Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Ratliff!
Jason & I at Bahama Breeze - rehersal dinner.
The wedding party (minus the best man.... sniff, sniff... we missed Rich, who was stuck @ work.)
That night, in the "girls" suite, the niece & nephews conned me into playing hide-and-go-seek. (And if you think for one minute that it took much persuading on their parts then you don't know me at all!)
The next day the girls (mothers included!) spent hours getting ready together. By getting ready, I mean Darla and Julie were on hand to work their magic via hair and makeup. Who new my hair could look so fancy? And why aren't Darla and Julie waiting to help me every morning when I wake up? :)
The bride was radiating, and so excited to get the show on the road!
The guys were there, too, in case you were wondering. And they looked pretty sharp. (Even without the professional help that us girls received.)
Anxiously awaiting the big moment.
Beautiful ceremony.
This is the behind the scenes that most wedding guests don't see. Can you believe I tightened Nicole's slip so much that she was bruised the next day? Word to the wise... if you tell me your slip is falling off, and you don't want it to move again, I will take ALL necessary steps to ensure your complete satisfaction. Isn't that a bridesmaid's job?
We had such a great time laughing at Jason's white man's moves, eh, I mean.... dancing at the reception.
Seeing Kelly (the flower girl) all dressed up as a princess, and proud as a peacock to be part of the "big girl" festivities made me so anxious to see Mackensie grow up. Nicole & Adam's niece and nephews had such personalities and were SO MUCH FUN, that I can hardly wait to have a houseful of our own little princes and princesses!
A pic of the night's end. We closed down Bahama Breeze @ 2:30 AM (we were out late enough that even the bride and groom made an appearance!) I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. Although seeing 2:30 AM cost me a few days in recovery, it was worth it. I've never laughed so much in my life!
My back was killing me once we got back to the hotel.... you can take the Mom out of the house, but don't keep her out till 3AM, or this is what you get!
The next morning I awoke with a start (@ 8:15!) to realize that we had forgotten to decorate the car! (And no, Rich and Chris, covering the car with TP does not constitute "decorating").So there you have it, friends, a (long) blog about the day Adam and Nicole joined the Mr. & Mrs. club. I am so thankful to count them as friends, so touched that they would include Jason and I in this special time, and so blessed to know that God has brought us all together for such a time as this.
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To Adam and Nicole: May the joy that we all felt on your wedding day be with you for the rest of your lives. May the excitement you feel for each other today last through the years and years of your marriage. May you both keep God at the centers of your lives, and marriage, and may His blessings be yours in the times to come. We love you!
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To Mom, Dad, and Michael: A huge, huge, huge, thank you for watching Kensie this weekend! This was a big milestone... Kensie's first (of hopefully many) overnight trips to play with you three. This weekend would not have been 1/2 as peaceful if I didn't know Kensie was being loved and cared for by you. Even though I felt on Monday that you know my own daughter better than I do lately, I know that this is a season, and that time away together is important for Jason and I. You guys are priceless!
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To Jason: You know weddings always make me sentimental. But I can't help but remember the day 6 years ago that we pledged our hearts to each other, and the joy that filled my heart. Thank you for loving me, and I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for us!
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