Before and After

Last evening Taylor walked into a florist shop with his ginormous-you-should-wear-a-backjack-while-carrying-it wedding cake.

Florist: What are we doing with that?

Taylor: Well, I was hoping we could put some flowers on it.

Florist: Well I don't have any.

Taylor: Is this or is this not a florist shop?

That was just before Grandma's wedding but after Sara came by to help and just happened to have exactly three straight pins in her car so we could fasten the lemongrass satin ribbon around the cake. (A Christmas miracle, indeed!)

That was all before the big party at Habaneros restaurant but after Taylor took half the day off work to roll fondant over his cake. You should have seen him multi-task. It looked like this:

roll, roll, roll

stop to look at work email

smooth, smooth, smooth

answer phone and discuss catalog with graphic designer

spread frosting

work on catalog

(It was amazing. The only thing I've seen to rival that was watching my dad take a call about an EKG while out in the hay field. Love that.)

Now that was all before I knocked over a huge bottle of almond extract but after I ironed my gold lamay fabric for my Young Women's program. (Turns out lamay is impossible to iron.)

And that was before I made my lemon bars but after I washed 9,000 bowls and spatulas from all the cake making.

Then Taylor and Sara left. That was after taking photos of the cake and just before I started scrambling some eggs for a quick dinner.

My mom arrived before I got dressed for my program but after I decided to feed Rog some of the scrambled eggs.

I got my dry-clean only skirt and blouse on after doing my make-up but before Rog had an allergic reaction to the eggs.

His face got all blotchy and he started rubbing his eyes after throwing up in his high chair but before throwing up all over me and my couch and my clothes.

I made it to the church (in a new outfit) in time to set up. (Thankfully, I had enormous amount of help from my dream team.) That was after picking up one of my darling girls but before realizing that the key I had assumed would get me into the closet with the linens--did not, in fact, get me into the closet with the linens.

The room was set up beautifully just before the program started but after we had to send Jessie on a wild goose chase to track down the right keys. (She did.)

In my talk I told the girls I was missing a wedding, but that it was important to me that they know that I chose to be with them on this important night. That was before we dipped into the amazing slushy drink but after my heart swelled with love for them during their presentations. (The girls put on an extraordinary program. Their talks were well prepared and delivered beautifully. The spirit of the Lord was there.)

I raced home in the Honda, listening to Tim and Faith. That was after we cleaned up but before I walked into the blue house to see a handsome husband, a dear mother, and a sweet Rog, whose blotchy face had gratefully cleared up.

My dear mother went home to her other Roger. That was after she told us that Blaine told her a bedtime story of Rogie getting eaten by a shark and before Taylor served me a slice of his masterpiece.

It was exquisitely delish.

(More pics to come.)