The Wedding: Part 1

I'm working on the wedding post. The post of THE day. The post I'm having to stop writing every couple minutes because I cannot see the computer screen through the happy tears of joy that keep streaming down my face.

Speaking of tears streaming down my face, I decided to have my hair and make-up done on THE day for THE event and if you know me you know I do not 'do' my hair and I do not wear make-up due to my crazy allergies to everything under the sun but I figured for THE day it would be a good idea.

And then the rain came. Not torrential or anything just a sprinkle, just enough to make the humidity shoot up to 500 gazillion percent. So I paid BIG money to throw my hair back up in in a hair tie and to sweat my make-up off but hey! we had a BLAST anyway! But that's part of THE story so...

Most of us sat in a rented van (very nice BTW) for 8 hours but a few decided to fly over to Nashville.

There were still a few details to finish up when we arrived but most everything was done because that's the way NashvilleDaughter rolls so we ran some errands and enjoyed some family time.

We collected sticks in the backyard-

We cooked yummy food--

 I asked if there were any local BBQ joints and we went to the BEST PLACE EVER!

We put together a remembrance display of those no longer with us--

And a display for the wedding hashtag-

Bought brand new cowboy boots which haven't come off her feet yet and yes, that includes the wedding.

Got mani/pedis--

In Nashville, if the officiant isn't a judge or a minister the marriage is not legal so we had to go to the courthouse before the ceremony.

And we ate some more...

And more--

And more--

I go on and on about the food in Nashville but, goodness! I have yet to find food that I do not LOVE in that city.

I know this is photo overload so---

To be continued---

Here's a sneak peek at the rehearsal dinner hosted by DrummerBoy's wonderful parents...

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Shower the People You Love with Love, Part 2

When you have a daughter who lives nine hours away and you go visit there are a lot of things to do that get crammed into those few days. We were in Nashville for 5 days--2 of those being driving there and back so really three days there-- and had about 10 days worth of plans. Ok, not really ten days worth but it did seem that way.

Especially because there's a wedding in May and DrummerBoy was playing the Ryman (see yesterday's post HERE if you missed it) so we:

• got people fitted for wedding suits
• had the wedding dress modeled for us
• discussed wedding attire 
• visited the wedding venue and met with the coordinator (a truly lovely girl)
• attended two nights at the Ryman
• went cowboy boot hunting
• ate yummy food at a local dive
• attended a most delightful engagement party/bridal shower

And this was after we traveled 10 hours with a toddler who got car sick 4 times before we figured out how to help him out. AND we did it all in the incessant rain and do not get me started on the Nashville traffic that adds a good 30 minutes to an hour to everything you need to do on a good day. Seriously, we knew we had arrived in that big, wonderful city when we were suddenly surrounded by a gazillion other cars sitting still on I 40.  

Of course, the good news is you get a picture of the Bat-Man building.

To say people were exhausted is an understatement. To say we had a good time is also an understatement.

When you have adult children, as most of us do, we tend to have a list of 'hopes' we have for their adult lives and one of the top three on my list for my girls is that they have wonderful, supportive, kind-hearted friends and it's even more important to me that NashvilleDaughter have this support system since we live our lives nine hours away from each other (10 when you travel the distance with a car sick toddler).

I've had the privilege to have met a few here and there of her friends and they fit the bill perfectly but, as life tends to move us around, our friends don't always live in the same cities forever. This weekend, I was given the gift of meeting many of NashvilleDaughter and DrummerBoy's local friends and my heart was filled.

I know I do not have to worry about NashvilleDaughter having a support system of friends because y'all, she has the best group of any I've ever known.

And they showered the happy couple with love. There is no doubt how these friends feel.

Good food:

 CAKE!

Gifts--

Good friends, a few words, and a toast to the happy couple---

And the house was gorgeous! It was built in 1910 and I loved every single thing about it. But as nice as the house was, as delicious as the food was, as big and perfect as that cake was none of it compared to the group gathered to celebrate my girl and her love. And see that sweet lady standing beside my girl in that picture above? That's her future MIL and we should all be so lucky to have a MIL who loves us like this sweet lady loves my girl.

This mama misses her sweet daughter every day but I also know I don't have to worry about her. She's strong and independent. She has a man in her life because she wants him not because she needs one. She's smart and loyal. She goes all out for her friends and gives at least 110% to her job. She is talented and creative and not only works full time as an interior architect but also is an entrepreneur. She's sweet and savvy. And she's surrounded by a support system of friends and in-laws that makes all others look weak.

Cheers, my loves! May you always love and be loved. "May you always hold hands, share secret looks, and cultivate a private language that only the two of you can speak. May you always find things to talk about and places to explore, and may you prefer things to be the same level of clean (😂.) May you take turns being strong and weak, keep a secret list of what delights one another, and always have a trick to pull out of your hat. May you find that together, things are easier and more fun and more interesting, and may you always remember what it felt like to fall in love." Emily McDowell.

And that's how we spent three days in Nashville, TN.

AND---

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Shower the People You Love with Love, Part 1

Show them the way that you feel... And that's just what happened this past weekend in Nashville but let's start at the beginning.

DrummerBoy and the boys (The Wild Feathers) have been on tour with The Brothers Osborne (a bit too country for me BUT nominated for the duo of the year CMA!) for quite a few months and we knew they were going to finale with three shows at The Ryman in Nashville so, like all good in-law families, we made plans to go for two of the performances. I know y'all have heard me say this before but honestly if you haven't seen The Wild Feathers in person, you're missing out on seeing/hearing first hand some truly gifted young musicians. They travel all over the US and have been in Canada this time around. You're doing yourselves a disservice if you don't check their website to see if they'll be near you. I promise they are worth the time.

I also promise I'm not just saying this because the drummer will be my son-in-law in May. But I will shamelessly claim how proud I am of him and all the boys in the band. Not just super talented, they are the SWEETEST guys you'll ever meet. Let's just get to the pictures and videos, shall we?

When your uncle is the drummer in a fabulous band and they play at The Ryman, you get a pretty good seat---

You also get to play a keyboard under a photo of June and Johnny Cash...

If you're really, really lucky you go on the night the fiddle player (and she's not just a fiddle player. She's married to Brett (he's the one on the far right in the pictures of the band), mom to their adorable little boy, and the most amazingly talented photographer you've ever seen) is there and you get a lesson---

Here she is on stage. That's her hubby on the right. 

And you learn when you hang with the big dogs, you crash hard---

This is one of my favorite pictures. The boys and their better halves. DrummerBoy and NashvilleDaughter 5th and 6th from the left. LOVE these people.

Ok, ok. I'll stop. I'll just leave these right here for those of you who do not follow me on Facebook or Instagram.

Oh, and one more thing. When you visit friends or family in a city, you have access to the local dives for food. And that's a very good thing, too.

Y'all have heard me go on and on and on about the food in Nashville. I am beginning to believe it is impossible to get bad food there. So freaking delicious every, single, time.

And that's all for part one. Next, a most wonderful shower/engagement party with some of the nicest people on the planet. Stay tuned, y'all!

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Rockin' the Ryman

Baby showers, meeting blogger buddies in person, traveling to see my daughter's boyfriend's band play at the Ryman Auditorium, waiting not so patiently for Baby M's arrival, not having to go back to school next year...how in the world does one handle all of these good life happenings? I'll let y'all know when I am no longer reeling from it. Ha!

I have several posts to write about our trip to Nashville, but I just have to get this one out first. I can't even begin to tell y'all what an honor it was to be included in such a momentous occasion as watching The Wild Feathers play at the Ryman Auditorium. To a SOLD OUT crowd.

Y'all, we got to go to the sound check. That might not sound all that interesting to most folks, but we LOVED it! We LOVED every minute of our whirlwind Nashville visit. It was perfect! Except for the heat. And the traffic. But even those two things didn't spoil our BIG FUN in Nashville!

This was before and during the sound check. That's right, we got to walk on the Ryman stage. DrummerBoy plays his dad's drums so his dad got to sit up there and play for a bit. It was great!

It was all about the boys playing at the Ryman but the keyword was family.

All of the moms, dads, sisters, brothers, and extended family of the boys and their wives/girlfriends were there. There were old friends and new friends, too. The family/friend support system of these guys is huge and strong. Maybe this is why the band is made up of such good young men. Of course, we might have been a bit focused on the drummer.

Such talent! And cute, too! :)

They are kind and unpretentious. They weren't arrogant about playing at the Ryman, they were humbled by it. They were nice and inviting to everyone. Not only do these musicians possess great talent they are also down-to-earth and kind-hearted. I simply cannot say enough about the boys in this band. Integrity seems to be in short supply these days. But not with these guys.

We had dinner right there at the Ryman with DrummerBoy's parents who are the sweetest and most hilarious people! They were so inclusive of our family. We can't wait for them to come to Charleston and get the Lofton Family tour. Sid and Susie, we're already planning on it!   

After the ENCORE the opening band, Jamestown Revival, came back onstage to sing, With a Little Help from My Friends, with The Wild Feathers! 

There are stories I heard and some I've witnessed that would attest to the character of the members of The Wild Feathers but y'all would be here all day long trying to read about it. Do yourselves a favor and, should the opportunity present itself, go see these guys. You won't regret it! I promise!

I don't know the guy, Tanner White, who recorded this but it's on YouTube and there is an amazing moment where the band stops playing and singing and the SOLD OUT crowd sings. I still get goosebumps. I cannot believe I was there to witness such a momentous occasion for these boys who have worked so long and hard to get there. Well done, guys. Well done, indeed.