Kelly's Wedding - Alabama Style

 My youngest cousin, Kelly, got married over the weekend.  My sister and I made the very wise choice to travel to AL without our spouses or our kids.  We needed that sisters weekend.  We loved every minute of it and witnessing Kelly getting married was just the icing on the cake. 

 Here we are all dressed up.  I haven't been this dressed up and feeling good about it (after my unfortunate ankle incident last summer and trying to dress up for Michelle's wedding) in a long time. 

 Aunt Karen looks fabulous as the mother of the bride.  What an evening.

 I love this picture.  I only wish that Kelly would have been in the picture also.  Michelle is pregnant, although you can't tell it from any of the pictures.  She is due in December with a girl. 

 Kim and I arrived in Birmingham on Friday at 3:00.  We walked into the lobby of our hotel and thankfully my uncle was there.  He said he was headed out but that he would see us at the very fancy rehearsal dinner.  Kim and I shot each other a look, "How fancy," we asked?  We got on the horn and called our aunt and she said it was you need to wear a dress fancy!  WHAT????  Kim and I had packed capri's for the rehearsal dinner.  We got in our room, threw our suitcases down and found the nearest Macy's.  I'm embarrassed to say this but we tore up a dressing room in Macy's.  There were dresses everywhere.  The dresses you see in the picture above is our last minute Macy's purchases.  I think we cleaned up quite well and thank goodness our shoes we had for the wedding worked with the dresses.  Somehow we made it back to our hotel room by 5:00, cleaned up and made it to the rehearsal dinner by 6:45.  Again, we were just so thankful we didn't bring our husbands or kids.  Mike and the boys would have been all kinds of crabby if they had to dress up for a rehearsal dinner!  Ha. 

 Jayde was the flower girl.  It was such a big day for her but she was a trooper.  She did awesome! 

When we got the reception Nick's buds from Myrtle were there.  We took this picture and sent to Nick, telling him we missed him.  Well the boys did, me, not so much! 

 I was honored that Kelly asked me to the prayer at the reception.  Here's me right before the prayer.  I was proud of the prayer and it went just fine!  I had hoped it would honor God first and Kelly and Andrew's special day. 

                                                 Me, getting ready to deliver the prayer.

 Sisters weekend.  Honestly I can't remember the last time I spent one on one time with Kim for an extended time, but I can tell you it's been years........years I tell you!  We laughed (a lot), and talked.  It was just like old times!

 I love my aunt and uncle.  I asked Karen if it felt good to have her youngest child married.  She said that yes it did feel quite good.  I can only imagine how it must feel to know your kids have married two good people.  People that love your children and fit in nicely with your family.  My aunt and uncle are very hospitable and selfless, and it's reflected in their friends.  People came from all over the country to love them and support them for this special occasion. 

Finally, I had to throw this picture in the blog because I could not do what I do without my mom.  She kept Nick and this was a picture they sent me.  It's good for my mental health to get away.  Sometimes it can be down right impossible for me, but my mom makes it possible.  Mike is working a ton lately so I didn't want  to put anything extra on him.  Jay is not driving yet, and although the boys can be home alone for a short time, it's a recipe for disaster to leave them home alone (together) for an entire day.  Mike is great about taking Jay to work with him,, but  Nick is another story.  Anyway, thank you, mom.  It was sure good for my mental health to get away and know everything was being handled back on the home front.