Showered With Love--Part II, The Party

Or, "I Don't Deserve My Friends"

The excited Wedding Party,
plus Sister Heidi who helped plan the Shower,
minus Man of Honor Jeremy who had a prior commitment

Get up to speed with Part I...

Traffic was bad, so only about half the attendees were there for the surprise, but people kept arriving. It was amazing how many people showed up: the Wirzburger clan (including the Honorary Wirzburgers) from up and down the mid-Atlantic made the trek up, despite needing to do it again in a few weeks; a bunch of my friends from back home, even the Vermonter, who had to get back to her new home and visiting step-daughter, did the 8-hour round trip! I know that our family and friends love us, but seeing it expressed in this way is hard to take in--I'm not the most accepting of love and support, so it's kind of overwhelming.

Opening the gifts from the Wishing Well

The whole day had a "backyard cook-out" vibe to it--there were no silly games (although now I can see why games are played at these events, I just have a hard time believing there are non-stupid ones out there), everyone was laid back without a lot of the pretense that comes with these things (being in shorts helps!), and it was just what I wanted if I had to have one. The worst part of the whole day? Not being the Hostess--when one is the hostess, she has an excuse to run around and chat with the various groups and generally act a little ADHD. One may find it odd with my social anxiety, but I'd rather HOST a party than be the guest of honor because it lets me take the focus off of myself & place it on my guests. Being Guest of Honor means socializing with everyone without making anyone feel left out--THAT is where my discomfort lies; I always feel like I'm short-changing someone and I hate that. I really do wish I'd been able to spend more time with everyone--I barely spoke with the ladies who were more Ellie's friends than mine, and feel like I short-changed many of my own friends

Enough about my personal insecurities! The girls made an amazing spread, and I can't thank the Fernandes Farm crew enough for all their contributions to food prep, cake/cupcake baking and material loans. Ellie and I haven't had to cook all week thanks to them. Everything about it was so great, from the baseball ticket invitations to the awesome can koozie favors, to the red & white paper lanterns; it was simple yet very well-executed. The coolest part? BASEBALLS instead of a guestbook! I can't wait to get a couple of little display stands for them!

It still amazes me how many people showed up, from so many places, and how generous they all were. The day was a whirl, so I'm looking forward to sitting down and really getting to read the cards and examine the gifts, and write out the Thank Yous. I only hope I can do justice to all the love and kindness everyone showed.