Oregon Vacation pt 2

Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful. The day before the BIG DAY!

Reese and Allie woke their sleep deprived parents up at 6:30am not wanting to waste a single minute of our trip. :) We stumbled along, getting Allie her bottle, Reese dressed and an oatmeal breakfast started. My parents came by the house for 45 minutes...we had to get grandparent time in wherever we could! Later my mom said...I wish we lived close enough where we could come over and visit like this every week...
So do I, mama, so do I!

After they left we got a call from Kris and Jen wanting to stop in to meet our girls! We enjoyed every bit of the hour and half we had with them.

Next, we took a trip out to Cannon Beach as a family to spend time with my parents, siblings and the bride and groom. 

Grandmom {my dad's mom} got to meet her second Great Granddaughter for the first time. Allie loved getting in snuggle time with her!

And a very special part of the trip was my sister Cathryn getting to meet her first two nieces!! She has loved them from afar for far too long. It did my heart good to see her laugh and enjoy them in person.

That afternoon we all gathered at the wedding site to rehearse what we would do the following day and to decorate the venue. Diana and Stephen chose the perfect place (indoors) for both the wedding and reception; the view from The Loft was spectacular as well. Here's some pictures:

Diana's attention to the littlest details was seen throughout her decorations and venue. She did an amazing job with all her planning!

And these next few...taking the opportunity to snag some pictures with my brothers: Tom above, Joe below. Can't believe how old and grown up they've become!

And one with the glowing bride herself! 

Despite having a cold, she was all smiles and very relaxed.

This photo was taken by my brother Joe. I didn't want to change how off-centered and cut-out we were in it. Makes it all the more sweet in my book!

Oh so soon!!!

I can't WAIT to see these dear and precious faces in only 5 days. Count them...on one hand or one foot...not 6, 7 or 8 days but 5 fast-ly approaching days! Eeeek!!! To say I'm excited is an understatement. 

Some of these faces {like dearest Jenny Lee Howell} I haven't seen in 5 1/2 years. It just kills me to think of everything that has happened in that amount of time. BUT what a gift that we finally get to see one another again...and have memories like this...

For my Grandmom to meet Allie. This picture was taken back in January of 2011 when she met Reese for the first time.

To hug my sister and brother-in-law who I haven't seen since Christmas of '09 and for them to get to meet both of their nieces!

To hug and squeeze this friend {Amanda Bacon...who just so happens to be Jenny Howell's sister} who I'm so excited to get caught up with and have at least 1 uninterrupted hour of chatting while she does my hair.

To see these sweet faces that we haven't seen since December...

To hug and catch up with my adventurous sister and brother-in-law who just got back from a trip to Ireland {this pic was taken during their trip to Utah}...

And finally...the reason for all of this wonderful family/friends reunion in a mere 5 days...

To witness two becoming one. Moving from a life of singleness to marriage that would imitate the relationship Christ has with His bride, the church. Watching as my little sister commits herself to the love of her life, vowing to be his wife for the rest of her days. 

Friday can't come soon enough.

God's grace in my life...

Today was one of those days you wish you could just freeze in time. Where every minute was really an hour and it went on from there. I miss my best {girl} friend more than words can say! We've been the dearest of friends for 17 years with incredible memories from my 10th birthday slumber party, work crew girls and leadership trainees at Solid Rock Bible Camp, our first crushes, Katy being on the JV basketball team, the two of us leading worship for High School youth group, singing for the Christmas program together, learning to drive stick-shift before we could get our licenses, figuring out how to avoid a certain guy interested in her, planning Katy's sweet 16th surprise birthday party {successfully without her having a clue}, football games, going to Junior prom together, being the one a few years later to sell that same guy her engagement ring and finally standing next to her as the best friend status went from me to her husband. 

The Lord chose to take Katy and Tyler away from Alaska, right after their wedding, to Idaho where Tyler became stationed in the Air Force. Four years later, they were assigned orders to Italy where they are living currently. Our visits have been short and sweet ever since but I praise the Lord that despite the long distance for 9 years, we've still stayed close and managed to see one another.

Today felt like we'd never been apart. Sure there was much to catch up on, things to fill each other in about and even for us to meet each other's girls! {She had both my daughter's to meet and I hadn't yet been able to see and love on Danielle, her baby girl born in June} But the closeness hasn't changed, the love, memories, and dearness of being precious friends to each other hasn't altered. God is so kind to give us friends on this earth that paint a dim picture of what glorified relationships will be like in Heaven. Katy is that friendship to me.

These are pictures from two years ago when we saw each other in Palm Springs. I was still pregnant with Reese and Kiarra was 4 months old.

And today...

Love this last "cheek to cheek" picture...our tradition!

Tyler...you're doing an awesome job as the husband to Katy and daddy to two beautiful girls! Thank you for taking such good care of my dearest friend.

All God's richest blessings to you, Tyler, Katy, Kiarra and Danielle! Thank you for traveling 2 hours to meet up and bless us with on an incredible day in San Pedro! We love you!