Bridesmaid Brittany...met Jordan at A&M, roommates their Junior and Senior year, a faithful friend, a young bride, talented singer, as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside...and she was the hair stylist for all the girls.

Some of Jordan's new family...Chris's side.

From the left: John/brother, Dave/brother, Joe/brother, Nancy/mother,

Chris, Jordan

Front row: Natalie and Alex and Laura/daughter, son and wife of Dave

Good fun....new friends.

Dave and Laura and their kids, as well as Nancy, live in Phoenix.

I know they will take good care of Chris and Jordan....they started this week with dog-sitting for them.

Teaching Alex "Gig'em"

Maid of Honor Cameron and Best Man J.T.

John, Cameron, Chris, Joe, J.T. and Troy

Mark, Jordan, Jack and Jack's hand.

Genetics in action. They get each other.

The fathers....Chuck and Jim.

Chuck, Chip, Debbie and Happy

Our best friends and old neighbors from Richmond, arrived on Thursday in time to join us at the Rehearsal Dinner. We picked up where we left off more than 15 years ago when they moved from Richmond, TX, to Atlanta, GA. This couple knew us when we had an 8, 6 and 3 year old and they had a 6 and 4 year old. Good old days.

The Chuhs.

(Chuck and Chip....Debbie and I refer to them as the Chuhs.)

So Day 2 was Pedicures and Rehearsals. And more food.