The 'Maids

I love my bridesmaids, so this post is dedicated to them.

First up, we have Katie Randall. Katie has been there for me through allll the ups and downs of dating Baden this past year and a half. More then once I used her shoulder to cry on, basked in her wisdom, and marveled at her unfailing support. Except for these past couple of months, we have been roommates the entire time Baden and I have been together. I first met Katie as her R.A. in Fall 2007, and since then I've had the pleasure of getting to know just what an amazing person she is. This first picture is from the night we went to prank Ricky (her now-boyfriend) with balloons all over his door. Or maybe is was the time we saran-wrapped another friends car. Either way, here we are showing off our footwear...

This is Katie dressed up for 70s day at school. She doesn't comb that hair of hers out very often so this was a treat to behold!

Next, there's Sara George Kreider. Sara was a roommate of mine my first and second year at SVU, and an incredible one at that. I've also had the honor to be a bridesmaids this past January for her own wedding. Sara's wit, humor, optimism, and laid-back-ness give me something to strive for. She's not only a great friend but a great human being, and a very beautiful woman. Looking through facebook, where I pirated most of these pictures, I couldn't find any of just me and Sara! So instead, here's one of my favorites of her, I believe from her visit to California.

A wedding day princess shot!

Now for the lovely Holli Coats. She and her husband Matt are our closest "couple friends." We basically do everything together if we can possibly help it. Seriously, we have joked that we basically have a four-way relationship. I didn't really get to know Holli until after her wedding, but she is just darn great. She and Matt have been the example to Baden and I of newlyweds, and I'd be lying if I ever said I didn't want to be just like Holli. The pictures below are good examples of the crazy times these kids get up to. Here's one of them ready to go to the rodeo. And no, that's not a dinner plate Matt is wearing, it's a belt buckle.

Here's one of us at Sam's Club on some porch furniture we all fell in love with. Matt is basically the happiest man on earth here. But who wouldn't be?

Rorie Jones is the bridesmaid traveling the farthest for the wedding. She's flying in from Houston, Texas, and the whole wedding wouldn't feel right if she didn't. Rorie was the first friend I made at SVU. We both got to "Rise Up for Honor," the sunrise fireside tradition SVU starts every year off with, and discovered we were both 19 year old transfer students. I remember this because for some reason I felt like that bonded us immediately. While Rorie only spent one semester at SVU, we've stayed in touch and I was able to spend a spring break in Texas with her, and serve as her bridesmaid a year and a half ago. I can't say enough good things about Rorie and the example she has set for me as a bride and wife. I love this picture of us, on her wedding day, with the steeple of the Houston Temple behind us.

Of course I loved Rorie first, but I loved her family very soon after that. This is me with all the Sosa girls (Rorie's three sisters and a cousin), goofing off while trying to keep warm on that winter wedding day!

Rorie and I at the Houston Rodeo, where we got to see Sugarland perform!

Last but certainly not least, my maid of honor, Hannah Whaley. Hannah and I have been best friends since 10th grade, where we figured out the whole Early College thing together. While Hannah has been in a very long term relationship with the wonderful Seth for the vast majority of our history, she has seen me through a few different boys and the few heartbreaks that came with them. I've traveled with Hannah more then any other person outside of my family, come to think of it. We've been to Disney World, where we rode the Aerosmith Rock 'N Roller coaster so many times we lost count and got hit on by a bartender who wanted to take us (two 15 or 16 year olds at the time) out on his motorcycle. I also flew all the way out to Florence, Oregon where Hannah was living, to try and forget about a bad break up for a week. Hannah is protective, but supportive to the max. She's also just drop-dead funny. The kind of funny that's so smart it should really be called "witty," but no one else has ever been witty enough to bring me to uncontrollable tears of laughter the way she does. So I'll just say she is gut-busting hilarious. Until Baden, Hannah was the love of my life. I have no idea what I would do without her to bounce stuff off of for this wedding. And now, she's planning one of her own! If I know Hannah, it's going to be the classiest, greenest, Martha Stewart-approved wedding ever! I'm pretty sure Hannah hates this picture, but I love it. I took this while holding on to my camera for dear life while we spun like crazy on a carnival ride in Oregon.

This is us at Jake's Diner in Greensboro, I believe. Man, I love that girl!

This was a long post but I just had to honor my favorite gals. Can't wait til we're all together ladies!