Silver Anniversary

A few weeks ago, my aunt and uncle celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. The Big Silver. That's what they call it, right? Maybe?

Regardless, Happy Anniversary Chris and Melissa! 

My mom was the big planner, although she would probably not take the credit if you ask her. She's modest that way.  She had the great idea to plan their surprise anniversary party over a month after their actual anniversary, that way, they would never see it coming! Perfect!

The party took place at church, after church, so a major component was that they did not go into the party area. Easier said that done. We devised many plans and backup plans to ensure that the party area was not breached. 

SUCCESS!

The first initial shock was followed closely by another shock: a slide show with all of their old photos. Again, another devious maneuver my my mastermind parents and cousins (Melissa and Chris' kids). 

Next, everyone ate some potluck lunch (thanks church traditions for the hilarious excuse for Melissa to bring food to her own surprise party!) and everyone congratulated and socialized with the happy couple.

Following the food portion of the party, came the "activity" portion. First, Melissa and Chris' daughter, Kaitlynn, and my dad sang a couple of songs that were sung at their wedding. 

The next activity was a version of the "Shoe Game" commonly played at weddings. In case you are unfamiliar, each person in the couple is given a photo of themselves, and a photo of the other person. They are asked questions like, "Who is the grumpiest in the morning" or "Who has the best taste in music" or "Who wears the pants in the relationship." This game is usually very fun for the audience as it leads to both funny moments and "awwwwww....." moments. 

The last "activity" was that guests were given the opportunity to say something nice or funny or commemorative about the couple.

The party could not have gone smoother! They were thoroughly surprised and everyone seemed to have a great time! Thanks to the (approximately) 150 guests who attended this event!

Here are some more photos from the party:

Click here to see the Silver Bottle Project!

BPP: Fall Bucket List Update

A few weeks ago, we created and posted our 2015 Fall Bucket List. So far, we've gotten through about 1/3 of our items, so I thought it would be a good time to show you guys the pictures from some of the fun times we've had this fall!

Host a Fall Party - We had originally planned to have a bonfire at our Fall Party, but it rained the whole day leading up to to the party. Instead we just grilled hot dogs on the George Forman, and made s'mores in the microwave. We had a great time eating, talking, and playing games!

Watch Scary Movies - So far this fall, we've watched 'Alien' and 'Nightmare on Elm Street.' We watched Alien from our couch, and Nightmare on Elm Street at the Drive-In. This was the first I'd seen both of these movies, and they were good, but I'd personally be fine to not watch anymore this season.

Brew Spiced Lattes - Uhhh, we went a little crazy on our Fall Keurig flavors.... We bought (in addition to our usual ones) Caramel, Pumpkin Spice, and Hot Apple Cider. This is the best we're going to get on brewing spiced lattes, I think.

Go on a Hike - For part of my birthday festivities, we went to Mammoth Cave and did a little hiking and mild spelunking. It was a pretty fun time, and a great addition to my birthday weekend.

Enjoy a bonfire - We do this at least once a week. I would suggest to anyone to invest in a fire pit, because it is so relaxing. We enjoy winding down and talking for hours next to the fire.

Pre-Wedding Shenanigans

The 2 days leading up to the Lam Wedding were very full and fun! We had a bachelorette party, a bridal luncheon, and of course a rehearsal dinner!

The Thursday night before Lauren's wedding, I hosted a bachelorette party. It was a relaxed, Italian-themed party, where we ate homemade Italian cuisine, "painted like Michelangelo," and had Gelato (AKA regular ice cream sundaes). Later in the evening, Lauren opened some lingerie gifts and we all stayed up and talked late into the night!

I really enjoyed hosting and having everyone over to our new house! It was a pleasure having all of these awesome girls stay with me!

On Friday, my aunt, Melissa, and I organized a Bridal Luncheon, that took place in my parents' back yard. I'm so thankful for all that Melissa did for both my wedding, and Lauren's wedding. She is literally one of the best people you will ever meet...

Of course, we had girly food. We had chicken salad and pimento cheese on crescents, veggies, chips, cherry salad, cookies, and lemonade. It was delicious!!

The of course we took pictures, cause duh.

It was a pleasant afternoon with many wonderful ladies!

Friday night was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was phenomenal!!!! I could not get over how perfect the venue was and how delicious the food tasted! 

The cherry on top was getting to hear all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen give toasts about Lauren and Blake. I was amazed at how studly all of the groomsmen were and how their stories showed Blake's admirable character. The bridesmaids had so many nice things to say about Lauren as well! The Lams are truly blessed with (at least) 12 awesome people who believe in them, will support them,  and will hold them accountable! It was amazing to hear everyone speak!

It was a fantastic couple of days, and I feel so privileged to be a part of it!

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Lauren Lam

Well, my sister is officially married! It was a fun, stress-free day! Here's a run-down of some things that happened from the Matron of Honor's perspective!

Lauren and I left to go to her hair appointment. This was a good time to chit-chat and catch up with our beautician that we've had since we were little. In all honesty, I was a little bit nervous about the hairstyle Lauren had picked, but supportive anyway. But when Mrs. Denise was finished, it was beautiful! Mrs. Denise, if you're reading this, it looked beautiful and held perfectly all day!

Next, I drove us to the church where all of the bridesmaids had arrived and started getting ready and excited. We all painted our nails, got our hair curled and fixed, and got our make-up done. My mother-in-law did most of the hair and make-up. It was fun to have her there, and she did awesome! My hair is the curliest its every been in my entire life (which still isn't super curly, but getting my hair to curl at all AND HOLD is a feat)! Thank you, Melanie for taking on such a large task with the hair and makeup!

Before we knew it, the ceremony was due to start in 15 minutes! We prayed together. Then, we squealed together. Then we walked over to the church to take our places. It was game time. 

The ceremony was perfect! It went so smoothly and it was truly a worship service! Lauren looked beautiful, and Blake simply beamed! It was an honor to hold Blake's ring, hold Lauren's bouquet, and adjust Lauren's dress. My only regret is that I didn't memorize the words for the song that was included in the ceremony ;) (photo credit: Sarah Baldauff)

Directly after the ceremony, we took immediate family photos, bridal party photos, and relaxed while The Lams took couple photos. 

Then, we all caravanned to the reception location. I had never been to The Rawlings (the reception venue), so when we arrived, I was in for a special surprise! The Rawlings is beautiful, inside and out, and perfect for Lauren and Blake's wedding decor. I wish I had taken more pictures of the outside because the trees were tall, green, and luscious!

Things like Grand Entrances always make me feel awkward, but thankfully, the Best Man, Demetrius, agreed we should just walk in normal. Also, the DJ completely botched my last name, which was really funny, and made for several jokes throughout the night!

The Lam Fam danced their first dance, my dad and Lauren danced theirs, and Blake and his mom danced theirs. THEN the DJ forced all of the wedding party to come out and dance (which was completely unplanned, but ended up being really fun and hilarious).

The DJ, was legit. Thats all I really have to say about him! He was really good at knowing when to change it up and what songs to play!

My last responsibility came at 6:25, when I gave my toast. I was very nervous, which made me opt read it, instead of try to memorize it. As I predicted, I choked up. BUT, I think it was still good! Demetrius and my dad both gave their speeches, and they were both great!

The rest of the night consisted of eating, dancing, and laughing! It was a great reception and everyone seemed to have a great time! 

I'm so glad to have Blake as my brother-in-law and I'm so excited to witness Lauren and Blake's relationship grow! June 6, 2015 was a great day!

#LamFam15

For all of you new readers, click here to start at the beginning of the Secrets of the Matron of Honor series!

**NOTE: This is NOT the last post in the series. I will be posting tomorrow and the next day to finish up the Secrets of the Matron of Honor series! Then on Thursday, we will return to the normal Monday/Thursday rotation, and Friday will feature a new Brown Paper Packages. Yes! You're reading this correctly; there will be a new blog post EVERY DAY THIS WEEK! 

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Brown Paper Packages #10

Wow! Already time for a new Brown Paper Packages! This one snuck up on me a little bit! A few fun things have happened in the midst of our busy-ness the past two weeks... Here are the top 6...


A New Hammock - WE ARE SO EXCITED to have a hammock!! There are much more significant things that have happened in the past 2 weeks, but this has definitely sparked the most raw excitement. That's actually saying a lot, seeing as how neither of us typically show that much outward excitement. 

Mother's Day - This year for Mother's Day, we were so blessed to be able to see BOTH of our moms!! It was a beautiful day to celebrate our mothers and we enjoyed spending time with both! Thank you mom and Melanie for being so loving, understanding, and fun! We love you both!

Spending Time with Braxton - Last week, Braxton spent the week with us. We pretty much did our normal routine, just with an extra person! It was fun to spend time with him and have interesting and thoughtful conversations. Koba and Yuki really enjoyed having him there too!

Koba's Birthday - Koba turned 1 on May 15, so of course we celebrated! Click here to read what was included in the birthday festivities. He just looks so happy in this picture :)

We're Moving - When we got the hammock, I made a comment about how I wished we had a bigger yard. Several conversations, 2 rolls of packing tape, and 1 week later, we had found a new place, scouted it out, fell in love with it, and arranged to move. There will be more information about this coming soon.

Koba Turns 1

Friday was Koba's Birthday! To celebrate, we got him a "cake," some gifts, took lots of pictures, and gave him a birthday survey. The answers to his survey are first, followed by some of the pictures we took.

Name: Koba. Pronounced Ko-BA

Birthday: May 15, 2014. I was adopted on July 27, 2014.

Current Weight: Isn't this a little personal? But if you must know, 10.2 lbs. I'm a fully grown adult cat now.

Name Origin: Koba from "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014). He's the villain ape trying to rule over all of the apes. 

Nicknames: Mr. Grumpy Whiskers, Koby

Favorite Color: Green

Biggest Fears: Bath time, Yuki

Current Hobbies: Bird-watching, napping, EATING, playing tag with Yuki, dancing


Now for the pictures!!!

"It's my birthday! HEYO!"

"This tastes like regular food, but it must be different because of the candle..."

"I. Love. Birthday Cake."

Yuki getting ready to steal the rest of Koba's birthday cake with a sneak attack.

Birthday Presents!

Yuki trying to steal Koba's thunder.

A series of terrible selfies.

Right photo: Everyone tired of taking pictures....

Finally a good one, after a short break.

Happy Birthday, Koba!