My Bachelorette Party and Family Shower!

What a fun weekend!! I can't even tell you how awesome my sister is at planning these things - she's putting my party planning skills to total shame! I wish I could upload all sorts of pictures and share all the little details to really show you the amount of time, work, love, thoughtfulness, fun, and care both her and my Mom put into this weekend for me - it was one I will NEVER forget! Thank you!!!!

Here's a summary of the weekend:
The Bachelorette Party started in Baraboo with lunch at 11, at the Garden Party Cafe. Lunch was great - sandwiches, salads, and wraps were just enough to tide us over before a little shopping, and then our Wine and Chocolate Class/Pairing at Bekah Kate's. They were so great there - they showed us how to make a mousse, chocolate zucchini cakes, and a chocolate cookie. All three were excellent - and all three were paired with some great wines! It was a lot of fun though - and they even gave me a little gift as the bride, which was very nice! From there we went to the Dells and checked into the hotel - relaxed a bit, had some snacks (Thanks, Lisa!) and then played a little guessing game with some "special" gifts the girls brought for me (and of course Ben). We freshened up and headed to Ginza of Tokyo for a Hibachi style dinner (yum - I love that place!) and then out on the town for some drinks and fun with the girls. Nothing too crazy - and I'll leave it at that. I will say that for us being a bunch of 30 somethings - many with kids, and many of us not used to the "going out" lifestyle anymore - we did pretty good and stayed out considerably later than I think any of expected! A sign of a good time, right?!

Sunday morning we had breakfast at the hotel, and got ready before heading back to Madison for a very nice "Seasons of Love" themed shower. Amy and Mom had put together little scrapbooked mini-calendars as a favor for everyone - all unique and handmade. They were a huge hit and so super cute! Mom ordered personalized M&M's for us too - which were very cute too! It was at Cool Beans Coffee Cafe, which is a coffee shop by work that I like to go to (if you ever go - get the breakfast burrito - it's the best!). Everyone got to order from a limited menu and then we had (very cute and creative) games, presents, and cake from Carl's Cakes (by far the best cake in Madison). It was so nice to see some family friends that I don't get to see very often, and I really was truly "Showered" with love and an insane number of gifts. It's actually quite humbling and makes me feel so special to have such a great group of friends and family. Thank you, everyone!!!