Pre-Wedding Festivities

I cannot believe that it was finally time for Shannon and Andy to get married.  A little background info on Shannon: we met our freshman year of college when we lived a couple doors down from each other in the dorm and were both part of the same scholarship program.  We ended up living together the next three years, working with the youth group together, doing bible study together, and basically have been extremely close now for 10 years. I was thrilled to get to be her matron-of-honor. (even though I was far away in LA during the wedding planning and pretty much didn't get to help her at all- sorry Shan!)

I just had to include this picture from exactly a year ago when Shannon and Andy got engaged- we were all so excited for them! 

The day before all the excitement got started Shannon and I went and got our nails done with her mom and then met the other girls that were in town for lunch.

The wedding weekend started off with a bridesmaids' luncheon at Mary Helen's house.  We babysat for Mary Helen's three kids all through college and have wonderful memories with her and her family.

I just had to remember the great food. Yum! 

My mom gave a sweet mini devotion to start off the luncheon.

Tasty cookies we got to take home

And my mom made each of us a loaf of her famous bread. It went along with the theme of her devotion.  

Hostesses and the bride

These five ladies are the members of my bible study that we started while I was in college.  One day soon I will have to devote a whole blog post to them and to the story of our friendship.  To sum it up quickly, these ladies are SO precious to me.  They have prayed for me daily for years and they know my issues and love me in spite of them. :) We have been through a lot together and their friendship is one of the greatest blessings I have experienced in my life.

We took a lot of pics together over the wedding weekend because we are hardly ever all together anymore.

Me and sweet Sara 

Mary Helen and Mary Elizabeth.  I can't believe how big she is- I babysat for her brother Knox the day she was born! 

That evening we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

How neat is this groom's cake? Perfect for the two bookworms. :) 

The happy couple 

I was VERY nervous about my speech. I hate speaking in public! 

After the rehearsal dinner I got to go spend the night with Shannon at her house for her last night as a single lady! :) Needless to say we went to bed pretty late and were up pretty early, but it was so special to get to spend that time with her.