wedding party.
ginny hurst gould.
matron of honor. sister of the bride.
ginny adds a little spice to life for all who know and love her. she has certainly made that transition from sister to friend and is fiercely loyal to me and our family. she makes me laugh but also has just the dearest heart for those in need... she is of the most generous people i know and much of my furniture and clothing was gifted by her:)... though seemingly shy, the word on the street is that she can bring down the house at karaoke.
holley hurst chapman.
matron of honor. sister of the bride.
holley and i were two little peas in a pod from the time we met:) from sharing a room to sharing high school and college experiences she has been a sister and a friend all my days. so grateful for her perspective and unparalleled humor, and her beauty both inside and out. my greatest hope in life is that she would perform a pat&terri song at one of the wedding events.
kelley cagle brister.
bridesmaid.
i think kelley and i first swapped bff necklaces shortly after birth. she has been my best for as long as i can remember and is the most tried and true friend a girl could hope for. she is funny and unpresumptuous and up for anything. she is open minded yet strong in her convictions. can't imagine my days without her and glad i don't have to!
lucy lee horton.
bridesmaid.
oh little lucy lee. what a dear and loyal friend! a kindred spirit, a soul sister, and a beatrice to my mae. i am daily blessed and humbled by her thoughtfulness and encouragement. i just love how she loves others and challenges me toward the same. her wit and humor are unparalleled, along with her quick smile & contagious laugh. she is just my dearest! and i know she will be my bff always.
kim mathews sayles.
bridesmaid.
hard to capture her in words, kim brings out a side of me that i only know with her. a best friend since high school, she was my little partner in everything from mischief to scripture memory:) she is goofy and fun and brings a party wherever she goes. she is also honest and straightforward and so so loyal!! i can't wait for many memories to come with kim and her dear husband, rob!
lindsay gavos todd.
bridesmaid.
beautiful, quiet little lindsay is just so dear to my heart! she is gentle and kind and careful with her words in a way that i long to be. her friendship was a provision at just the right time and continues to be a little treasure for me. i can't wait to live next to each other for all of our days:)
elizabeth ann austin.
bridesmaid. sister of the groom.
elizabeth may have more friends than anyone i know. her ability to make people feel comfortable combined with a personality that's up for anything must be a little people magnet. she is funny and creative and a really good cook... and a better new sister one could not have. what a treat for me!
sarah rebecca fenlaw.
bridesmaid.
oh how to put her into words? i think sarai/fens/phineas just put her mind to letting me be her friend and i'm not quite sure why. nonetheless, she brings much to my world. she is funny, as chill as they come, full of grace and loyalty, and my little music supplier. i am so grateful that she includes me in her life & am always curious for her insights and life journey's next stop.
callie macfarlan nixon.
bridesmaid & wedding singer woman.
callie is my little goofy, wise friend. she has an adventurous heart and a deep commitment to truth. her beautiful spirit and voice are a blessing to all who encounter them. our shared love for learning, for reading, and for really good discussion add to the delight of being her friend.
kimberly hooper pearson.
bridesmaid.
when i think of kim, i think of tucking into the corner of a sofa as we engage in a lively discussion complete with a good cup of coffee, a candle burning and a really cozy blanket. kim is wise and insightful, a wordsmith with great humor and creativity. she is incomparably generous and gifted at effortlessly entertaining and creating warmth and coziness. simply said, i have learned much because she is my friend.
jenny renee white.
bridesmaid.
jenny is a kindred. her friendship both delights and humbles me. she is quick to laugh but oh so thoughtful. when she says she prays for me, i know she means it, and i learn from her teachable spirit and careful understanding. if she would only write a book, i would gift it to everyone i know.
benton austin.
best man. brother of groom.
What can you say about your brother? I've known him his whole life. I shot him with a gun. I chased him around the house. And somewhere in all of that we became best friends. I'm not sure how but I can't picture life without him. Family get- togethers wouldn't be the same without someone sitting by you, making wisecracks. I might be the older brother but it's safe to say I look up to him now.
john mccurry.
groomsman.
We worked at Pine Cove together in summer of 2003 and a dangerous friendship was formed. Something about John and I together became a challenge to both of us to get people to believe anything we wanted them to. And it worked. I'll never forget getting paid to hang out at PC and almost dying on a hiking trip in Arkansas. Fair warning...beware if we're together.
john self.
groomsman.
When you look back at your life up to this point there are certain things that are constant. John Self is my constant. From 7th grade basketball (pretty sure he's the same height now as he was then) to college to both of our weddings. Just crazy. John is a goofy guy but whatever we got ourselves into, I knew he was going to be right there with me. One of the most loyal guys ever...in the world...seriously.
john redfearn.
groomsman.
I met John Redfearn at Pine Cove. We were both project guys together and I remember thinking...."That guy seems mad". Well, he wasn't mad. He was hilarious. From PC softball, Rangers games, concerts, and youtube videos, John was just so steady. He's there if you want to go shoot skeet. He's there if you want to go eat at The Shed. And he's there if you're driving a tractor and a wheel falls off...
eric benton.
groomsman.
Eric was a fast friend. I'd say it happened when we were supposed to live together in college and we went to his house to pick him up to sign the lease and he just....didn't come out. We've had some great moments with intramurals, him being smooth with the ladies, and just life. He is also the only groomsmen on the list lucky enough to live with both Austin brothers. Yeah...lucky. In Eric's words..."What am I doing?!?"
chris pope.
groomsman.
Almost every story in college involves Chris Pope. I met him when I was coming down the hallway and there was a room blasting NSYNC and this guy walked out and said "yeah...you like that?". Seriously, I've laughed harder with Chris than anyone in my life; whether it was some prank we planned that went horribly wrong, a high jump event at Taco Cabana, or an art sculpture soundtrack just enjoy the stories...
andrew hurst.
groomsman. brother of the bride.
One of my first experiences with Andrew was when Mary and I picked him up from the airport and rode to Nacogdoches. Mary made some joking comment about me Chris Brown-ing her and Andrew promptly stated that if it was true he'd throw me out right then. I respected that. And he's bigger than me. I also respect that. I am looking forward to observing his humor firsthand and driving a Bronco he's rebuilt...firsthand.
mark garcia.
groomsman.
Mark is also just a really consistent guy. He's up for anything and laughs at all my jokes...ok not all. We've got similar interests and similar senses of humor, both of which contributed to making our time at Pine Cove together a blast and probably almost getting us fired. Yeah, this guy knows what I'm talking about...up top.
robby mayne.
groomsman.
Robby has been my boss, my co-worker, my landlord, but most importantly he's been a great friend. He's better than anyone I know at staying connected and offering encouragement to people in his life. He's a great guy to go to for advice and he's passionate; whether it's leading his staff at PC, cheering for LSU, or not putting himself in situations he might be high off the ground.
justin cox.
groomsman.
Living with Justin at Baylor was great...minus the puppy that would sometimes go to the bathroom literally in every seat in the living room. He and his wife Katie always did such a great job of including their single friend Bobby in their lives and I probably served as their little relationship project. Justin is such a good guy and I look forward to hanging out with he and Katie and no longer being single...
luke friesen.
groomsman.
Luke was one of the first guys I met at PC and one of the first friends I made there. It might have been cause he was so welcoming...or it might have been cause he's 6'4" 230 and a good guy to know if there's ever a fight. The good thing about Luke is if there ever was a fight he'd be right there by you. It's also fortunate that we'll laugh together no matter where we're at...even if it's in an old Dairy Queen surrounded by old people.
tom boto.
groomsman.
Tom and I pledged together in college and I was able to see him think on his feet firsthand during that whole ordeal. After that we spent many a sweltering Waco afternoon in the attic of the Student Union Building rearranging trash. We talked about life, girls, the Lord; all while taking a fair amount of breaks. He's one of the most sincere guys there is and also so intentional and disciplined it pushes you to do the same.
murphy j. foster
usher.
Murphy might have been the best roommate I ever had...up to this point. I fully expect to see him on American Idol someday either by his voice alone or wearing some elaborate costume. Appropriately his role will entail usher since he's just as likely to bust out an Usher song as he is to take you to your seat...
andy chapman.
usher.
Andy is one of those guys that no matter what you suggest, he'll be up for it. He's a great guy who's fun to be around and someday I bet he'll end up as a Mexican wrestler...and his costume will probably be made out of gingham. Until then he'll just continue to run farther than any human should and I look forward to more adventures because I know we'll have plenty.
