Day 37 - Love is in the Air...AGAIN

Another day of celebrating the happiness of my dear friend, Kristi! Today was the Bridal Shower that I co-hosted with one of the other bridesmaids, Olesha, and K's aunt Glo.

Here's some fun from the day...

the cake I ordered for the happy event
"Sweetest Wishes for the Soon to be Mrs."

flower girl Bailey (Olesha's daughter)
she's my new buddy!

Rhonda (Olesha's mom)

Nedra (Kristi's grandma)

not sure how all this loot is going back to IL with the couple in K's awesome new yellow mustang ;)

my co-hostess/fellow bridesmaid and friend, O

the soon to be Mrs. is all ready to roll!

Day 16 - Day of Love

So today was a day full of wedding stuff....obviously, not for me (ha!)....but for some of my dearest friends. :)

The day started off with Kristi's bridal shower. Kristi and I became really good friends our Senior year of High School (the year I switched schools...long story!). We have always stayed in touch and I will actually be in her wedding next month. Today one of her aunts and cousins from Cincinnati threw her a Bridal Shower in Batesville at The Sherman House. It was a really nice luncheon! This is the first of her showers, but more to come on that at a later date!

Bride-to-be Kristi opening gifts

our other close friend & fellow bridesmaid, Olesha

After the bridal shower, I raced back home to pick up mom...and then we headed to Greensburg for my lifelong friend's wedding! I met Vince on the last day of 3rd grade. His mom, Sandy, and him had just moved to Osgood and she brought him in to meet everyone. We've been friends ever since. I have "grown up" in Mary Kay with his mom, Sandy, and his step-dad, Jeff, works the same place I do. It was SOOOOO much fun to see everyone tonight at the reception! We laughed and talked for hours. LOVED it!

the groom anxiously awaiting his bride

Vows

Unity candle

The sign of true friendships is going months, sometimes years, without talking and picking right back up where you left off. I have truly been blessed in my life with some of the most amazing friendships...

my best friend since Kindergarten, Jessica

Kyle, Chris (cracking himself up!), and Jesse
Chris & Jesse were our classmates

Jeff, Vince's step-dad & my quirky co-worker

3 of my long time friends - Vince, Jess, & Danny (best man)

one of my favorite people for high school, Amber (Kyle in above pic is her hubby)

Vince's little sis, Laura...she's a sweetheart!

my good friend & Vince's mom, Sandy

Live. Laugh. Love.

A day full of all 3 things! :)

-4 and a Wedding!

For starters...I am down 4 more pounds from last week! WOOHOO! I have to say a huge Thank You to my Big Sis (from sorority days) Kortni and her friend, who is now my friend, Amy, for all their encouragement and support the past week. We are all doing Weight Watchers and exercising and it's been great having support, even via internet since we live so far apart! I am down to the point where I ended last fall...and excited to continue my progress!

And now....my weekend!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JUSTIN AND KAYLA! I am so happy for both of you! Justin, the brother I never thought I wanted, but so thankful I did have...it was great seeing your family again. Kayla, my friend! You are a wonderful friend (amazing how we clicked right away when we met just over a year ago) and I am glad that Justin found you and that you have created a sweet family together! Jaden is getting so big!

It was a great night catching up with my FFA family! :) The proof is in the fact that my throat is sore from all the talking/laughing! We had fun celebrating with the newlyweds...

Kyle, Erin, Justin, Rajean, Liza

The Bride & Groom

Kyle, Erin, Kayla, Justin, Rajean, Liza

Love you guys! Can't wait for our next reunion this summer at State Convention...10 year Anniversary! Holy smokes! ha

V's Wedding

On Saturday, my cousin Vanessa got married. Luckily the rain stopped around 11am and we didn't have another rain shower until about 6pm (the reception was already under way). It got pretty nasty later in the night, but we all survived!

I got to the church early to do V's makeup. It was great to see her so happy! V and I have always been fairly close due to being only a year apart. It was a fun day with both families being quite the cut-ups!

my cousins Marlene & Eric (mother of the bride & youngest brother of the bride)

Eric & Jared (brothers of the bride, ushers, and groomsmen!)

Big Joe & Vanessa (father of the bride & BRIDE)

Gloria (matron of honor), Vanessa & Chad, Jared (best man)

the newlyweds! Mr. & Mrs. Beetz

Joe passed this business card out to everyone at the reception...sooooo funny....and typical Joe! Loved it! :p

Now we are wedding free until next month when my cousin Keith gets married. And yes, that makes 4 weddings of cousins on 1 side of the family this year! (Nathan, Lindsay, Vanessa, Keith) Goodness! ha

A Birthday, Wedding, and Nonsense

Saturday was a busy day!

It was mostly spent in the company of family...Ethan's 7th Birthday party and Lindsay's Wedding!

A few pics from Ethan's fun party :)

the birthday boy squeezing thru the obstacles! ha

even the "big kids" joined in on the fun

Erica coming down the slide with Callie...she really did enjoy it,
even though it doesn't look like it! ha

Lindsay & Kyle's engagement picture (didn't think to get my camera out at the reception, but Lindsay looked gorgeous in her mermaid style wedding dress!)


And finally...today I completed Week 1-Day 3 of the C25K program! :) One week down, eight to go! haha You are supposed to skip a day between each day, but I am going to start Week 2 tomorrow because Monday-Wednesday-Friday works best in my schedule. I am proud to report that as of yesterday, I was able to get into a pair of jeans I bought back in October (when I had lost 20lbs. but was NEVER able to wear after washing & hang drying them)!! I'm hoping that means that come weigh-in on Thursday night I will have lost the most pounds! ha

On another note, the Miss USA pageant is on right now....I'm not normally a fan, as I only support the Miss America pageant system (it's better all around!), but the Miss Indiana contestant is from North Vernon, which is in the neighboring county (and I was just there last Friday...ha).

The Wedding Singer

On Saturday, my cousin April married Jay (a longtime friend). It was a beautiful wedding...and I wish I had pictures, but Jenna was not in a picture taking mood that day and since I was singing for the wedding, not really able to take pictures for myself. Hopefully our cousin, Julie, will post some pictures on her blog and I might be able to swipe a few! haha ;)

The rain ended before the wedding and the sun came out for a lovely evening! The reception was hopping and we all had a great time catching up with everyone!! :) I have always been very close to my grandma's side of the family (mom's mom) and it's even more fun when you pair us all up with Jay's family (my boss's family). haha Don't ya love small towns?!?

The wedding ceremony was performed by Jay (& his brother, Dale)'s last foster parent, Leon. Let me tell you this...he is a corker! This was his first wedding in quite some time and he had us all going, huh?!? ha As always, the wedding went off without a hitch and those of us close to Jay & Dale now understand a little more why they are the way they are! ;) ha (*additional info-Jay & Dale were both adopted into the same family, the family we've always known them to be a part of and are quite like their adoptive father as well, but if you knew Mark and met Leon...you'd just understand!)

Here's a few pictures we took...

me before the wedding

me singing & mom playing

Jen ruining our attempt at a good pic! :p

the newlyweds finally making it to the reception!

On another note, Happy Birthday to Grandma Menchhofer! Today is her big day! :)

I am worn out...it was a busy, but good weekend. I had an EXTREMELY long day today as one of my employees was sick, so I worked her shift and had someone work my shift so I could run to Sam's Club and get stocked up for the next month! By the time I finished that errand, worked on some paperwork and other stuff here at home for the course...I put in 14.5 hours today. Aren't you jealous?!? NOT! ha

Hope you had a good weekend! On to another week....