Counting On "Kendra's Birthday Surprise"
- Joy and Austin have been married for two months, and their house is still far from finished. “Hopefully we’ll be in our house within the next six months,” says Joy. Joseph comes over to lend a hand. The wedding is a month away, and he is eager for the big day to arrive.
- At the Caldwell home, Kendra and her mom, sisters, and grandma are packing for their overnight trip to Kentucky. “The one hard part about this trip is that I won’t be able to see Joe for a little while,” says Kendra.
- They meet up with Michelle, Jana, and Josie and then head to the airport with John-David, who will be flying them to their destination. “He is a good pilot, although I do like my feet on the ground rather than in the air,” says Jana.
- The next morning, Joseph wakes up at 4am and catches a commercial flight to Kentucky to surprise Kendra on her birthday.
- In Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, Kendra and the ladies spend the day at Renee Miller’s bridal shop searching for a dress. Mt. Sterling small business owner Ashley (The Blue Rose) makes sketches of the dresses that Renee has prepared so Kendra can get an idea of what she likes before trying the gowns on.
- During the dress fitting, Joe and Kendra video chat so Joe can wish his future bride a happy birthday. Kendra thinks Joe is back in Arkansas working, but he is actually in town.
- When Kendra tries on the first dress, she falls in love with the sparkly top, so now all she has to do is find a bottom that she loves just as much. (The bottom is too simple for her tastes.)
- The second skirt has too many ruffles for Kendra. The third skirt is more of a horsehair braid, which she likes, but is poufier than Kendra would like. “I could tell by looking at Kendra that it wasn’t her favorite,” says Kendra’s mom, Christina.
- The fourth skirt is “the one.” It has the perfect amount of pouf, volume, and horsehair braid, and everyone loves it, especially Kendra.
- “Miss Renee did an amazing job on the dress,” says Kendra. “She definitely nailed it.”
- Kendra puts on a veil, and the tears start flowing. “She’s my rock,” says Lauren. “She’s always there for me and [is] my best friend. I love Joe and Kendra. I think they’re perfect for each other but…I’m definitely going to miss her.”
- Meanwhile, Joseph stops at Spoonful of Sugar to pick up a birthday cake. The one he chooses is purple, has two layers, and has lots of ruffles (just like the the dresses Kendra is trying on!). The bakery is right next to the bridal shop, so Joe has to be sneaky.
- John, who has just been hanging out all day, meets Joe at Tomatoes and Flames, a pizza shop around the corner. “I didn’t go wedding dress shopping,” says John. “I didn’t need one, so I stayed away.” The brothers set up pink table cloths, flameless candles, and balloons.
- The ladies walk over to the pizza place, and Kendra is elated when she sees Joe standing inside the door. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she whispers, as she gives him a full-on frontal hug. Joe and Kendra say they try to stick to side hugs but that they do sometimes forget and end up giving frontal hugs.
- Down in Laredo, Jinger and Jeremy welcome friends James and Seung, who live in New York City, for a visit. Jeremy has known them for five years, and Jinger has enjoyed getting to know them since meeting Jeremy. “Jeremy and I both love hosting people,” says Jinger. “We have two guest bedrooms…so that has been really nice.
- They find a mini golf course and team up for a couples match. “As a former professional athlete, I definitely do not like to lose,” says Jeremy. “You play for a purpose, and the purpose is to win, so why play if you are going to be content losing?”
- James and Seung end up winning. Jeremy is not impressed by his performance, but he is proud of Jinger. “Like most things, Jinger performed better,” says Jeremy. “Jinger seems to be a natural at most everything she puts her hand to.”
- James and Seung make a delicious dinner for the Vuolos, although grilling outdoors in temperatures of 105 degrees is a bit brutal. During the meal, the couples discuss family planning. Both couples have been talking about it. “I think the two of them are really enjoying the time that they have together now,” says James of Jinger and Jeremy.
