Friday evening we got our new kitty, Snack. She's petite, gray, adorable, and such a little snuggle muffin. She's very talkative, however and we discovered that she has no problem talking to you about ANYTHING. Not very shy, that one. And yes, we're keeping the name. So far, our favorite nicknames are Kitty (Billa's), Snack Attack (Michael's), and Snicker Snack (mine). She is also a very good sport because Billa likes to carry her everywhere and not very gracefully at that. She constantly worries that Snack is not well fed and watered, and she tries to rectify this by spoon feeding the cat kibbles and water.
What?
Saturday morning we all got up early and took over a bunch of stuff to the Marino house for the neighborhood wide garage sale. We got rid of a ton of stuff and made $175 profit. Not bad for our first garage sale ever! The neighborhood association is having another one in October and we are looking forward to culling a bunch of stuff then. Part of our profits went towards buying a trike for Billa; the Marino's neighbors were selling a Radio Flyer trike which I snapped up for $10. I met a mom at the park recently (and ran into her again on Sunday, how crazy is that!?) and she had highly recommended it. It's the perfect size for Billa and she LOVES it.
After the garage sale, we all went out to Tres Amigos for lunch to celebrate and then Michael's mom came and picked up Sybilla for Gigi Slumber Party Fun. Michael and I had a wedding to attend and we were really looking forward to a night out. I have to say, we've been to a lot of weddings, and while we think ours is one of the best, Andy and Nadine's wedding was ah-MAZE-ing! The bride outdid herself in creating a simple, whimsical, and warm atmosphere and the weather was just perfect. The event was held at the Hummingbird House which is apparently owned by the folks at the Great Outdoors. Nadine is Indonesian, so part of the ceremony included a traditional Indonesian egg-stomping ritual. The bride and groom each stomp on an egg and then clean off each other's feet. I'm not sure what it's supposed to symbolize honestly, but it was very cool and very funny to watch.
Andy is an old friend of ours from Michael's Winedale days and does a lot of improv comedy around town–he's a super funny guy and so nice to boot! And of course, Nadine is just a dear too.
Andy and Nadine are both very funny people and there was no shortage of love and laughter at this wedding. I also loved many of the personal touches that they incorporated into the wedding, like the name tags, the stuffed animals from their childhood, and board games on all the tables. We had so much fun catching up with all of Michael's Winedale family that we eventually moved the party to a bar by UT until almost 1 in the morning. Or maybe later, I can't remember really, because I'd had a few too many tequila sunrises mixed by the really hot Italian bartender. Another perk of this wedding? Meeting new people, like the gal who teaches dance lessons for couples and is a big theatre dork/food junkie like we are. Heck yes! Dance lessons and dinner parties, here we come!
Clockwise from left: Each guest stamped their fingerprint on the tree (which was hand drawn by the bride) and signed their name on their fingerprint. Talk about an unusual guest book! All around the grounds you'd find random stuffed animals paired together and the tables had board games on them for folks to play with. The bride and groom opted for cake balls in lieu of the traditional wedding cake (no, I didn't do them). Nadine made name tags for all the guests that also included two or three talking points–it was so much fun to see what people had and it really helped start some great conversations!
Unfortunately, Michael had to work Sunday morning, so I slept in and nursed my little self-induced headache before Billa arrived back home. We went out and picked up kitty stuff and shopped, then came home for a nap, before we all went as a family to Natural Gardener to look at plants and then grocery shop, before wrapping things up with dinner at our neighbor's house. George and Maho used to live across the hall from us, now they live across the courtyard from us. Maho cooked the most amazing seafood pasta I have ever had, with shrimp, salmon, and bay scallops. She also made a delicious chocolate sformato for dessert that was to die for.
Billa enjoys some airtime on the tree swing at Natural Gardener
What's so funny, guys?
Why these old billy goats, that's what! The goat in front kept bleating at Billa and Michael, as if he were an old man yelling at them. The other one just sat in back and chewed his cud quietly. I love how goats are like old men!
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend spent with friends and family and nothing but laughter and good times. And even though we are exhausted and left desiring some additional vacation time, we'd do it all again in a heartbeat if it left us this happy and contented.
Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend,
Kelly, Michael, Sybilla, and introducing Snack
Haha I just love how Billa was holding the kitty!
ReplyDeleteI loved the picture of Bill and Snack - priceless and just so cute!!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like such a great wedding! I love the concept of board games at the table .. what a great way to break the ice if you are seated with strangers!
ReplyDeleteAnd Snack must be pretty darn good if he let Billa hold him like that without clawing her!!!