Didn't You Notice the Balloons?

"didn't you notice the wedding bell balloons on the mailbox?"
"no..."
"didn't you wonder why everyone was here and there was so much food?"
"no, there's always a lot of people and food around here!"
"didn't you wonder why there were balloons and M&Ms and a cake in your wedding colors?"
"I couldn't see them!  There were too many people around, blocking these things!"

Being Southern is pretty synonymous with being from a large, intricate, networked family.  Naturally, I have many, many cousins and "aunts" that are really cousins and godparents and more cousins in Mama Pencils home state of Louisiana.  We Cajun/Creole people like to stick together.  I happen to have the most amazing extended family of cousins.  They, along with Mama P and Northern aunts and cousins conspired a surprise bridal shower for me while we were in Louisiana for the holidays.  To say they successfully surprised me would be an understatement, as would saying that I am merely grateful!  I feel overwhelmingly blessed to be from such an amazing family and so honored that second and third cousins that I see once a year would plan such a meaningful event for me.

We'll pull back from the mushy now- on to the fun stuff of gab, gifts, and glorious finger food! My cousin Joan is a baker and not only did she handcraft a beautiful cake in our wedding colors, she and her daughters pulled together a fantabulous group of women and amazing nosh to make for a tasty afternoon!  From brie bites to mini cheesecakes, tortilla wraps to deviled eggs- it was delicioso!

Sans cheesy bridal shower games, they demanded I dive right into the gifts! I was happy to oblige and now finally understood a conversation I had had with Mr. Pencils just a few days ago.  He was stalking our wedding website and decided to check on our registries.  Someone had bought us our salt and pepper shakers!  Wha?!?! Already?!?! Gah! Our first wedding gift!

After revealing a beautiful trifle bowl, corningware, a luxurious robe and the S&P shakers (yeah!) among other amazing gifts, I unwrapped this beauty from my Oregon aunt and cousin:

Grandmother Pencils is directly to my left and I deem she enjoyed seeing the scandalous night wear just as much as I!

Yes I cried when women with marriages of 50+ years wrote me cards that said things like "Wishing you many years of love and happiness, as we have been lucky enough to have."  You would have too!

Any true Southern bride (or maybe just Louisianan!) knows the value of a River Roads Recipe book!  As my cousin Joyce told me it isn't broken in until you got red velvet batter on the red velvet recipe and shrimp creole remnants on the creole recipe!

A sweet and saucy purple number from Mama Pencils that I have a feeling Mr. Pencils will enjoy!

Some of the amazing women that put together the shower. My adorable little cousin with the camera to her face put the generational span around 70 years!

Anyone else have a surprise bridal shower or feel incredibly blessed and inspired by the amazing women in your family?