Going to the chapel and she got married

My best friend in the entire world, Ashley, got married on June 16th.  I know I am biased but she was the most beautiful bride.  It was seriously the best day ever.  Ashley is seriously the sister that God never gave me biologically.  She and I have been best friends since we were 14 and have been thru so much together.  Like I said in my toast, we have been there for each other during every major life event, including the birth of both of my girls and she was actually the first person besides Keith and myself to hold both of them.  I can even remember her great grandmother had passed away the same day Preslei was born and she stayed with me until Preslei was born and waited until she was brought back to the room with me before she went to be with her family.  Preslei absolutely ADORES her Aunt Ashley and I know that Annalise will have that special bond with her as well.  After all, not only is she their Aunt Ashley but also their Godmother.  I just always remember watching that movie "Raising Helen" and when deciding who Preslei's Godmother would be, that movie just stuck out in my mind because I want my children to be raised by someone, if God forbid something were to ever happen to us, that would raise them exactly the way Keith and I would.

Ashley met Phillip thru work.  Ashley is a RN at a dermatology office in Tallahassee and Phillip was a patient.  I remember several years ago when Ashley told me about a "hot firefighter" that came in her office.  He asked her on a date a few months later and the rest is history :)

I was an emotional basket case during the rehearsal and wedding.  I kept saying I'm crying like someone had died or something but I am just so happy for her and Phillip.  I just feel like this is the day she and I used to talk about all the time and to finally be there for her, standing up there as a bridesmaid, was just an incredible feeling and I am so blessed and thankful she is my best friend.

They were married at a beautiful plantation in Thomasville, Pebble Hill, underneath this beautiful tree.  The entire wedding fit her personality and style to a "T".  It was just so naturally beautiful, much like her.  It was a vintage type feel with burlap and lace and soft pinks.

I definitely made another memory to add to our collection (as Ashley said) during the reception.  I was walking to check on Annalise (my parents had her in the stroller at their table) and there were people blocking one way so I decided to step over this brick paver wall thing as a short cut and well, as I was stepping down, I stepped on my dress and busted my rear.  I remember thinking, "Holy crap this is SO embarrassing" and then a split second later it turned into, "Oh my gosh, I think I broke my foot".  Of course my Mom was like, "Amanda, just come sit down" and typical Amanda fashion I say, "No, I'm good.  Let me just walk it off".  It didn't work.  I had to go inside prop my foot up with an ice bag thus, missing the first dance and the cutting of the cake, etc.  I was beyond upset.  My foot started swelling immediately and I couldn't put any pressure on it.  I really and truly thought it was broken.  I just wanted to go home and take a pain pill that was left over from my csection but I was "hell bent and determined" that I was going to give my toast/speech that I worked on for days.  After I spoke, Keith and I left.  :(  He practically begged me to go to the hospital but I hate hate hate ERs so I said, "if there aren't any cars in the parking lot then I'll go" and when we drove by there were like 4 so I told him to just let me go home, take some medicine and see if it gets better.  It didn't.  I ended up going to the ER Sunday morning and thankfully, it wasn't broken, just sprained and bruised.  It has now been a week and a half and my foot still isn't healed.  I have a mean gangsta pimp walk going on though ;)

Here are some pictures that I took before the wedding and I added in some more that I snatched off Ashley's Facebook page that she was tagged in :)  I'm just going to randomly post the pictures so they aren't in any particular order :)

 Flower girl Preslei

 Part of the reception

Flower girl Braelyn (Ashley's biological niece) 

BFFs for LIFE :) 

 Caroline, Ashley's sister and MOH 

 LOVE this!!! Dena is a fantastic photographer!

 Preslei LOVES her Aunt Ashley!

 One of my favorite pictures, EVER!!! LOL

 Ashley's parents, Charles & Kim (my second family)

 I LOVE this one too! I really wish picnic hadn't shut down so I could edit this and lighten it up!

 This was their guestbook.  LOVE the idea of it. The guests put their thumbprints on a branch.  Keith and I made a heart out of ours :)  Aren't we cheesy?? ;)

One of my favorite pictures of us.  It's a rare thing that we actually remember to take a picture of ourselves instead of the girls.  PS...even "country boys" will wear pink!!!  

 This was from their engagement session and I really like this picture.

 The dress (duh!)

I LOVE this picture of them.  :)

My Annalise

You know, I really feel that my sweet Annalise was given to me by God as a test of my faith.  I had my dress fitting for my best friend's wedding next weekend in Thomasville today and I was talking with the seamstress about my sweet girls and I told her Annalise's story.  We prayed for her and Preslei and God knew exactly when he would bless us with these girls.  Preslei was conceived on month 2 of Clomid and Annalise was conceived on the 4th month.  I was only allowed to take Clomid for 6 months before trying a different route so we were nearing the end and I knew that it would be a long time before we could try anything else because my insurance doesn't cover fertility treatments and even if I had the money, I'd have to lose a lot of weight before I could do IVF or IUI.  So then at 8 weeks when there was no baby, I thought my hope was lost but something deep inside me told me not to give up and to trust in God.  That's exactly what I did and a week later, we saw her precious heartbeat.  I will never ever in my life forget that moment.  My pregnancy wasn't all sunshine and rainbows but I was happy to be carrying my sweet girl.  Her stay in NICU was hard but I remember saying "God has it under control" and He did.

Some people may not understand but I do.  God no doubt has a reason behind this.  He was teaching me to relying on Him wholeheartedly.  I don't profess to be a perfect Christian and I never will be but it is a day by day process and man oh man have I come a long way from where I was a few years ago.  Jesus died for OUR sins so that we could be forgiven.  Isn't that just amazing??

When I was telling Niler (my seamstress) Annalise's story, my entire body was covered in goosies and I started crying.  It happens every single time.  I feel like she is my little testimony.

I am 100% undoubtedly IN LOVE and OBSESSED with my family of 4!

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The rest of our newborn pictures

I am beyond blessed.  :)

"Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him." - Psalm 127:3