A.W.L...Absent WITH Leave...

It’s been a long time since I have blogged, but I know that you all will be forgiving because I have the very valid excuse of being engrossed in planning a wedding.

And, yes, I have been engrossed…but not totally immersed. There have been a lot of decisions to make, and people to contact, and plans to formulate, and actions to execute. But I have not been overwhelmed, and all-consumed.

I surely hope that I won’t find out, in less than two weeks that I should have been…

The beauty of the short timeline wedding is that there are lots of things you just can’t do…no time…Scratch it off the list. Keeping things simple is a must, and it helps to keep life on track as well. We are looking forward to a happy day, but I do not feel like this event has completely taken over our lives, which is good as I would go nuts if it did.

I hope I’m not premature in these declarations.

I’ve heard that it’s not a good thing for the M.O.B. to be nuts when the wedding day arrives…or even before it arrives. Afterwards? That is the time to be nuts…and I may be then. Certainly, I will be very tired…that happy satisfied kind of tired, I hope!

In the meantime, we have squeezed in a couple of showers, in the wedding tradition. Except not exactly…My introvert, the Bride, declared in her younger years that she would never – make that NEVER, EVER -- go to a bridal shower in her honor. These festivities seemed a scene of torture to her, where the honoree was subjected to the stares of the guests as she opened their gifts, expected to make cogent comments about each one. Frivolous and silly games were played, and way too many questions were asked about dresses, and honeymoons, and future plans. Horror of horrors, she had even heard the bride questioned about the arrival of future children!

None of their business, you know! And if you are an introvert, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you’re an extrovert, you don’t get it, and you think the introvert is ungrateful for not wanting to party with you.

Extroverts: we are wrong!

Anyway, now my dear introvert IS the Bride…and her dread of such festivities did not magically disappear when that ring went on her finger.

Unfortunately, the Introvert Bride is well-loved by her families, and they were longing to shower her with love and gifts and celebrate in the best way possible.

Such a problem to have! But it was a quandary.

As a testament to their love for The Bride, they crafted casual celebrations that would keep her discomfort to a minimum. They even offered to leave the gifts unwrapped. They left the silly games off the agenda. They refrained from prying questions, and excessive expressions of attention.

As a testament of her trust and appreciation for the love they wanted to show, my Introvert Bride compromised on her NEVER, EVER and we enjoyed two lovely family parties.

 

The first was the traditionally, non-traditional Likkel Couple’s Shower. Girls in attendance buy presents for the Bride. Guys in attendance buy presents for the Groom. It was a new, and admittedly, odd concept to Jon, the Groom – but he came away with some cool stuff – not the least of which was a case of Tabasco sauce and toilet plunger.

Hmm…that sounds really bad when you say it like that.

I mean someone got him a toilet plunger…and someone else got him a case of Tabasco – but they didn’t mean for those to go together.

This isn’t getting better, is it…

Well, suffice to say he got those items and an awesome flashlight, coffee mugs, Christmas light timer, a huge cast iron frying pan for camping…Guy stuff! And now he appreciates the concept of buying for the Groom.

Caitlin got lovely kitchen and house stuff – and though Jon had suggested shop uses for some of the items, they will not be allowed anywhere near it. He got his own presents, you see.

It was a fun night of teasing, joking and much laughter.

Yesterday, it was the Honcoop’s turn. All the Honcoop girls who could make it, as well as Jon’s mom, Kay, and sister, Kat, gathered for brunch at Deb’s house.

Caitlin loves brunch, and we enjoyed the delicious food and some good visiting before she opened her gifts…many more lovely things for her kitchen and new home with Jon.

The Little Girl Cousins, Madelyn and Brielle, helped bring her gifts and take away wrapping paper, and were generally a delightful distraction from Caitlin being the center of attention.

It was another fun celebration…It doesn’t hurt so much to be loved on after all!

And now we are less than two weeks from the wedding day…All that is left to do is the last minute stuff. We have thought about it so much that we are itching to do it.

It’s going to be a happy, happy day. It won’t be perfect – but it doesn’t have to be. At the end of the day, whatever happens, Jon and Caitlin will be husband and wife…with a whole host of loving people behind them who are sharing their joy.

It’s pretty wonderful.