Wedding Part I: Showered with Generosity

I've been itching to write because it's been so long since I've blogged, and also to have these memories preserved before the details start fading from my memory.  This post might get a little cheesy for some, so if you have a weak stomach, you may want to reconsider reading this. ;)

Leading up to the wedding, Caleb and I were given SEVEN showers/parties.  My word.  We have more gifts than can fit in our little one bedroom apartment.  I'm having to pay my parents to store things at their house. ;)  We also built up our savings account quite a bit from the generosity of our friends and families.  I get emotional when I think of how much God has blessed us through the special people in our lives!  We are lacking nothing.  It's truly incredible.  

In February, my dear friend Mrs. Sandy Palmer threw a spend-the-night kitchen party.  I am LOADED with kitchen appliances, utensils, etc.  It's awesome!  Her husband, Mr. Jack, made us a fabulous breakfast the next morning, including pancakes, fresh fruit, grits, bacon, and sausage.  Who says the way to a woman's heart isn't through her stomach, too?  Mrs. Sandy also made the most beautiful rose-shaped mints, iced cookies, and Mexican wedding cookies for our reception in Clinton.  She has been so giving of her resources, energy, and time!

Next, my mom's sweet teacher friends threw a shower for us at the gorgeous Latimer House in Clinton.  I felt like a queen!  So many long-time Clinton friends of my mom and me showed up to congratulate and give generously to Caleb and me.  These ladies worked so hard, ordering a stunning flower arrangement from The Olive Branch, and making delectable treats and punch.

Caleb's sweet sisters, Christy and Josie, gave us a couple's shower at Christy's home in Keller, TX.  It was beach themed, and my sister-in-laws did an outstanding job of fitting everything to the theme!  If I weren't trying to be so concise, I would post a picture of each treat they prepared for the shower.  We had Sour Patch Kids swimming in the ocean in gummy Life Savers, shell-shaped iced cookies, my personal favorite, sand castle cupcakes, and much more.  The grill master, Jon, made burgers for the main course.  I loved getting to spend time with Caleb's family!  I didn't get a picture of the hostesses :(  But I got a good picture of Caleb and me with a photobomber.

You can see the sand castle cakes and our fish bowl punch in this shot :)

Next, Caleb's Memaw, one of the kindest souls I know, gave us a shower along with some members of their church.  There was also tons of yummy food here.  (Do you notice what details I tend to gravitate towards?)  Oh my, was the food yummy.  It was evident how much effort went into this celebration.  The decorations were adorable as well; Memaw made us a gorgeous wreath, and shells were scattered about the kitchen and living room.  Just amazing!

My best friend, cousin, and maid of honor (that's all the same person, by the way), offered as soon as I got engaged to throw a lingerie shower.  I have been told by my aunt and grandmother how hard she worked and how long she planned for this!  She chose a 50's pin-up theme, and coordinated all of the food to go with the red and black decor.  My brother's girlfriend, Katie, helped her prepare the day before, and the two of them thoroughly embarrassed me, which I completely expected. :)  But it was so much fun!

That evening, my friend and former teacher, Molly Parks, invited all of us girls over to swim at her house.  She and her husband, Brad, grilled burgers and made lots of delicious dips and treats to go along with the burgers.  She decorated their backyard with cute Japanese lanterns and had everything looking fabulous!  Her sweet 4 year old whom I've babysat the past three summers swam and splashed with us in the pool. :) My mom has told me that Molly would do anything for me, which I know from experience is true.  But she would do anything for anybody.  She has such a generous, empathetic soul.  I am blessed to have her in my life!  The example she sets for Manning and those around her is so Christ-like.  She is an angel!  I am kicking myself for not taking any pictures at her house, but here is one of Caleb, Manning, and me at our wedding.  

And last but not least, my church in Jackson (McCluer Road Church of Christ) gave us a Mexican-themed "stock up" shower.  We had nachos, and our church house was decorated like a fiesta!  This was an incredible idea- seriously!  It saved us so much on our first Wal-Mart trip.  We received a year's supply of toilet paper, some paper towels, laundry and dish detergent, toothpaste, different household cleaners, and even some grocery items.  Brilliant idea.  Along with the household items, we recieved dishes and glasses, and also a handmade quilt by one of our sisters.  How touching!  My church family means so incredibly much to me.  Many of them have known me since before I was born (as my mom would say).  The generosity that my church family displayed moved me.  

I am going to get to my parents and wedding party in a later post, but I want to thank some special people that helped us enormously with our wedding and reception.

The Wikle clan.  This bunch of people would do anything for us, and I hope they know we'd do the same for them.  Shannon got up at who knows what time to decorate our venue and to oversee all of the vendors arriving before our sunrise wedding.  Her precious girls, Emma and Hannah, also got up at who knows what time to get the pavilion looking spectacular for our guests and us.  Look at these hard workers!  I don't have a shot of Kris, but he took tons of pictures for us at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding.  Those pictures are priceless to me.  And he ran errands, and basically waited on my family hand and foot!  This family made it happen.  Did I mention that they drove 16 hours one-way to participate in all this madness?  What special friends we have.  They also stuck around for a week to help prepare for our reception in Clinton.

So if all of this ^^ didn't let Caleb and me know how much we are loved, I don't know what would.  My hope is that we adequately let these shower hosts, hostesses, and guests know how much we truly appreciate them.  The Lord has blessed us and kept us, and made His face to shine upon us.  He has done that through these beautiful people in our lives.  I know that Caleb and I will have the opportunity to share the same love to others.