Wedding Festivities

As promised, I am continuing with some updates from this past week...

  We began a very crazy weekend last week as we pulled out of the driveway Wednesday on our way to Mississippi.  What a drive....but well worth it!  Let me first say, I don't usually LOVE to go back "home."  I say "home" because we didn't actually go to my hometown but we were still in state!  I do, however, LOVE to see old friends from college and my very best friends who I rarely get to see. 

This is probably one of the least stressful weddings I've ever been involved with, and thoroughly enjoyed getting to relax and catch up with everyone!  (Seriously thought we were going to have a bridezilla, so I am VERY thrilled to say otherwise.)   Thursday was a day of last minute errands and then the rehearsal.  Everyone's experienced this so I'll spare you and move on. 

Friday! Oh Friday!  Wedding day!  I had a very productive day :)  Got up at 7:30 for a run after being out until 2:30 and having a few drinks.  Definately NOT a good run.  Thought I was going to die and was very glad this run was just an extra since I had finished my runs for the week.  After almost killing over, we went back and enjoyed some time at the pool!  Just Krissy (one of my best friends) and myself!  I never thought I'd cherish laying out as much as I did this past weekend.  I thank my inlaws more than ever for watching Madelyn for us.  It was so nice to be able to just have some girl time!   Anyway, we began to get ready around 11 and did the whole hair, makeup, and pictures this up until the wedding :)   Now, let me tell you about my little princess and her friend Olivia...

Aren't they precious?? Later, they had some sweet baby's breath halos on as well.  Anyway, here's how their 15 minutes of fame happened...  I quickly noticed the previous night that our girls were going to need something to bribe them into staying in the back of the church until we were ready for them.  So, I took a leap of faith, made three different bags of small candies, and dispursed them accordingly.  Worked like a charm!  They stayed with the girls in the back until it was their turn, and then were told that their mommies had the other candy.  Well.....WATCH OUT!  Those little girls began walking down the isle perfectly, followed by speed walking, which then turned into a run! Too cute :)  Madelyn saw her papaw so she stopped to tell the entire congregation that her papaw was there and went on about her way.  The girls did actually make it up to us but then decided they wanted to go back down.  I absolutely didn't stop her and let her make her way back to her papaw where he then took her to the cry room.  Eventually, both girls were in there and the wedding continued!  Same as always, I teared up (in the same places as I always do), vows were said, and we were on our way.  Bride and groom walked out, a few groomsmen and bridesmaid couples went out and then......the cry room door opened and out flew our girls!  haha Back down the isle the came!  I guess they decided they needed that last little bit of recognition :)  Madelyn walked right to me and so I used that as a tool to my advantage! I had Madelyn walk out of the church in the middle of Jeremy and myself (we were all three in the wedding) which made for a wonderful family picture!  (Unfortunately, I don't have a pic but should get one eventually.)  We were told that what we did was precious and couldn't have turned out any better!  What can I say?? I was very proud of my little princess!

Friends and family danced the night away and we had to literally drag Madelyn off the dance floor.  Everything went beautifully with only minor situations.  We finished off our wedding event Saturday morning with tearful goodbyes and were on our way up to my in laws' camp on the lake! 

For your enjoyment...

Terrible picture of myself BUT the only pic of the weekend with my two best friends Krissy and Stacy (the bride).

Bridesmaids with bride

Ugh... I have TERRIBLE posture.  Stacy looks GREAT though :)

Two flower girls and junior bridesmaid Darby!

Dancing queens!

Yummy

Family photo (I don't know why I look so ick)

Happy groom

Reunited friends :):):)

Aloha!

 

Update

Just an update to all the fundraising opportunities.  My friend Krissy who is doing the NILMDTS "cutest family" contest is in the lead for her region with 85 votes!!!  Yay to everyone who has helped her out and in turn, donated to a very good cause :) Also, I only have $30 left to go with my March of Dimes goal.  How great would it be to be able to go above and beyond for all these children and families?  Thanks again for everyone who has donated or even given their blessing to us in our efforts!

Helping out more families :)

I have a very wonderful friend who has graciously offerred to be a part of the International Charity Model Search benefiting Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.  She has submitted a WONDERFUL family photo and now all we have to do is go online and vote! It is a dollar per vote and you can vote as many times as you'd like.   All the proceeds go to NILMDTS.  I personally think they ARE the cutest family on there, but then again,  I guess I am a little partial :) Just click on this link , and find Boyette (the adorable couple kissing with sweet baby looking up at them with balloons in hand).  For those of you who aren't familiar with this organization, I have asked Krissy to be a guest on my blog to explain the significance of this very extraordinary foundation.  So now I am going to happily hand my blog over to Krissy....

First I would like to say what a Wonderful Blessing it is to be a Mother of a healthy little girl. I cherish every day I have with her and could not imagine her not being in my life. You will have to bear with me, I am not so good with words. I am going to borrow some things from the NILMDTS website to explain some more about the charity itself.

"Pregnancy and birth are miraculous journeys. This amazing time of life is full of mystery, anticipation, joy, hope and wonder. Feeling the powerful energy of birth and new life, watching as a new family is born unto each other. These things humble and amaze. These are the things we celebrate when a baby is born. But there is another aspect of pregnancy and birth. There is an unexpected place in this journey where some families may find themselves. When a baby dies, a world is turned upside down. There is confusion , sadness, fear, and uncertainty that cannot be explained. There is sorrow where there should have been joy. During this time, it might be impossible for families to know what they might need in order to heal in the future.
This is the place where the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation gently provides a helping hand and a healing heart. For families overcome by grief and pain, the idea of photographing their baby may not immediately occur to them. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the heart of this organization. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of theses beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process. They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives. The NILMDTS mission statement is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering in the loss of a baby with the gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family's healing process by honoring their child's legacy."

This is a wonderful foundation and I want to greatfully thank everyone that votes! ~ Krissy

Today's realization

Finding new mommy friends is VERY similar to dating again.  (Online dating if you factor in that I found these ladies through meetup.com.)

Explanation:  I initially joined two groups of moms.  Then, one I really wanted to join opened up, so I couldn't pass that up.  So, I am a member of three different groups.  After going to the first "blind date" of each, and hanging out on the message boards, I think I've found some potential friends :) Today, I had a message from one of the girls wanting to get our girls together again this week.  I swear I felt like a little girl who just got asked out on her first date.  haha It's so sad to be out of the "game."

Welcome

   When I first began this blog, I wasn't sure that I wanted friends and family to know. I just wanted a place to be able to sit and write.  Whether it was funny, sad, irrelivant, or just to brag on Madelyn.  I wasn't prepared at the time to share my thoughts, ones that I may even have trouble talking to Jeremy about, with other friends and family.  I just wanted to be able to write without being judged by the ones closest to me.
  Well, the time has come.  I've decided that I'm okay with those people knowing just what I think, or the things that are going on in my life.  I think most of my friends who know me the best will know by the "tone" of my post if it's one that I am willing to talk about or maybe just one that a simple comment would work best for.  I hope that my blog will become a good place for everyone (who is even interested) to keep up with me and my family.  I tend to write more than talk (I'm not much of a phone person).
   Now, going right along with this.... I think I may have managed to offend my very best friend by keeping my blog to myself.  So to this person I say:  Please know that I had NO intention of hurting your feelings and I certainly didn't want to keep the things I write about from you.   You of all people know that I tell you everything--it just may take a while.  I am so very excited that you are a part of this now, along with other friends and family.  This just makes it easier for me to let you know what is going on since we tend to get so busy that we sometimes can't find five minutes to talk.  I also am now confident that I won't be boring EVERYONE who reads my posts because you get excited over the same little things as I do. Please, if I hurt your feelings in any way, accept this as my deepest apology--and I will quiz you daily to see if you've been keeping up! hehe.
   Welcome to my friends who are just now discovering my blog.  Since most of my friends and family are many many miles away, it is so difficult to stay in touch.  I hope you will check back often and that I can share my life with you a little more now.     

Going Back

Right now I'm working on a playlist to add to my blog (I'm learning as I go) and I've come across a song that always makes me take a step back. Jason Aldean's Laugh Until We Cry. It's not one I'd consider a favorite, in fact, I never remember it until I hear it playing somewhere. Usually, before I know it, I am in tears. It'll be on my playlist as soon as I figure out how to apply it to my blog, so maybe you'll get something out of it as well.

Sometimes I just get so caught up in life and I don't really take the time to appreciate all the wonderful moments that I've gotten to be a part of. This song literally mentions so many of those times. So, I'm going to reflect on some of those now.

Yes, spring break-- senior year. Panama City acted as the spring break capitol and anyone who was anyone HAD to go. My two best friends, one of which is still very dear to me, and I had a blast that year. (Pic of best friend mentioned and Madelyn as baby) Let me first mention that we did not go by ourselves. My mother and one of my friend's moms went as well. NO, we were not embarassed. We just didn't care to put ourselves in any situation that we couldn't get out of. However, they did their thing, and we did ours. We made memories that will never be forgotten. How easy things were then and we didn't even know it. We danced around like we owned the world.

Another moment-- Christmas Eve freshman year in high school. This one is so bittersweet and it is usually at this point in the song that I begin to cry. The way Jason Aldean describes Christmas with his family and listening to his grandfather is EXACTLY how our family used to be. That was the last Christmas we had with him and I wish all the time I hadn't rushed it to run off with my friends and boyfriend. Every year he would sit in the same chair and, after opening presents, he'd want to watch us all open them again --we recorded our Christmases. I think we had more fun watching him watch himself than actually opening presents. I can't even begin to describe him. He was just one of those people you had to know. He really was my world. I spent so many days and nights with him while I was growing up. In my eyes, he could do no wrong. But this Christmas, I was a little irked with him and my grandmother because of a family issue that I won't even go into. I shouldn't have let that get in the way of making those memories. I left and went to my friend's house with a simple "bye" muttered to him. A few hours later I got one of the worst phone calls I can recall. I watched the adults all agree to not hold him back, to let him go--it's what he wanted. I watched him take his last breath in a tiny hospital room. I watched him squeeze my uncle's hand. The last person in the world I would have wanted to see in that hospital room, got to be with my grandfather and to feel his last moment of life. I watched my grandfather go with God on Christmas Eve. My last night with him, and it was all wrong.

Well, that was a tear jerker. Let me end my flashback into time with something more recent and much more easy to read. We'd just gotten back from vacation with my parents at Disney. There we were, sitting in the bathroom, staring at that one word sure to change our lives. PREGNANT!! We were happy, scared, nervous, and amazed at God's work. The next day we sent flowers to our mothers with a cute little note from, who we then called, "baby k". We've made so many memories in these almost two years and I wish I could keep a video camera on her all day every day. I don't have to go into detail about Madelyn. I'm sure as you can already see, I talk about her without even realizing it sometimes. She goes hand in hand with my everyday.

It's kinda crazy how one song can make you stop in your tracks and forget everything around you. Things, moments, and memories come rushing back into your mind as vividly as they were the day they occurred. That's such a gift. I guess maybe songs could be considered life's tape recorders/video cameras. You just hit play and relive a special moment or two in your life.