Before, during and after the wedding

Well sometimes I surprise myself with my own patience. I decided to take the time to look through the pictures I took of the wedding, as well as Whitney's phone pics, and I think it's possible I got everything in order. All of the ceremony pictures were taken by Whitney on her phone, which happens to have better pixels than my big camera. Don't even get me started. Anyway, I have super lots of William running about since even though he was a moving target, he was easy access. And it's very hard to cull any pictures of the boy. Overall I think I'd give myself a C on my picture taking at the wedding. I will continue to strive for a better grade, but I assure myself I'll never give myself an A. It'll never happen. 

The venue was called City Club in Lafayette and if you're looking for a place to hold a wedding, it's a good one. It was a lovely place to make a memory.  

The ring bearer.

Preparing for his big debut. 

Cutie pie.

Need a little tissue here.

I couldn't make myself take out any of these next few because it's so wonderful watching a kid try to take a good pic.

This one is my favorite.

I guess he was checking to make sure the parents were behaving. I love Dad's watchful eye on the son.

There we go full face in this one. 

Little boogie.

The ladies in red.

The fam.

Good one of Becky and Keith.

And Mollie and Aaron.

Now back to the boy.

He covered a lot of ground in a short period of time.

Made a lot of friends and exchanged information.

Then the ceremony began. Melanie and Randy are lighting a candle. 

Austin was looking very dapper. 

Waiting for the bride.

Jared and one of Lauren's sissies. 

Gorgeous girl, gorgeous dress.

The serious stuff is being said here.

So pretty.

Almost Mr. and Mrs.

Here's where it got good....for me anyway. 

William was sort of over it all, but there were family pictures to take.

But he snapped to pretty well.

Last one.

Love this one.

The bridal party.

Plus an unhappy William.

These are classic.

I have some very similar of Owen at a certain Easter.

And there you go. I always have photographic evidence.

But give the boy a sip of water and it soothes the savage beast.

Pleasant as a daisy.

And continued to charm.

As long as he had his water.

He got real with that bottle.

I don't remember taking this many photos.

Still happy.

And cute.

Knocking it back.

Keeping it real.

The lovely couple.

And there you have the pre, the ceremony and the after. 

The reception is up next. 

But I have to go lay these bones down to rest.

Lata boney fingers. 

Arrivals and fun stuff in Lafayette

It's been forever since I posted anything. Ten days to be exact. And I could make all kinds of excuses about why I haven't posted anything new. I've been busy. I've been out of town. I haven't felt like it. There was a carnival in town. I didn't go....but the fair WAS here. I have so many things to post that it's hard to sit down and wade through it all and get it in order. I hate things out of order! But melding all the photos from multi people is exhausting, so I'm gonna see how it flows as I go. Or it may not flow in order. Even if it makes me twitch.

Some updates first though...

Some of us went to the pumpkin patch last week and I have a ridiculous number of pictures to post. Get ready for lots of picture posts in the coming days. 

A few of us went to Corsicana and I never took my big camera out of the bag. It was a shocking turn of events. While there we saw a toad in the yard and John started talking about bufo toxins and witch doctors using the bufo toxins and blah blah blah. When he finished saying all of it, Olivia said, "I didn't understand one thing he just said." I laughed out loud at the funniness of her statement. 

A large majority of our entire family was traveling this last weekend, and thank you Lord we all made it back to our homes safely. We almost got sideswiped by a lady in Tyler. It was very close. 

Before I begin posting pumpkin pics of a small boy in the patch, the wedding weekend documentation now begins.

The weekend arrivals for Austin and Lauren's wedding began on Thursday with Becky and Keith and continued through Saturday afternoon. I could list everyone and tell when and where, but I'm not gonna. It's too difficult. Just know we all made it with time to spare. And as you'll see below, Olivia was super excited to be in Lafayette. In our room we were four girls crammed in the tiniest of all the people's! After seeing other rooms, we had the smallest!. And while it's not a big deal if you're just sleeping there, it's a whole other story when four girls are trying to get ready for a wedding.

When we got to town, my girls , Grandma and me met Whitney, Mollie and Aaron for some Mexican and then met all the other peeps back at the hotel so we could give Lauren and Austin their wedding gifts. For many of us it was our first trip to Lafayette and I have to say it was fab. Loved the houses, the shops and all in between. I think I speak for all of us when I say we had such a fun weekend. I'll put it in the win column of memories. 

My pictures tell better stories than I do. So scroll down and see how Friday played out for us once enough people were there to meet and greet each other.    

I told you she was excited. 

Emma was feeling ballerina-esque. Caitlin was being all normal.

Sharing a margarita with Billie take two.

This is our meeting and greeting and giving of gifts.

Boys love a good mixer gift.

The B and G with B. Then we called it a night since the next day was the BIG day. 

This is Saturday morning in the hotel lobby for breakfast. William came in his jammies looking all adorable. You can't tell here, but few precious minutes of sleep were had by anyone sleeping with the wee boy in his room. 

He looks fine with it though. 

Some of us girls slipped off to The Broken Egg for our breakfast. It was delish for real. For some reason Carrie and Olivia got ixnayed from the pic, but they were there also. After we left here, we went to a shop where Emma bought her dress to wear to the wedding that night. I'd say that was cutting it close. However, she did have a back up dress just in case she found nothing. It did have a sense of the "thrill of the hunt though."  

And that's it for pre-wedding pics. As the day unfolded some of the boys played golf and some girls shopped, while others looked for places to watch football or find other places to eat. Then it was time to shower and primp and sling clothes all around until we were all cinched up and ready for the main attraction.

It's almost time for beddy bye bye and so I'll call this a wrap and begin anew tomorrow. 

Later to the lates. 

The new Mr. and Mrs.

I've been thinking about something. I've been thinking about families and how they begin. Usually it starts with a chance meeting of two people. It begins with a hello and the possibility there could be more. And then there's a conversation. And then there's a date, and then more dates, and then a decision is made to move forward together. Trusting there's something special about what's happening. And then one day, two people decide. And a ring is bought and a question is asked....and a wedding is held...and a commitment is made. And a new family begins. 

And so last weekend, in a beautiful intimate ceremony, Austin and Lauren did just that...they became a family. And yes they are still part of something bigger with parents and sisters and all the rest of us, but last weekend they became their own. And so for better or for worse, from that day forward, they will face the world together. Their one decision leading to so many more. Planning trips and buying houses and paying mortgages and buying cars and having kids. It's daunting to think one decision will lead to so many others. But as long as the two of them are devoted to each other, and remember it's them against the world, they will make it through anything. Because life's not always easy, but it's better knowing someone cares as much as you do.  

And so with all that in my mind, I pray for them health and happiness and wonderful memories and joy filled moments and secrets only the two of them share. And fifty golden years from now, surrounded by the love of a family they started together, I pray they look back and remember the day it all began. On a lovely evening in Lafayette. 

WIth one heartfelt decision. 

Made by two and sealed by one.

Nothing but the best for the beautiful couple.

In Jesus name.

Amen.