Someone Please Pinch Me

It was a glorious weekend and I went to bed on Saturday night saying to Scott, "that was my favorite Saturday in all my life."

Well, maybe not ALL my life, but pretty darn close!

Of course, I don't have many pictures to show you what I mean.  You'll just have to trust me.

1.  We had no where we HAD to be.  Best kind of day, just that part alone.  And we decided to do a few things that day with our little family that we WANTED to do.  Best kind of day, just that part alone.

2.  We finally found and brought home our new kitchen table.  (I'm doing cartwheels here!)  And for the sake of this blog I must tell you a bit of the story.  So here goes:

• I believe in caring for and loving on the things (yes, things, I'm talking about) that God has graciously given you.  So while at one point in our marriage we were driving the beat up, awful car that needed so many repairs back almost 20 years ago, we hoped and knew that one day we'd drive a nicer car that more suited out needs and the needs of our upcoming family, we took care of that old car like it was new.  We washed it, vacuumed it, and (tried) to enjoy it.  
• Same goes for our (now gone) old kitchen table.  It served it's time.  But while it was here, I cleaned it each night, set out pretty place mats, and table cloths for very special events.  Our 'old' kitchen table is actually quite the 'star' of many, many blog posts.  I took photos of our special occasions, North Pole Parties, my girls doing their homework, Abigail making hand turkeys as a preschooler.  It's held beautiful tea parties and many kinds of china.  I treated it with love and care and enjoyed it.  But.  But I always wanted a new one.  Back in my heart I talked to Scott about having a smaller table, one that fit that special space in our kitchen better.  And one that fit the decor of our kitchen better too.  
• I live in a colonial house.  In Connecticut.  I like it decorated in a traditional way and I knew that the kitchen table for me would be a classic.  A Hitchcock Furniture Company classic.
• Over the past 14 years we've lived in this house our old table got a lot of wear and tear.  There was a chair spoke that was broken and fixed and broken and fixed again too many times to count.  The table caught on fire on Christmas Eve way back when Abigail was a baby.  Burned the finish right off of it.  (that's a story for another day) My Dad lovingly refinished that old table and it lasted another 7 years.  But it was time.
• Scott and I looked and chatted occasionally about what kind of table we'd one day get.  And we both loved the classic look of Hitchcock.  A Connecticut furniture company that started in the early 1800's about 25 minutes from my house.  Everyone in CT knows Hitchcock.  They were popular throughout the 1800's and through around 1960 when the stores in CT started closing.  They sold through other furniture stores and left just one store open.  (in this sweet town)  
• Hitchcock tables and chairs are often found in antique stores and we casually started looking.  But they were banged up and in bad shape.  
• So we traveled to their one-and-only store. But the cost of one chair was more than our entire new set budget.  So we kind of just gave up. 
• Until Saturday when Scott suggested we take a look at a factory of refurbished Hitchcock furniture.  So we went. 
• And we found just what we were looking for.  
• She is well worth the wait and each time I walk in the kitchen I have one of those short breaths as if to say, "are you really ours?"  
• I promise, promise, I'll take a great photo of her soon.  But for now you'll just have to trust me.  She completes our kitchen and I told the girls that on their wedding days there will be cheese and crackers for their bridesmaids when they wait and have photos done (just like my Mom did on my wedding day) on that table.  She's a keeper, like forever

Here we are in the factory store. Refurbished chairs up to the ceiling. Dreams do come true!  

 And here we are beaming with her in the car ready to take her home.

 

3.  With the table packed in our car and grins on our faces we headed to my parents for lunch and to see the Peanuts Movie with them.  Delightful, adorable, and "refreshing" as my Mom put it perfectly.



4.  My Dad surprised us.  First he told us he had a surprise and turned on some music.  Abigail said, "is that a hint?"  And the music that was playing was Matilda the Musical.  He bought tickets for all of us to go see the Broadway cast in a city near us on opening night.  This is me.  In shock!  Pretty awesome!

Here we are 'just surprised'.



5.  We brought that new table in our kitchen and were more delighted that in the store.

6.  After a small dinner and the girls were tucked in bed, Scott and I had our weekly at-home (the only kind I like) date night.  We had amazing fresh bruschetta and tea.  I was lovely and wonderful and I I told him to pinch me because the day couldn't really have happened to me.

I think by looking at this 'after Mass' photo we were all pretty happy the next morning too.



And just because I know you'd want a close up on the turkey smocking.... this ones for you!