It was another momentous occasion this weekend – the wedding shower of my sweet little sister. Eleven years younger than me, she’s always been the baby of the family. It’s so hard sometimes to accept that she’s grown up and is getting married. At the same time, I couldn’t be happier for her.
Because we wanted to watch the debate on Friday (and because we’re cheap and didn’t want to pay for two nights at the hotel) we drove down Saturday morning. The shower was at 11:30 which meant we had to leave by 5:00 am. Which meant I had to get up at 3:30. Which meant I was exhausted. Thankfully my sister and I are able to entertain each other so I was able to drive without any problems. And we made it in less than five hours which is some kind-of record I’m sure.
I have to hand it to my sister, for someone who was nervous about opening gifts in front of people, she did really well. But how could she not, I mean look at that smile! 
We had the shower at a local restaurant, La Bamba. It has seen a few of our family events now so they’re getting quite used to us. Presents were brought in and placed in a pile. My sister was adorned with her corsage which is custom for all brides-to-be in our family.
The pre-party festivities included a lot of talking, laughing and catching up on events. And a wedding shower wouldn’t be complete without the oohing and ahhing over the engagement ring.
After lunch it was the moment we had all been waiting for (well, except for my sister) – time to open the presents.
Here are a couple of the presents my mom and I brought. Because I am not the best present-wrapper, I try add a little something by tying a gadget or small gift to the outside of the present. In this case, it was a zester. (Not the most useful tool, but hey, it matched the wrapping paper.)
And on this present, we used two of the napkin rings from her registry (aren’t they pretty?).
Someone handed the gifts to my sister and she got started. There really is an art to gift opening, I’m convinced. You have to show that you’re happy about all of the gifts, not just the prettiest ones or the most expensive ones. And you have to make the gift giver feel good and understand that you liked their gift (even if you have already received the exact same thing from someone else). And you have to do all of that in the space of about two seconds. It sounds easy, but it can be tough to smile nonstop and make sure no one’s feelings are hurt. The good thing is that you get caught up in the moment and you begin to realize how much your friends/family care about you. My sister was no exception – she did a great job and handled it with her usual sincerity and charm. Any nervousness she may have had quickly faded.
Before long, she was posing like an old pro (isn’t her pattern beautiful – Crate and Barrel).
In fact, she really got into it.
Before very long, it was all over. The presents were unwrapped and a big pile of paper sat on the floor. It was a perfect time for some family shots with the bride-to-be.
The gang.
The three girls (sister, mom, me).
The two sisters.
It was a great shower – my sister got a lot of things that will help her start her new home and she received the encouragement and support from her family that any bride-to-be needs. I’m so happy for her. Because she may be all grown up and getting married, but she is and always will be my baby sister.
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