She's Gettin' Married in the Mornin'

My niece Athena told me a few days ago that she's getting married July 18th. . . of this year. Allow me to put this in perspective for you. She (and I, as her MOH) have three weeks to coordinate a venue, flowers, attire for the bridal party & parents of bride and groom, music, photographer, cake, food, and a bridal shower. Seems a bit overwhelming, right?
Actually, it's not too bad.
Friday morning, I drove across the lake to meet her at her home, and we were off in search of a wedding dress. She's a good girl & did her homework. She found a dress she liked from JC Penney's bridal collection. Unfortunately, we soon learned none of the stores in Louisiana carry the bridal collection - you have to order them through the catalog, and we didn't have time for that. We decided to check the department stores at Northshore Mall for white formal dresses. Athena found one she liked, but alas, they did not have it in her size. After a few hours, she was beginning to get discouraged and a little worried that she wouldn't have a dress for her wedding when I remembered a money-saving tip I read in one of the many books I've perused in planning for my own wedding. . . consignment shops!
The first one we went to had three wedding dresses, one which was her size. She liked it, but we decided to keep looking. The second store we went to had a much larger selection. Athena tried on several dresses before finding "the one." She kept asking me & her mother what we thought. Finally, I pointed out that unlike every other dress she'd tried on, we practically had to force her back into the dressing room to take it off. Athena, you are right - you look like a "pretty pretty princess" in that dress. And it fits her perfectly - it's even the correct length.
Bonus score at the consignment shop - we also found my bridesmaid dress! It's a blue two piece Alfred Angelo, and more importantly, fits me perfectly. It just needs to be hemmed, which Jakob's aunt is going to do for me. Since it's two pieces, I took the skirt to be hemmed while Athena kept the top to color coordinate the best man's attire to mine.
After we're finished dress shopping, we stop at Bed Bath & Beyond where Athena and fiance Spencer are now registered.
So to recap, in one day, we were able to find, purchase, and take home Athena's wedding dress & my bridesmaid dress and register for gifts.
Day Two:
We buy hubby's wedding band, cake topper, veil making kit (we thought it'd be fun to make it together), bridal shower invitations, shower games, and bachelorette party attire for Athena.
So I have to wonder, is it really this easy or does my niece just lead a charmed life?

The Kiddie Room

While on vacation in Estes Park, Colorado, Jakob took me to dinner at Cascades Restaurant at the historic Stanley Hotel, made famous by the mini-series “The Shining,” based on a Stephen King novel. We were seated in an alcove with a wine rack/chiller. We joked about why we ended up in the kiddie room. Come to find out, he had contacted the people at Cascades and requested romantic, somewhat private table. I remember wishing we were seated nearer the fireplace - I love fireplaces. . . maybe because I was born & raised in south Louisiana and therefore have never had reason to have a fireplace.
The hostess was overly smiley when she seated us. I didn’t find out why until later that night. We were talking about my upcoming visit to my mother. He reminded me to pick up the kennel for the puppy I was getting when I got back home to Metairie.
“And you’re going to tell her you’re moving to Denver, right?” Distracted by my glass of Riesling, I responded that I was.
“And you’re going to tell her about this?” Confused, I looked at him, then down at the box he held in his hand, then back at him as he uttered four words I honestly didn’t expect to hear at any time in the near future, if ever. . . “Will you marry me?”
Of course I said yes. Then it all made sense - the kiddie room, the overly happy hostess, the waitress who alternately hovered and disappeared for obscene amounts of time, even his comment about how I had “no idea” how much this vacation cost. I should have realized something was going on - Jakob is a very practical person, not one to spend money on frivolous things like a cabin on the river with a hot tub and elk in the yard.
After the reality of it sank in, my first thought was, “I can’t wait to tell Athena.” Athena is my niece, eight years my junior. She’s one of my best friends, the mother of my gorgeous goddaughter, and now my maid of honor.
And so, without further ado, my engagement ring:

Sorry it's not the best photo in the world, but taking a picture of a ring is really hard!