A Texas Wedding
Howdy, ya’ll! We are back from Houston in Calgary and happy to be home – despite the amazing trip away in Texas and Mikey’s quick turn-around soon for the first Survive & Thrive trip of the summer! I left last Wednesday to join my best friend, Anna, in Houston to help as her matron of honor for her wedding the upcoming weekend, and Mikey joined after his class finished on Friday. Let me just saw that I have never seen Anna so beautiful, so happy and joyful, so confident and so at peace than when I spent those few days with her and saw her on her wedding day with Greg. What a gift to be able to come and support this awesome couple who inspire many, create community wherever they go, and will soon start their lives together in Atlanta. After the wedding Mikey and I drove to Galveston on the Gulf Coast and had a relaxing few days playing in the waves, paddle boarding, walking along the beach and enjoying some awesome tropical storms.
But this story is much better told in pictures… So let me share a few with you guys!
I wasn’t traveling alone! Me and the babe had a great flight at 23 weeks, and I wore my 2XU compression on the flight – recommended for ANYone but especially fellow preggos out there to combat swelling. I landed safely in Texas and was whisked away by the bride and groom; so many trees in the beautiful community of Kingwood, Texas, and I found a YMCA to drop into for my BirthFit workout, too!
We spent the beginning of my time with Anna and Greg finishing up some wedding prep – the favors for guests, finishing touches on programs and gathering of gear for the big day. It was fun to chat with Greg as I had yet to meet him, and he is such a likeable, easy to converse with, funny and kind man – I loved watching him and Anna together, too! Greg became blind in junior high and is extremely capable in his own right and with his cute side kick, Nikon, his seeing-eye dog. It was neat to watch how he interprets the world, like when he opened this gift from Anna’s grandparents, and also to see how he uses dictation and his phone at an extremely quick rate and has so many systems dialled in and also to watch he and Anna work together as a team.
(He’s also so good at the piano! Beautiful to listen to).
There were dinners with family in town:
Visits with friends from far away (as far as Morocco, Hawaii and across Canada!),
(Liz and I, a good friend I haven’t seen in YEARS (a husband and 3 kids later for her!) from our university days!)
and lots of late nights leading up to the wedding.
(At Tin Roof BBQ for the rehearsal dinner!)
The day before the wedding, Anna and Lindsay (the friend and bridesmaid from Morocco!) spent the morning at Starbucks, paddle boarding and getting nails done later with more out of town girls who could join in on the fun. It was an awesome day even though all the bridesmaids weren’t in town and able to join, and we had a blast paddling with SurfSUP Texas in Oyster Creek:
(Matt, the owner, was awesome, gave us extra time, and took pictures for us with his GoPro on the water! Highly recommend these guys if you’re visiting Houston; they also have a mobile SUP business and can come to you!)
The few days before Mikey arrived went by SO fast – I barely know where the hours went – and when the girls and I checked into the hotel the day before the wedding Mikey had just pulled up from an Uber and was able to come right into the room with me!
The day of wedding also flew by, starting with a girls’ breakfast, hair and make up (I wrapped my dreads and just used the straightener for my bangs, but you better believe I got my make up done!) and then the ceremony at 6 pm. It had thundered and stormed all day, but the weather opened up and God gave us a beautiful evening without ANY rain all evening – what a gift! The ceremony was meaningful, the evening smooth, the dancing fun, and before we knew it, we were saying goodbye to the bride and groom as they left in a fun yellow sports car as we blew bubbles all around them!
It was fun getting ready together and watching Anna feel SO excited and ready to go! What a beautiful, stunning bride she made:
Of course you should be happy on your wedding day, but I have NEVER seen Anna so full of joy – just beaming. She looked beautiful but she also FELT beautiful, and I loved seeing her so confident in herself and in Greg’s love – what a difference the right man and God’s timing and peace makes in someone’s life! I’m thrilled for Anna and Greg (the latter of whom I have far less photos! :D) and was so happy to have stood alongside them both and Mikey and I will continue to support them in their marriage.
It was a great day and weekend seeing some familiar faces, meeting more people in Anna and Greg’s lives, and celebrating a huge event! Mikey and I took off for Galveston for a few days together afterwards, but that’s for another post!
How long have you guys been married, if you are? 10 years in December for us!
What’s your best marriage advice or the best advice you’ve been given?
Live well & be well (and stay tuned for Part 2!),
Bonnie