The College Roomate gets married....finally. Plus a great story.

                                                      

WAY back in the day....many decades ago, in fact it was even LAST CENTURY....I met this girl in class at Auburn University....and we became fast friends.  Later, we even roomed together for a couple of years.  And we had fun....lots of fun....more fun than should be legal. Okay, maybe some of it wasn't legal...but that was so long ago, I can't really remember the laws of the land during that time period. :)   Moving on..... here we are at Jenny's wedding....a day in which we both were happy to have arrive.  I have prayed for her to find that man and to enjoy the happiness of having him to share her life.  And that prayer has been answered. 

Certainly then, this was an event not to be missed!!  We headed out to the Gulf Coast one weekend at the beginning of May for this wonderful day! It was to be a small wedding, at a sweet location, very casual.   Our hotel was only a mere 3 miles from the site of the wedding.  That's important to note.  We left the hotel at 3:30, a half hour before the ceremony was to begin so we'd have plenty of time.  Our GPS decided to take us the long way around to get there.  I hated our GPS at that moment, and that's important to note.  If we're being honest, I was super glad we were near the beaches and I needed my shades, because I had tears rolling out of my eyes when I saw the clock tick closer and closer to time for the wedding and knew we were no where near the site. To say my heart was heavy, well, that would be an understatement.  I've been waiting YEARS for this day to come, and I was missing it.

When I saw 4:00 hit the clock in the Tahoe....I thought I would lose it.  The kids were quiet as little mice in the back, they knew it was a sad moment for mama.  And all of the sudden my phone rang.....it was 4:02....and it was the BRIDE calling.  As I described it to her later, it was like a surreal moment, experiencing two polar opposite feelings all at the EXACT same time in one millisecond.  When I saw my phone pop up "Jenny's calling".....I felt SO STINKIN' BAD because we were late to the wedding and she was having to call me to see where the heck we were.....and in the same instant, my heart was so full because THE BRIDE WAS CALLING ME.....when she was supposed to be walking down the aisle already.  :)  Instead, she was reaching out to find us, because it was important to her that I be there. 

Now that's just pure sweet friendship, y'all.  That's all I can say about it.  And here's proof....this isn't my pic, but she posted this online and I thought I'd steal it to show y'all.....

                                                          

I answered the phone and said, "Jenny, we're LOST!"....as if she hadn't already figured that out.  At the time of her call, we were still several miles deep in LOSTVILLE.....and probably still 15 minutes or more away from her wedding site.  I could hardly talk I was so upset so I gave the phone to Temple to handle things.  The conversation ended like this:

Temple: "We're on the other side of this highway....still have to come back into town, cross over the main highway, and then start over again....it's gonna be at least 15 minutes, but I can't even say for sure."

Jenny: "Well, we probably can't keep making everyone wait (please keep in mind the groom was expecting to have a bride at 4:00), so we'll probably have to start without y'all."

Temple: "Okay, just WALK REALLY SLOW down the aisle."

And with that, they hung up and my husband broke a few road laws.  Mainly ones that involved SPEED, in regard to it's limits as sanctioned by the D.O.T.

And I am happy to report, that yes, although we were many many miles from the wedding site, and our Tahoe may have arrived sliding into the area on only two wheels in a sharp turn, and no one even breathed in our car during the time the phone call ended until we departed the vehicle for the wedding, and fortunately the Lord saw fit that no police were in our path, and the Lord decided to bless us even more because miracles never cease ...... we were able to see this:

                                                         

That's right.  From the car as we slid into the site, we could see the guests being seated outside.  We unloaded the car and went running to get a spot....and I saw Jenny's sister walking towards me...."go see her, she wanted you to be here so badly, let her know you're here".   So I took off running in to find her and as soon as I stepped in and looked up to say hi I heard the WEDDING MARCH beginning to play!!  I ran in  to give her a big hug....and I got to see her one last time as just Jenny....before she became an old married woman. :)

Later in the night, while getting her ready to leave the reception, we both cried about it.  About how it doesn't really matter if you live in the same town, the same state, or the same area of the nation......or if you get to see each other every holiday or not.....or talk to each other daily, or even weekly at times.....good friendships last no matter the circumstances. 

No matter if the wedding invitations were sent weeks before and the time was set for 4.....and your friend is horrible for not making sure she had the directions correct BEFORE the day of your wedding!!!

We pick up wherever we leave off....it's like time knows no bounds....it's what a real friendship is about.  I am blessed to have her friendship....and to have a new friend in the groom who was willing to put up with such shenanigans!!  Everyone I met at the reception would say, "oh, so you're the Kimberly they were talking about".....or    "you're the one who made us all have to keep waiting for the ceremony to begin"......how embarassing!!! Eventually, by the end of the night, I think I had talked to just about everyone on the bride and grooms respective sides to apologize for my time management/directionally challenged shortcomings.  And they were all sweet to forgive. :)  In fact, they even let us have some cake!!

At the reception, not only was the chocolate fountain with fruit a big appeal to our kiddos, but they loved the BBQ....and it shows.

Baby Girl with Aunt Jenny....pretty brown eyed gals!

Baby Girl could hardly wait to jump into the pool at the clubhouse during the reception.  But you can't keep her off the dancefloor, even dripping wet and a bit chilled, she had to stop and join in a round of dancing before heading out again! Certainly, getting to swim at a wedding made this move to the top of the kid's BEST WEDDING EVER list.

The wedding was beautiful, Mrs. Patsy made me laugh out loud on more than one occassion, the reception was great, Mr. Bo's gumbo was divine as usual, lots of memories were made.....and my kids had a blast dancing the night away with "Aunt Jenny".  This laughable moment may have came upon Middle Child returning from the pool to the dance floor to show his latest party trick....the stomach roll.  Which had many folks cracking up....including the bride.

                                                   

Later in the evening, I had a chance to grill the groom, Thor--   sure he may have played collegiate football, and he's a big guy, but he doesn't scare me, not one little bit.   I laid down my demands and he assured me he's gonna take good care of my Jenny. I believe him. 

Jenny......best wishes as Mrs. Thor. :)  I love you bunches and miss you already!!