they're gooooooo-in to the chapel and they're....what, WHAT??!

chapel, what?

nope.

not this girl.

she went to a barn.

and she totally nailed it (nail? get it?! pun intended!!)

every. single. detail.
amanda lynn gowen.

manda panda.

the girl who lived just across the street from me, in our village of only 38 people.

(six of which were our family, and six were hers)

we shared "clay street" for over ten years.

the girl who took off down the court, as soon as i would a) steal the ball, or b) get the pass post-rebound.....yes, we cherrypicked the heck out of every team in our middle school bball days.

the girl who practiced layups, while i practiced dribbling with my left hand.

the girl who's family owned horses. horses that we would ride around "the section" on. horses that would help our summer adventures, by packing picnics, or even bucking us off into barbed wire fences.

yes, adventure.

amanda, the girl who was always reading a book, when i would knock on her door to come out and play.

the girl who usually left at least 10 minutes before me for school or practice.....thus always arriving early, and me? just a couple minutes late.

amanda, the girl who was shy. and fortunately went along with any idea i had.

let's sing away in the manger in the middle of summer? ok!

let's play school? ok!

let's build snow forts? ok!

let's have a saronville carnival? ok!

the girl who experienced the loss of her father, at such a young age.

and so, she clung to her other Father......and her faith is inspiring.

the girl who played college sports, who studied pre-pharm, and who just finished her degree in pharmacy. amanda, the girl who is determined.

the girl who i can cry to and laugh with.

the girl who's presence can be absent from my life for large chunks of time, yet when we reunite, it's just like where we left off.

the girl who shares a bond. a God bond.

amanda, who fell completely in love with a man.

phill, who couldn't remind me more of her own father......

that girl?

my best friend forever?

yeah, that one?

well, she got married.

and yes, it was in a barn.

i mean, her ceremony was just outside of the barn, but everything else took place inside.

and i truly can't describe it with words.

i can't describe every single detail she thought up, and then CREATED by herself.......while finishing pharmacy school, spending a year on rotations and passing her boards.

it was beautiful.

she was beautiful.

and i am so, truly, dearly, deeply happy for her.

she's experiencing love.

and i couldn't be happier.

nor could her three beautiful sisters.

from the left: sister melinda, the bride amanda, sister mickayla, and sister sandy. the gowen girls.

and here's a sneak peak of the masterpiece which will be her wedding album. amaze.
amanda, you were a beautiful bride.

you'll be a beautiful wife.