IT'S A BIRTHDAY PARTY - NO IT'S A SHOWER - NO IT'S A WEDDING!!!

Okay.   So, this is how it went.  When Amy and Shawn decided to get engaged and announced that they would be trying to get a wedding together by October 15.  They wanted to be married before they leave for Europe in November.  Well, I thought, if there was going to be a shower for them, it had better be soon.  Since I am leaving for two weeks, the date came down to September 10.  I recruited the few friends of Amy’s that I knew and we started planning.  After much wine and discussion, we settled on a party at Sharon’s house and making it a couple’s shower.  Also, it was to remain a secret!  Well, let me tell you how difficult it is to get names and addresses from this generation!!  Everything is in their I phones and the phones are attached to their bodies!  After much nagging about getting a wedding list together, I managed to secure a number of names – and addresses.  We ended up with about 30 people, which provided a lovely number for a party.  Sharon worked like a dog to make her house pretty, and invited Amy and Shawn for dinner under the pretense that they were having a barbeque to celebrate mutual birthdays.  Luckily, they bought it.  Also, since a cook was let go because of drinking, they were so busy, they did not have a chance to pay attention to me.  (And since I sleep on their couch and do not have a room, it is really difficult to keep anything secret.  Everything is in my purse, so I occasionally look like the little old lady in the cartoons who is clutching her purse under her chin!!)  They were surprised – and Amy was especially surprised because her favorite uncle and aunt had driven down from Greensboro to surprise her. There was wine and beer and food and very happy spirits PLUS someone who actually could legally marry them.  All of a sudden, we had a wedding.  What a fun, fun night it was.  Actually, it is how everyone should get married.  All stress of preparations and worry about hurting feelings is out of the way.  There were a few important people missing, (but since it wasn’t the first time for either of them, the missing will survive).  Everyone on Carolina Beach kept the secret and, as Max said, who knew the surprise would be on us.  That is why I have not posted lately.  The surprise party has occupied 100% of my mind, just trying to keep it secret!!  But, I will definitely catch up soon and tell you about beach living!!  Welcome to my new daughter-in-law, Amy and congratulations to Shawn.  Thanks, of course for checking.  Ricci