Oh Happy Day: Part Seven
And in case you missed any of the other posts, here are there links:
Oh Happy Day: Part One
Oh Happy Day: Part Two
Oh Happy Day: Part Three
Oh Happy Day: Part Four
Oh Happy Day: Part Five
Oh Happy Day: Part Six
Oh Happy Day: Part Seven
One week down, and one week to go! You wonder how I can go on and on for so many days? Well, it's simply because everyone keeps encouraging me right along. And I don't want you to miss out on one part of our big day. Annnndddd, selfishly, I want to always be able to read back through these and remember specific parts of the day!
So now, we've made it to day eight and I need to introduce to the people who molded us and shaped us into the people we are today. They saw us from the beginning and instilled in us characteristics that we hope to invest in our family one day.
Let's start with my in laws and David's family.
David has been blessed with such a wonderful family. I'm so thankful that they have welcomed me with open arms ever since I first set foot in their home. It definitely has been different this year having TWO families instead of just one. Two Thanksgivings, two Christmases, two Easters, two Mother's Days, two Father's Days {promise that post is coming next week}, etc. But I am so grateful that I get two! I gained a little brother that is hilarious! Yesterday he tried to steal a key off of David's key chain. I laughed when I realized it was the key to my old apartment instead of the one that he wanted. It's fun to have a second brother! I also gained a sister, but I told you a lot about her yesterday. She's is one of the coolest girls I know.
And not only did I gain siblings, but I gained another set of parents. Don't get me wrong, they aren't my parents, and I don't think they'll ever aim to be that. But it has been nice to have someone a short drive away to make us a home cooked meal, alter a bridesmaids dress, and recover chairs with. It's also been nice to have someone to ask about planting flowers, repairmen, and come turn the water off at 8am on a weekday because the pipes are frozen. My mother and father in law are the best.
On this particular day, I didn't really see my in laws that much. I hardly remember taking this photo! But I know they enjoyed visiting with family and friends.
Here is David with his little sister, Danielle.
When you get married, not only do you gain a second family, but you also gain new grandparents! Meet Grandmother. She is an incredible woman who has treated me like I am one of her grandchildren. She cooks pancakes every Saturday morning for anyone and everyone that wants to come. In fact, I'm betting that a couple of the people reading this have enjoyed pancakes at her house on a Saturday morning!
Grandmother is Mr. John's mother, and she is a fantastic cook!
I hate posed photos...I couldn't just leave you with the above!
And now I want to show you photos of my family. Let's start with this one. On the morning of the big day, I headed to the church to get ready, and my Mom followed me to help. However, my Dad didn't come until later. When he arrived, David and I were outside taking photos. I saw him pull up and freaked out. This was when he first saw me in my dress. So thankful to have my Dad on this day.
And this was the first time I saw my Mom! She came from around the corner, and I barely recognized her! Not kidding! She looked BEAUTIFUL! Which was the first thing out of my mouth when I finally could find my words! Her response was "You and your friends look good on me!" Let me explain. My Mom, Dad, and I drove to Memphis to go shopping for a dress {Gloria's Mother of the Bride--highly recommend}. After trying on like 3 dresses, she tried this one on, and we all knew it was THE one. Just stunning.
Then, two days before the wedding, she was complaining because she didn't have any jewelry to match her dress. Problem solved. I text Whitney {you know..my Where's Waldo friend on the day of the wedding} and asked her if she would go find my Mom jewelry. Whit had not seen my Mom's dress so I EMAILED her a photo of my Mom in the dress. After that, Whit went shopping. She found a set of earrings and bracelet somewhere in Jackson on sale. She then took the earrings to her friends at Alex and Lele and made them remake them with what she had in her head. All on Thursday. Two days before the wedding. The day before she came to Starkville. Man, I love that girl!
On Thursday, I took my Mom to get her first manicure. Ever. That's seriously impressive because my Mom has BEAUTIFUL nails. She loved it so much that I honestly think she'd go weekly if she had the time or money!
As for make up, I've already told you my good friend Mary Claire did that. And can I just say that it turned out perfect!? Her eye make up looks incredible! There is no way on earth that Mary Claire could have done any better!
Finally, I recruited my good friend and hairdresser Misty to fix Mom's hair. In my 25 years of knowing her, I don't think she's EVER had a different hairstyle then the one she normally sports. Misty made her hair look sleek and stunning without trying to hard {If that makes sense}. She just simply did it half up and curled under the ends. However, don't let it fool you. My Mom has super thin hair. Which they washed in a church kitchen sink so that Misty could add product to it. Go ahead and laugh...it's true.
So, without further adieu....here is my glamorous Mom! {I'm not going to lie...I had to sing the g-l-a-m-o-r-ous song to spell that right. Can't believe I just admitted that...to the world}
My friends do look good on my Mama! Here we are together now.
If you've hung around the blog awhile, you know that this is my favorite photo of my Mom and I. We cried because we didn't think we had taken a single photo together. However, when I got my photos...we cried again because of how wonderful this photo is. It's like thinking you've lost something for good only to find it three months later and be overcome with relief and joy!
The best parents a girl could ask for!
And now it's on to my Daddy. Needless to say, I didn't take near as long picking out his outfit. I didn't go with him to get a manicure. Didn't find someone to fix his hair and makeup. And I certainly didn't text one of my friends to go find him jewelry. And yet, that doesn't mean he was less important to me on my wedding day. Because truthfully, I am a Daddy's little girl at heart. One of the most difficult things for me about being married is that while my Daddy is still my Daddy, I rely on someone new now. But as of this moment...this moment in the photo below, he was still my number one guy. You'll see a lot more photos of him when we start the wedding ceremony. And tears. And I'll tell you more about him. But right now, just know that this is my Daddy, and this photo below is a treasure to me!
Now it's on to more posed photos. This is one of my brother, David, and I.
While wedding days are a super sweet time of celebration, they are also a time of remembrance of loved ones that aren't in attendance because they have gone on to meet the Lord. For us, it was an unexpected loss of my Grandmama in April. We definitely remembered and honored her on that day. I wore her original engagement diamond in a necklace on the wedding day. I do want you to meet my sweet Granddaddy though. Isn't he a handsome guy?
Here he is with all of my family.
Three generations.
While my Grandmama was dearly missed on this day, I know that she was there with us. There's not a doubt in my mind that somehow she got to participate in the whole thing. She was so looking forward to the day, and I'm so glad she had a chance to know David before she went to be with the Lord.
Now it was time to add my other Grandparents to the photos. Trust me when I say that my Maw Maw had some interesting things to say that day. I don't even know or remember them all, but let me just tell you that my Maw Maw has early stages of Alzheimer's or late stage dementia. She says some of the funniest things that you don't know whether to laugh or cry at. Well, let me just tell you that in the photo below, we were CLEARLY all laughing at whatever she said!
These are my Mom's parents, better known as Pop and Maw Maw.
I honestly can say that when I watched my grandparents growing up, I knew that was how I wanted my relationship to be. They would get up every morning, Maw Maw would cook bacon, they'd read the paper, drink coffee, and watch the news together. Whenever we would get up, we would come join them. My Pop always was gentle and sweet to her. I just remember my Pop constantly saying silly things. All to which my Maw Maw would roll her eyes and say "Caaarrrter!" I remember being tickled at the way they interacted. Obviously things that changed in their older age together, but my grandfather is still the same loving and compassionate man. You can tell in these photos below.
I hope that when David and I are 80+ years old that we're still supporting one another and caring for one another.
Though our hair may turn gray, silver, or white, may we never forget this:
"11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."
-Proverbs 31
Finally, here's a photo of my cousins that you met yesterday. Love them! They were so excited about adding David to the family. Truthfully, I think it's because they have a new "toy" to play with when we visit.
These are their parents, and my Mom's sister. I wore the dress Sydney has on above in their wedding.
And this is my Mom's brother, Al.
Family. Generations. The truth is, I have and will always look to the adult women in my life to teach me about being a woman. The woman below drastically shaped me into who I am today. She loved to cook. I don't thin k there was a time that we went to her house that she didn't cook for us. There was always something on the table, on the stove, or in the pantry! We once lived with my grandparents for a month when I was in the 8th grade when my family was relocating from Arkansas to Mississippi. That was one of my favorite times because I got to watch my grandmother cook. Before then, I only saw her a few weeks out of the school year. She made pound cakes, pecan pies, chocolate cakes, and apple turnovers when we lived there.
I still attempt to make recipes of hers. Sometimes I get them right, sometimes I get them wrong. Since her brain is under attack at remembering things, I'm so glad that God blessed me with another Grandmother who is an equally wonderful cook to ask questions to.
The truth is, that love of cooking for everyone was passed down to my Mom. There is not a time when we go home to visit that she doesn't worry about what she's going to cook. She'll call me and say, what have you cooked lately because I don't want to repeat it. {We share all of the same recipes}. I feel like she is always preparing breakfast or dinner or something when we are there. And of course, my Mom passed that down to me as well! There's just no way to show love like showing it through food! :)
Of course food is not the only way that the women in my life have molded and shaped me. Their strong faith and love for the Lord is something that I both admire and strive for. Even my Maw Maw who cannot always remember things was still studying the word of the Lord when we were home for Christmas. They truly have lived out the Titus 2 call on their lives, and I know David would say the same for the men in his life. It is something that I am both thankful for, and can see how they have given me a family inheritance in the Lord which is one that I intend to continue.
"1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." -Titus 2:1-5
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