an unexpected wedding perk

if you know me at all, you know i spend a significant number of weekends on the wedding scene. i love to travel and can think of few reasons that are better for travel than a wedding...especially when said wedding is a for a dear friend.

i know of several people who have met their spouse at a mutual friend's wedding. you'd think the odds would be in my favor on this one given the number of weddings i attend, or am in, each year but so far no luck. instead, i have made a few unexpected yet fabulous new friends along the way and i'd call that a win. i mean, let's be real...you love the bride, i love the bride, why wouldn't we love each other and be friends? cue instant friendship and someone new to stalk know and love.

i had the absolute joy of spending quality time in texas with three of these unexpected fabulous friends last weekend. i flew into dallas for a weekend of wedding fun for a former kanakuk kamper turned friend and, as a result, got to steal quality time with these gems along the way.

beth [kat's wedding]

jenn [joy's wedding]

sarah [tanya's wedding]

not that i didn't lurrrrve seeing all my texas peeps while i was there, but spending time with those three friends was especially sweet because it's such a powerful reminder of how the Lord designed us to be in community and how He orchestrates it in the most unexpected of ways. here's to my next wedding friend being my future husband? a girl can dream...

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

we do

it's wedding season once again for this girl. three weddings in three days. and another one coming up this week. i know. it's crazy. let's just establish that out front and move on because that's not the point of this post.

while it's true that weddings are one giant party with your favorite people, delicious food, cake, drinks, and plenty of dancing and pictures....that's not the point.

the point is that the Gospel is on display.

the families and wedding party aren't the only ones standing in agreement with the bride and groom on their wedding day. every single person there is agreeing to hold the couple accountable for a lifetime. in essence, when you RSVP 'yes' on that snazzy little invite card you got, you're saying...

"we do"

so don't take it lightly. you might be there to party, but most importantly...you're there to hold the newlyweds to their covenant vow of marriage. to encourage them to honor one another and display the Gospel through their marriage every single day. that's what a wedding is all about. it's fun to party, but the Gospel on display and a lifetime of accountability is the real purpose.

all that being said, one of my best friends married the woman of his dreams and is now officially man and wife. i'm so grateful for Corey's faithful friendship and his example of Biblical leadership. and i'm grateful for Steph's example of confidence and security in Christ. what a blessing to have this man and woman in my life long term. here's a little picture recap from friday night's fun.

every girl needs a man friend like Corey. so blessed by you!

beautiful lady with a beautiful heart to love and serve for a lifetime.

Corey didn't waste any time.

happy marriedness, y'all! loved celebrating with you. put the Gospel on display.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

happy anniversary!!

june 18, 1983. that's the day these two promised forever. and i'm so grateful they did. i mean, i wouldn't be here if they didn't. mom and dad may have seemed a little crazy in the beginning (only 7 dates before their wedding?!), but it's pretty evident that the Lord was in it from the beginning. 29 years later they love each other unselfishly and still like each other too. to that, i say well done!

i'm blessed to have parents who love and honor the Lord and one another. i never questioned my parents' love for one another or for the Lord as i was growing up. i never feared that any of their disagreements would lead to divorce. [i can't say arguments because i don't remember ever hearing them raise their voices at one another in front of me and i certainly never heard them call each other names. now, i know good and well that they disagreed on things from time to time because i've been there to hear it, but that's normal. at least if you have a pulse.]

all that to say, i'm so grateful for parents who model what a godly marriage is. mom and pops, thanks for modeling Christ's love for anna and me so well and for staying committed to each other for life. love you both!!

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

two become one

putting this past weekend into words isn't possible. the love and respect i have for kat and brad is immense. these two love the Lord with all they have, and they serve one another like crazy. so, naturally, when kat asked me to stand beside them and support their marriage from day one, it wasn't even a question. this is a couple who will continue to honor the Lord individually, but even more so collectively.

that being said, the weekend was a perfect representation of their personalities. it was high energy, full of laughter, lots of dancing, delicious food, and pockets of chill time to re-group. and most importantly, the Lord was at the center of everything. His name was lifted high. kat and brad were only secondary.

so in light of the fact that i can't really put my gratitude and enthusiasm into words, here's a picture recap to show you some of what the weekend included. i also posted an album on my facebook page with more pictures of the weekend. enjoy!

brad :: somebody just wants to fast forward to wedding day

fried goodness :: no trip to NOLA is complete without a meal at Cane's

E is a fabulous barista :: mocha velvet ice is like crack cocaine

gettin' crafty :: sashes for the bachelorette party

sisters :: dinner at chimes before dancing downtown

limo to downtown NOLA :: let the dancing begin!

cafe du monde :: beignets and frozen cafe au lait

beignets :: fried sugary goodness

tyler :: groom's sis & master of the awkward, ugly dance...hysterical!

bridal luncheon :: english tea room

tablescape :: i fell in love with a tea room, who am i??

sno-balls :: no snowcone will ever compare

rehearsal dinner :: mardi gras style

kat :: gettin' her nails did for her man

kat :: ready with all the essentials for her wedding day

beth :: my new favorite person on the planet

kat :: the batman shorts only make her more beautiful

mama nancy and kat :: love these two women!

brad and kat :: first dance

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

laissez les bon temps rouler

when i land in new orleans tonight, these two knuckleheads lovebirds will be there to meet me. first item on the to do list: beignets and frozen cafe au lait. and then, let the wedding festivities (read: organized chaos) begin.

i'm so excited to be standing in agreement with these two on sunday. so grateful for the opportunity to walk through life alongside them and laugh incessantly along the way. i'm praying the Lord is glorified this weekend (and always) as they model Christ's love for us, His bride.

(image)

laissez les bon temps rouler!

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

an object in motion

i'm an object in motion. and i'll be staying in motion for a while. my life is once again defined by boxes, labels, tape guns, and suitcases. besides working and coaching (and the occasional workout), my life is consumed by packing. whether it's packing up my house to move across the bridge to st. petersburg or packing a suitcase for one of the crazy adventures waiting around the corner...i pack. between now and may 26th, here's what i have ahead of me:

kansas city, mo :: volleyball

greenville, nc :: see the sis

chapel hill, nc :: visiting the Davis fam again

moving to st. pete :: mom's coming to help!

new orleans, la :: Kat's wedding

st. augustine, fl :: beach time with Ginny and fam

orlando, fl :: volleyball

yeah, i may just not unpack until June. boxes...yes. suitcases...we shall see. i'm about to be on a whirlwind of a rollercoaster, but i'm so excited for each thing on that list that i can hardly contain myself.

back to the boxes...

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

getting hitched

well folks, the bestie is getting hitched. and i. am. pumped! 2010 was full of fabulous weddings, but 2011 has been a bit of a wedding hiatus. my bank account thanks me, but i really do love weddings. luckily, i'm hitting the ground running again in 2012. obviously i have nothing to do with the timing of it all, but i'm thrilled!!

it looks like i'll be headed to NOLA in the spring. i love that city. i know it gets a bad rap (and rightfully so at times), but there's a lot of great things that happen down in the bayou too. i mean, how can you go wrong with beignets?? and my best friend is from NOLA. her love for that city is just plain contagious.

seriously though, kat has been a huge blessing in my life since the moment we met, which, contrary to popular belief, was not at the Institute. we were actually in the same K2 work week cabin. we just hardly saw each other because she was a photographer that summer and i was a counselor. and we worked separate terms. slight dilemma. but once we discovered we'd both be at the Tute the following fall, we started praying to be roommates. nothing wrong with a few shameless prayers thrown up, right? :)

our friendship was in for a crazy ride once we got to the Tute and we spent the bulk of our days together for 8 months. this girl knows me so well and consistently challenges the heck out of me. she listens to my ridiculous rants and puts me in my place. or she just flat out laughs at me, which also does the trick. i love kat so so much and hope that one day we'll be in the same city again. i'll throw up a few more selfish prayers in the meantime, don't you worry.

all that to say, i'm honored to be part of her life and i can't wait to see what the Lord does through her and Brad. they will take the world by storm. love love love them. congrats on your engagement and one rockin' marriage in the making. love you two!!

Kat & Brad in NOLA before Brad popped the question.

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

a thousand words

well, since pictures are worth a thousand words and i'm low on time these days, i figured a photo blog to recap my easter weekend in chapel hill would be a fabulous option. the wedding was beautiful. dave owens knows how to throw a party. time with teammates was priceless and hysterically awesome. nothing less than expected honestly. time with sis was a double bonus (and the boyfriend of course). hers, not mine. don't go starting rumors. gallavanting around chapel hill and hitting all my old faves was triple bonus. enjoy the pics to recap!

fun pic with Dayna before heading on to the airport.

Carolina Volleyball past and present with Coach.

Alan was waaaay too nice on this.

gorgeous bride and teammates.

typical.

 

another shot with Coach before leaving.

sis and the boyfriend.

 had to swing by FSPP for lunch. yum!!!!

walking down Stadium to the game.

game time vs. Miami

baseball at Bosh. please note Christie in the background.

YoPo after the game. delish!!

look who flew back from Finland....VON!!!

it's true, i love LP.

4 years with these two was not enough. ram it!!

Easter Sunday sis pic.

they're quite the pair.

chapel hill: you are too good to me. i'll be back to visit soon. i just can't say no.


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.