A Recap of My Blissful Weekend

Sam and I visited my friends and family in Arkansas last weekend and we had such a great time! The highlight of my weekend was definitely spending time with my nieces, Aspen (2) and Elli (1), and nephew, Hunter (8). I flew into Arkansas Thursday night and Sam didn't arrive until Friday so I had the family all to myself for a day. I was greeted at the airport by my parents and it felt so great to be back in Arkansas! I was kind-of bummed because it was late and I knew I wouldn't see the kids until Friday, but to my surprise I was greeted at the door by Hunter, Aspen, and Elli! Aspen held on tight to me screaming "My Jeni! My Jeni! My Jeni!" over and over! It was so cute and she is learning more words everyday! Elli was running behind her trying to jump in my arms first! Chris, Brandlyn, and Ryan were also there to greet me with big hugs and kisses when I got home. Brittany, however, is another story. Chris nicknamed her "Sleeper McSleeperson" and if you know her, you know that name is very fitting. I woke her up when I got home and she gave me a big hug, smiled, and then was out like a light again. What more could anyone ever need or want in life than to be loved this much by so many people?! God has blessed me beyond what I ever thought possible.

Friday morning my sisters, Brandlyn and Brittany, my mom, my Maitron of Honor, Kendall Jones, and I went to Low's Bridal in Brinkley, Arkansas and I found THE wedding dress! I tried on eight dresses and knew when I found "the one"! I ordered it and I will get it back just in time to take my bridal portraits in May! We had some time to spare before my appointment ended so Kendall, Brandlyn, and Brittany entertained me by trying on many bridesmaid's dresses. They looked so great in every dress that I am having a tough time deciding which one to choose! After all that we were famished so I took the girls to lunch at a great local deli called Cottage Cafe'... yumm-o! After a long day of wedding work, I picked up Sam from the airport and we had dinner with the family at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Casa Mexicana!
Saturday was even more eventful than Friday. Sam and I began our day with shopping, working on our registry, and finding a rehearsal dinner spot. For the rehearsal dinner, we knew we wanted Italian. This little fact doesn't exactly narrow our options much considering there are tons of great Italian restaurants in Little Rock; however, Sam decided pretty quickly that Ristorante Capeo was the spot! The restaurant seats 70, which is perfect for our rehearsal dinner guest list and the entire menu is authentic Italian and amazingly delicious!

The best part of Saturday was my bridal shower! Lonnie Richardson, a sweet, dear family friend, threw my first bridal shower and it was over-the-top amazing! She had beautiful floral arrangements, great food, a beautiful cake, and many other fun surprises for me! It was a family shower, which also included some of my mom's best friends in the neighborhood and everything was perfect! Sam and I received lots of great gifts and we cannot wait to start using everything! Sam and I are so blessed to have such thoughtful and loving family and friends!

My nephew, Hunter, and I had "Pogey Bait Night" on Saturday. On Pogey Bait Night we watch movies and we are only allowed to drink caffeinated sodas and eat candy and popcorn. Basically, if it is unhealthy then you can eat it! I don't know which of us enjoys this night the most! I wouldn't miss it for anything!

Sunday morning we went to Fellowship with my family and then had a big party at my parents house afterward. The entire family came over to celebrate my visit to Arkansas and our engagement. We received even more gifts and the best part was seeing everyone together! Because of eeryone's hectic schedules, we almost never all get together. This time it just seemed to all work out perfectly! I even got to see my cousin, Tiffany, and her fiance, Scott! They live in Stillwater, OK but were in town for the weekend! After the family left, we spent the remainder of the night eating pizza and watching our favorite tv shows with my parents, brothers and sisters, and neices and nephew.
We had so much planning to do and people to see that Monday morning came very quickly. I had a delicious breakfast at Satellite Cafe' with one of my very best and sweetest friends, Jessica Buckler, and then it was time to leave for the airport. It was the best weekend I have had all year and I cherished every moment of it. Sam and I will be back in Arkansas in May and I am already anticipating the trip down south!