Beth + Zac :: Forever

Just when we think we've seen every thing there is to see at a wedding... groomsmen "losing" the ring in various ways,  groom's squirting breath freshener before the first kiss... that sort of thing, something new comes along.  

If you've ever been to a wedding, you know how that whenever the bride moves around the stage, to light the candle, or moving from standing on the floor to standing on the stage, someone always stoops over and straightens the train of her dress, right?  Well, until this wedding, I've never seen anyone attend to the groom in that same way. :)  The best man, Steve, was very helpful after Beth + Zac lit their unity candle and came back to their positions at the edge of the stage.  He carefully straightened Zac's pant legs, and then tugged on Zac's jacket to clear it of wrinkles, as the maid of honor was attending to Beth's train!  It was hilarious.  Even Steve couldn't contain his laughter for the next several minutes. :)

Zac tried to apologize for his groomsmen, but they were all a blast... from making fun of Jodi's posing language, to several of them telling Jodi their name was "Charles" (even though no one was actually named Charles), to making whale noises during the toast... you never knew what was coming next.  

The wedding started off in Williamsburg at St Pauls United Methodist Church.  On the way to the reception, we stopped at Kent Park for some fun shots, then it was off to another one of our favorite reception venues, the Iowa Memorial Union, for the celebration!  

Beth + Zac handed out lots of glow sticks, and of course, some people got creative!

Kristen :: Senior

A BIT ABOUT ME:

Sports/Clubs/Activities I am or was involved in: Drama, Softball, Volleyball, Basketball, Choir, NHS, JEL, Student Council, Art club, Movie Club, Riverside Ramblers 4-H, County Council, and I am the 2009 Washington County Pork Queen :)

What's Playing in my iPod: Michael Jackson

The number one challenge facing my generation: Too much pressure and too many things to fit in our schedules!

Something that is WAAAY overrated: High School Sports

Something I would love to do before I die: Ride in a hot air balloon, go parasailing, bungie jumping and sky diving!

If I had $1000 to spend in only ONE store it would be: American Eagle

When I have a few extra dollars in my pocket, I usually buy: Scrapbooking or Sewing stuff

My dream vacation would start in: Ireland and end in: Greece

Molly :: Senior

Sports/Clubs/Activities I'm involved in: Volleyball, Basketball, Golf, Softball... BPA President (Business Professionals of America) , Peer Helpers, and Youth Group

The best job on the planet has got to be: A job that i truly enjoy and is different everyday.

What's playing on your iPod right now?: Beautiful Ending- Barlow Girl

The worst movie I've ever seen? Napoleon Dynamite

The number one challenge facing my generation is: Not working for what you receive.

If I were President for a day, two things I would change:  Make abortion and same sex marriage illegal.

Brand of jeans I wear: The ones that fit.

Something that is WAAY overrated is: Showing a ton of skin.

My dream vacation: Start in Hawaii and work my way around the world.

What song do you turn up louder when you're driving in your car?
any song that i can sing to :):) Barlow Girl and Superchick!!

Two things I'm looking forward to this year: PowderPuff... new beginnings

Would you rather.... 1) be in peak physical condition for the rest of your life? OR 2) have one month to spend $1 million any way you want? (things to think about.... no diets, doctors, or workouts when you're older, and/or = easily fulfilling #11 or #12): Peak physical Condition... money is just money....

The Murray's :: Family

The Murray's have a special place in our hearts for several reasons, and it would take a while to tell the whole story of how we met.  So, I'll just tell you that Mick is the pastor of our church, and his honesty and "tell-it-like-it-is-ness" was the main reason Jodi and I started attending that church soon after we were married.  Since then, Mick has become one of my good friends and "mentors"... meaning he is someone who isn't afraid to ask me the tough questions of life and call things how he sees them.  

Mick and Julie's oldest daughter was heading off to her first year of college, so it was time to update their family picture.  We visited our neighbor's sheep pasture for the photo session as the sun was going down, and I think we successfully avoided the little black piles of.... 

Mick and Julie... we appreciate you and your family so much. You friendship has meant a lot to us the past 8 years, and we admire your faithfulness and integrity in both your ministry and in your family. We love you all!!

Morgan :: Senior

A BIT ABOUT ME:

Sports/Clubs/Activities I'm involved in: Used to play volleyball, basketball and track, but just had my 3rd ACL surgery so I'm done with sports.

Future Plans: Coe College

What's playing on my iPod right now? Be With You by Enrique Iglesias

Best Movie I've ever seen: Dirty Dancing. The Worst movie: The Strangers

Brand of jeans I wear: American Eagle

Something I would love to do before I die: Go Skydiving!

My dream vacation would start here: Chicago and end here: Greece

If I had $1000 to spend in only ONE store I would choose: Buckle

When I have a couple extra dollars in my pocket I always buy: Shirts from Buckle!

Jackson's First Day of School

Ever since 2003, when we announced to our family and friends that we were expecting a child, almost every person said "Enjoy it, it goes soooo fast!"  So we took their advice.  

If you're new to our lives, we have three children, and today our oldest, Jackson, started school. He has been so excited for this day for a long time, and Jodi and I have been realizing how fast the time goes.  It doesn't seem like that long ago that we loaded him up in a car seat to bring him home from the hospital, and we wondered if we knew what we were getting in for. :)  Now, here we are 5 years later, and he's going to have new friends, a new world and new role models.  But we pray that he is a blessing to God and those he comes in contact with, and we're excited for this new stage in our family's life!  

Here's the big kid on Day 1, feeding the cat, shooting something, and excited about the backpack and new lunchbox.  Enjoy school, Jackson... it goes so fast.

Blake :: Senior

If you've been following the GP blog for at least a year, you know that we've been doing something called "A Bit About Me", where seniors get to answer a few questions about themselves so that it makes the post a little more interesting than "he had a great smile!" or "she was really fun to photograph".  It's also a fun peek at their personality and their outlook on the world and culture.

BLAKE :: A Bit About Me ::

Sports/Clubs/Activities I'm involved in:  Cross Country, Cheerleading and Track (Running & Hurdles), Student Council, Band & Painting

Future Plans: Hopefully become a successful photographer after college

What's playing on my iPod:  Easteighteen, Boys Like Girls, All American Rejects, Black Eyed Peas

The number one challenge facing my generation is:  Idiot world leaders!

When I have a few extra dollars in my pocket, I always buy:  Shoes! :)

Something I would love to do before I die:  Skydive!

If I had $1000 to spend in only ONE store, that store would be:  Heritage 1981

Would you rather....1) be in peak physical condition for the rest of your life, or 2) have one month to spend $1 million any way you like?   #1!! No one wants to diet, and running would be much more enjoyable!

Something that's WAAAY overrated is:  Boyfriends! HA :)

If I could live anywhere in the US, it would be: A house on the beach in California.

Christy + Hisham :: Forever

What an amazing wedding!?  Seriously.  First of all, it was gorgeous weather... again.  Then, Christy had the coolest details and vintage style, mixed with Hisham's Middle-Eastern culture, and it made for a really cool combination.

The ceremony was at one of our favorite churches, St Mary's Catholic Church in Riverside, and the reception was at another favorite of ours... Brown Deer Golf Club.  The staff at Brown Deer was above and beyond easy to work with, and helpful.  If you're looking for a great place for a small or midsize reception, check them out.

Brides, if you're looking for something photo-friendly and eco-friendly to have people throw as you leave the church, check this out.... it's bio-degradable confetti called "Ecofetti". It makes for sweet photos, and it disappears with the rain.