Christmas Day 2010

Who doesn't love Christmas morning?! Family, sleeping in, opening gifts, eating Santa's left over cookies, tree lit, music playing, staying in PJs until noon... just to name a few of the things at the Williams home. Oh, and let's not forget the annual "tree photo" with my brother. :)

Dylan likes to put every present on while opening them, as opposed to stacking his gifts in a pile. Which would explain the basketball shorts and Ugg slippers.

Dad had fun with the 3D glasses - mom buys new ones every year.

Dylan opened every present with a hunting knife this year.

The annual "tree picture"

This year's Christmas was a success, like always. We started the day at home and ended with a big gathering with Cliff's family at the "Mac Shack" (the McCallister home).

The hostess with the mostess!

The big meal - yes, that would be 4 long tables and every chair in the building.

After an evening of eating way too much tenderloin and pie, and opening "white elephant" gifts, we met up with old high school friends for a Christmas party...complete with Seasonal cocktails, games, and of course...a self-timed group photo.

Introducing Mr & Mrs Zak Thompson!

Another wedding post! But this wedding was especially my favorite, seeing as how my best friend was marrying the man of her dreams and I had the honor of standing by her side...like, RIGHT next to her side. I have blogged about her bachelorette party and bridal shower, but now it is with great pleasure that I spill the beans about the most important day of her life...her wedding day.

I have known Alli Ford since childhood Sunday school, but it wasn't until high school that we became good friends. During our sophomore year of college, Alli decided to transfer to Oklahoma State, where she lived just half a mile away from me. I was beyond stoked to have her so close. We were always accountable to one another over the course of our college experience. Fun times, yes, there were many...too many. It would take me at least an entire week to talk about all of the memorable stories I have with this beautiful woman. We have come to know each other so well. It's an understanding that goes beyond words. Alli is like a sister to me. I know everything about her. So when I met Zak Thompson, I just knew there was something special about him.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this couple is how Zak and Alli met. You just don't come across very many couples who were introduced through a company who sells knives...but thanks to Vector Marketing and Cutco Cutlery, this love came about. I spent that summer in Stillwater constantly visiting them at work and sharing Cherry Coke Zeros on the regular. Although they didn't express their love immediately, I just knew they would make a great pair because of their complimentary life styles and personalities.

Before Zak even told me he was going to propose, all the signs were clear to me that he was The One...the special looks, the way Alli lit up when they were together...everything just fell in place. I know that Zak and Alli have the foundation for a wonderful marriage: not just lovers, but lifelong friends as well.

The Thompson wedding weekend took place in Oklahoma City/Edmond, Oklahoma. The beautiful rehearsal dinner was hosted by family friends and the weather was perfect for an outdoor celebration. The Saturday ceremony took place at May Avenue United Methodist Church. I have never been to a wedding in such a cute and quaint little chapel. It was the perfect setting for the amount of guests. After the ceremony, the couple was surprised with a Mercedes Benz to drive around the block...a great photo opportunity, especially with everyone throwing rose petals! Guests then drove a few blocks away to The Centre, where the dinner and dancing took place. Actually, to just say dinner and dancing would be an understatement...because honestly, it was a PARTY! The DJs worked the crowd so well. In fact, we got to see Zak's mom break it down on the dance floor! Needless to say, we ALL danced the night away!

Ryan & Mo's Wedding

One word can sum up 2010 thus far. That word would be "marriage." I understand that there comes a time in everyone's life when their friends start getting married...but seriously, people? Twelve weddings in one year?! I must admit, I only went to half of them, but the numbers are still shockingly high. You have to understand something...I did not come from a metroplex, nor did I belong to a sorority in college...so had those two facts been different, we would probably be looking at more like twenty-four weddings!

Last weekend, Cliff and I attended Ryan and Morgan (Collier) Williams' wedding at First Baptist in Wichita Falls. I was actually part of the house party, but Cliff was a trooper for coming with me. Because I had known this couple for so long, I was not surprised to see the oh-so-chic/bazaar color schemes and decoration choices. Do not get me wrong, it looked FABULOUS! Morgan had chosen a deep purple, black, and leopard print for the wedding party. The bridesmaids looked amazing in their purple dresses, and I still have no clue how they walked in those Jessica Simpson leopard cowhide stilettos! Even the flower girls sported the leopard print! (see Brooklyn Grace's outfit)

The reception was held at the Kemp Center, which was once the Wichita Falls Public Library. The venue was built in 1917 and underwent a $1 million renovation just before 2002. It now serves as a meeting hall/exhibition venue, as well as an art gallery. Texas bar-b-que was served at the reception, along with the traditional wedding cake, and groom's cake (which by the way was in the shape of an X-Box). For party favors, goodie bags were available to fill with various sweets from the candy bar.

The night was filled with great music and dancing, as well as memorable speeches made by both groomsmen and bridesmaids.

I can not wait to see how this new family grows in the Lord, especially after seeing how he brought them together at just the right time!

Bridal Shower Time!

Alli's bridal shower was held at my parents' house this past weekend and it was so much fun for the "hometown 6" to get together one more time (with our moms) before the wedding. I had a blast helping mom plan the shower. Why? Because we are both OCD and when we plan, we plan for success. :) Mom decided to incorporate Alli's wedding colors into everything, including the cake (thanks to Monica's mom)! I don't think many people could pull off a orange and teal bridal shower, but by golly, Denise sure did! Check out some of the pictures from Alli's "Hometown Shower". We served mini quiche, pinwheels, fruit, veggies, crackers, dip, and some kind of amazing drink that I have yet to figure out. I was also able to print off pictures of the bride and groom to put around the room.

I have to thank Cliff (big time) for taking the groom, Zak, to the golf course for the afternoon while us girls did our thing. I know it's never a man's wish to sit in on a bridal shower. :)

Also, please note my Fall arrangement on the mantle. Mom put me in charge of decorating for Autumn...she even let me buy the new painting above the fireplace.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

As Maid of Honor, it was my duty to plan Alli's Bachelorette Party. She decided she wanted a weekend in Oklahoma City (her new home). So after much thought, I came up with the perfect girls' weekend for Alli and her closest gal pals.

I started with the reservations, then moved to the invitations. I refuse to use store-bought things when I know I can make things just as cute or cuter. So my idea was to create a lingerie-themed invite. I browsed the web and found exactly what I was looking for. It's amazing what one can do with some scrapbook paper, scissors, and a glue stick!

In the invites was the weekend itinerary, which included:

• Friday Game night at Zak & Alli's future home,
• Saturday morning brunch at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art,
• A trip to the OKC Zoo (Alli loves animals),
• Lingerie party at our hotel, The Skirvin Hilton (my favorite),
• Dinner at Elephant Bar (we had a personalized menu), and
• A night on the town (Pete's Piano Bar and Skyy Bar)

I had an absolute BLAST using my event planning degree to put together an unforgettable weekend for a girl I could not live without. To say that Alli is anything less than a sister to me would be an understatement.

Enjoy some of my favorite photos from the weekend!

Goin' to the Chapel...

I have hit that stage in life where everyone around me is either getting engaged or getting married. I don't know why...maybe there is something in the water. Marriage and weddings always get me excited because of the wide variety of themes, colors, and venues...well, and because I studied event planning in college. It's a fact: no two weddings are alike...kind of like snowflakes, so I can not wait to see what these couples come up with!

This is just a post where I congratulate my friends for not only keeping my schedule filled with exciting weekends of showers, parties, and ceremonies...but also for finding their one true love!

Zak Thompson & Alli Ford - Where do I begin to describe mine and Alli's friendship? I have known her since junior high Sunday school. But it wasn't until late high school that we became great friends. Once she transferred to OSU our sophomore year of college, we knew we were destined for each other. We came up with a weekly "Jessie-Alli" time which included wine nights, trips to the Fiji house, making animal sounds late at night, trying new recipes that usually failed, and burning holes in comforters with anonymous objects. There has never been a dull moment with Alli. She met Zak in Stillwater, and the first time I met him I knew there was a special connection between the two of them. I still don't know whether to credit their ridiculous competitive spirit or their love for CCZ (Cherry Coke Zero), but I got to witness these two grow closer and closer right before my eyes, and it was perfect! After dating for a couple years, Zak called to let me know that he was proposing and I was ecstatic! Zak proposed to Alli in February at Reunion Tower in Dallas. When she asked me to be her maid of honor I felt so blessed. Since then, I have helped her with some wedding planning and have put together her Bachelorette Weekend in Oklahoma City (post to come). Zak and Alli will be wed on October 9th, 2010 in Oklahoma City, OK, where they will start their new life together!

Ryan Williams & Morgan Collier - Since junior high, Ryan and I have convinced multiple people that we are cousins...but in all honesty we are not related at all. Ryan was the goofiest guy in school...ALWAYS making up weird voices and making teachers laugh to get himself out of trouble. Morgan, or "Mo", was my right-hand woman during high school cross country. With her, practices seemed so much shorter and running at 5:30 am was not so brutal. Mo was (and still is) loud, blunt, and spontaneous...but she also one of the most passionate people I have ever met. When Ryan and Mo started dating, Mo immediately took in Ry's kids as her own. (She is so good with kids, its disgusting.) They are the cutest little family and I could not think of someone more perfect for Ryan than Mo. I will be in the house party for their wedding on October 2nd...and knowing these two, this wedding will be FULL of fun and surprises!

Ford Swanson & Ashley Awtry - I met Cliff's brother, Ford, and his fiance (girlfriend at the time), Ashley, last December. Ford manages several restaurants around the area and he just so happens to manage a brand new Dairy Queen. So on a freezing cold December afternoon, Cliff decided to introduce me to Ford and Ashley...at the ice cream joint. They had just looked at wedding rings that day, so I could tell a proposal was in the near future. Much to every one's surprise, Ford actually had the ring for several months before finally popping the question...but I think it was well worth the wait. Ashley's ring can be seen from probably a quarter of a mile away...in other words, Ford did VERY GOOD! I have already seen how organized Ashley is with the wedding plans, so I definitely look forward to their Spring wedding in April or May of 2011!

Kris Tucker & Marissa Ayers - This couple has become a huge hit in my book over the last couple months. Kris and Cliff are best friends. I had not met Kris or Marissa until this summer when they moved to Wichita Falls after being in Lubbock for school. The day after I met Marissa, I could tell we were going to be great friends. She invited us to her lake cabin at Lake Kemp...naturally, she was my favorite person after that. Kris and Marissa are a lot like Cliff and I in many ways. He is a few years older than her (like us), she calls the shots (sorry Cliff and Kris, but its true), and he seems a little more laid back and quiet while she is crazy like me! We have been able to spend a lot of time with them, and I hope that our friendship grows stronger and stronger. Kris actually used MY electric grill to make dinner for Marissa the night he proposed, so in a sense I feel as if I had a part in the proposal. :) I can't wait to help her plan her Spring 2011 wedding. Oh, and there is a chance that Cliff and I will BOTH have roles in this wedding!

So as I wrap up this post, I want to congratulate all of these happy couples and I pray that God blesses all of them with happily ever afters!