The Wedding Party: Cynthia Bolanos

This is the last bridesmaid I will be writing about that is not a member of my family, and I couldn't think of a better way to transition into telling y'all about my sisters than to tell y'all about my soul sister. Cynthia Bolanos and I met in Ms. Kay Thompson's class on the first day of fifth grade. We sat across the room from each other, but over the course of that year we became best friends. Throughout middle school, our friendship continued to blossom to the point where we talked on the phone every single night at 9pm just to talk about boys or to hear about each other's days. Going into high school, we knew it would be us against the world because we were leaving an eighth grade class of 67 students to enter into a ninth grade class of over 400. We were so excited to find out we had a lot of the same classes, and I vividly remember wanting to cry the first time we had to go our separate ways for class. While I didn't realize it at the time, the friendship we established at Waccamaw Elementary School, between all the band classes and field trips and lunch times, was one that I would end up carrying with me for the rest of my life. Cynthia is my best friend in the whole world - she has been since we were ten years old, and I can't imagine what my life would now look like without her by my side for all these years.

Some of my favorite memories with Cynthia come from our time together in theatre in high school. We always tried to be in the same theatre classes and would spend more time hiding backstage talking than we would actually onstage acting. We really discovered who we wanted to be inside the four walls of that little theatre, and I would not trade those moments for anything. We went through A LOT together in high school, and fortunately for us we came out on the other side of those struggles much stronger. We thought back then that life was so hard, and we couldn't wait to become adults, but little did we know how much life would change after we graduated. There was a period of nine months that Cynthia and I spoke very little, if at all, after high school. We both just got so busy with our separate lives and different colleges that we rarely made time for each other. All that changed the day she told me about a little miracle we now call Sophia Lorraine. 

Cynthia has always been my person. She has always been the first person I would go to when things were great or when things were bad. She has supported my dreams and occasionally told me when I was wrong. She is the color in my very black-and-white life. She helps me see a different perspective than what I am used to seeing. We are complete opposites, but somehow we have always worked together. She has been all these things for me, and if these were the only things she had ever done for me in my whole life, that would have been more than enough for me. But she didn't stop there. On November 13, 2014, she gave me one of the greatest blessings of my life by making me a godmama to an angel. Ever since that day, she and I have been inseparable. It was such an honor to be a part of the biggest day of Cynthia's life, and there is nothing I am more proud of than the mother she has become over the last two years. The things she has taught me through her journey of motherhood are priceless. She has given me a front-row seat to the real, hard, vulnerable, and tiring journey of being a mom, but has shown me all the reasons it is beyond worth it. I will never be able to thank her for the role she has allowed me to play in Sophia's life and for the impact it has had on my own. If God allows me to be a mother someday, I will owe so much of what I know to Cynthia Bolanos.

Of all my friends, Cynthia is the most passionate. She has big dreams and a big heart to match. She was born to chase the sun and to find adventure. She is also a diva, and I will always be the first to tell her when she is being too much to handle (😘). Cynthia is the most loyal and understanding friend in the world. There is no one I would rather have on my side than her because there is nothing anyone could do to change her loyalty. She is so intelligent, beautiful, kind, and free-spirited, and my only hope is that one day she would be able to see herself through my eyes. She is the girl-version of my soul mate, and I will proudly say that for the rest of my life. I am the luckiest girl in the world, and have been for nearly 12 years, to call Cynthia Bolanos my best friend.

Cynthia's relationship with Al has developed over time, and it cracks me up to think about one of their first interactions together. Before Al and I ever officially started dating, we had feelings for each other but there always seemed to be drama (#highschool). Well after the hundredth time of hearing me cry, Cynthia took matters into her own hands and basically told Al how it was going to be. Needless to say, they got off on the wrong foot. However, over the last five years of us dating, they have grown to really love each other and become good friends. There is nothing I love more than spending time with Cynthia, Al, and Sophia all together. Al kept Cynthia very in the loop about his proposal plan. Since I knew Cynthia would be in the loop, I bugged her every single day about what I thought was happening. She gets the best best friend award because one night in early September, I told her I thought I knew when Al was going to propose. She asked me when, and I said either the 16th or the 23rd of October. With the most believable lie I think she has ever told, she told me it was not either of those days, that it wasn't even on a Sunday. From that point forward I was convinced it was happening on a Saturday, and I was no longer suspicious of Sundays. As many of you know, Al did in fact propose on the 16th of October, and had Cynthia not lied to my face that night, I would not have been surprised (you go bff). Cynthia was the first person I hugged after Al proposed, and she has stood by my side every second of this engaged journey. Al and I love her more than she knows, and I cannot wait to have her standing by my side as we enter into this next season of life.

Cynthia Yasmine (😉) Bolanos, how could I possibly describe in one blog post the kind of friendship we have? It is truly one-in-a-million, and I will never be able to tell you how much you mean to me. If you don't know it by now, there isn't a thing in the world I wouldn't do for you and your girl. I cannot wait for a lifetime more memories and big moments with you. This is the time we've been dreaming about together for our whole lives, and I am so excited to share it with you. You are my best friend, my sister, my person, and my partner-in-crime, and you always will be. You have always, always, always got a friend in me, Gertrude. I love you to infinity and beyond... forever.

The Wedding Party: Alex Wickel

This next bridesmaid y'all are going to be reading about is one of my lifelong friends, the beautiful Alex Wickel. Alex and I became friends in second grade, and my very first memory I have of her is from when we both went to Project Fitness that year... (can we take a moment to LAUGH OUT LOUD that I made it to Project Fitness to run the mile? In case you were wondering how that turned out, I came in dead last and almost passed out 😂). From that moment forward, Alex and I spent almost every single weekend of our elementary and middle school years together. She was the first true best friend I ever had. Everyone knew that we were each other's best friends, and we were always a duo anytime anyone talked about us. Her family became my second family and vice versa. We have shared so many laughs, tears, fights, and secrets throughout the years, and I am so thankful we have stayed as close as we have even through many years of distance between us. Alex's friendship is what I compared all my other friendships to growing up, and there were some big shoes to fill because of that. She has always been such a loyal and constant part of my life. Things are always the same every time we're together, and it makes me so happy to know that our 15-year friendship is just as special today as it was when we were seven-years-old.

My favorite memories with Alex come from the many weekends we spent at my house chasing  bees on the golf cart, driving cars around the yard, playing hide-and-seek in the corn field, and so much more. She was the perfect childhood best friend for me. Basically all the memories I have from childhood include Alex. We both were obsessed with baby dolls when we were younger, so we would pretend to be moms and drop our babies off at different "daycares" (aka in the woods by a tree) and then we'd run our errands and come back to get them. The problem was that we would sometimes forget where in the woods we made the daycares, so some of our babies probably got eaten by bears. We would also pretend that my mom's greenhouse was McDonald's, and we would drive up on the golf cart to one side and place our order, and then drive around to the other side to "pick it up." She and I really let our imaginations run wild in the Green Swamp. There were so many nights that my mom and dad would have to yell for us to come inside because it was after dark and we might run into something. Those are times everyone should have with a childhood best friend, and Alex and I have been fortunate that our friendship has continue to grow as we have over the years.

One thing many people might not know about Alex and me is that we went our separate ways for much of our high school years. Alex has always been very athletic, so when we got to high school, she pursued her love of volleyball and softball and became friends with the members of those teams. I, on the other hand, don't have an athletic bone in my body, so I pursued clubs and academics and became friends with people in that circle. We rarely hung out during those four years, but it was an unspoken truth that we always had each other's backs. Because Alex and I are more like sisters than friends, it didn't matter how long we went without speaking to each other. We have always loved each other the same. Luckily, once high school was over, we started spending more time together and even now, as busy as our lives are, we make time to see each other as often as we can. We share an unbreakable bond, one that I will always cherish.

Alex is the purest and most genuine soul I know. She is a ray of sunshine in the lives of so many people, including mine. Her heart is golden, and she goes out of her way to make people laugh and smile every chance she gets. She could be friends with anyone because she is so bubbly and full of life. She has a magnetic personality that draws people to her, and that is one of the many reasons why I love being her friend. Alex is as honest as a person can get, and there is no one I trust more to tell me like it is. She has all the characteristics a person thinks of when they think of a great best friend, and I have had that friendship for my whole life. How lucky am I?

The day Al and I got engaged, I called Alex to tell her, and she reacted with as much as excitement as I expected. She literally flipped out and was so eager to hear every detail of the day. She and Al sort of ran in the same circle in high school, just because they both were so heavily involved in athletics and weight lifting. The three of us haven't had as many opportunities to hang out, but it makes me so happy to know that Alex is so supportive of our relationship. Every time we're together, she wants to hear every detail of what we have planned since the last time we talked, and it means so much to me that she wants to stay involved. I could not imagine my wedding day without Alex as one of my bridesmaids. She has been there for almost all the big moments of my life, and it would not be right without her there for the biggest moment! She is going to be a stunning bridesmaid, and I know she will walk away from my wedding day having made friends with every person in our wedding party because that's who she is.

Alexandra Jordan, you will always be my first "Al." I am so grateful for all the years of friendship we have shared. Thank you for always being so good to me and showing me as a child what the meaning of true friendship is. I owe everything I know about being a good friend to you. I am so excited to have you standing with us on our wedding day. You will always be family to me - my sister at heart. I hope you've enjoyed reading this trip down memory lane as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love you past the moon!

The Wedding Party: Lillian Willis

The next bridesmaid I am going to tell y'all about is one of the most loving and beautiful people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Lillian Willis is truly an angel from Heaven, and I know anyone who has spent any amount of time with her would agree with me. Lilly and I met freshman year of high school at the prayer circle. We would see each other every morning, and even when I didn't know her that well, I felt like I did because she is that kind of person. Our friendship really developed over the four year span of high school through our mutual friend Lexi. We spent many weekends at her dad's beach house, went to prom together both years, hung out a couple semesters in journalism, and talked as much as possible with our different schedules. After high school was over, Lilly went to UNC-Charlotte and I came to UNC-Wilmington, and we remained just as close even with all the miles between us. In these four years of college, we have made it a point to see each other whenever possible on holiday breaks. Distance has become a normal part of our friendship, but when we are reunited, we easily pick up right where we left off. I think that is the measure of a true friendship.

There are two things that I absolutely adore about Lilly: her love for Jesus and her talent for dance. Lilly is a beautiful, tangible reflection of Christ's love in my life. She is someone that has always prayed for me and loved me in a way that no friend ever has. She exudes joy and peace in every situation, and every time I am with her, she sparks a fire in my heart to love Christ and people more. I think having a friend that encourages you to stand strong in your faith just by the life they live is a blessing, and it is one of my greatest joys to have that blessing in Lilly. Lilly is also the most beautiful dancer, and I am so proud of her accomplishments throughout the last four years of her dance career at UNCC. Watching her dance inspires me - not to become a dancer (because let's be real... ya girl can't dance 😂), but to do what I love with intent and a purpose. Everything Lilly does is intentional and purposeful, and those actions alone make her the most unique and special person.

It would be nearly impossible to name just one favorite memory with Lilly, simply because we have too many to name. Our friendship in high school was so carefree and youthful. We shared so many silly moments that really set the tone of happiness in our friendship. As we have gotten older, we have continued to have those silly moments, but we have also shared some of the most serious conversations I've ever had. We have seen each other through some of the toughest times, and our friendship has evolved into this unbreakable bond because of that. Every time I am with Lilly, we make a new memory that reminds me why we became friends in the first place: Lilly makes me a better person. She has the ability to make everyone want to do and be better for the people around them. What a gift she is.

Lilly wears her heart on her sleeve. She allows people to know the real her. She is a perfect example of every fruit of the spirit. She is constantly loving, continuously joyful, noticeably peaceful, endlessly patient, authentically kind, invariably good, consistently faithful, sincerely gentle, and unfailingly self-controlled. Every single thing Christ asks of us as His children, Lilly strives to do in her every day life. What a beautiful testament that is to how much she loves her Father and how much she loves the people around her! It makes my heart swell that I am able to call her one of my very best friends!

The most special thing about Lilly being a part of our wedding is that she and Al were actually best friends before Lilly and I even knew each other. The two of them together makes my heart so happy because I have gotten to see their friendship so clearly from both sides, and man do they love each other! Over the past four years especially, the three of us have become the three best friends you could ever have. Lilly is the biggest supporter of our relationship because she has heard every detail from both sides for the past six years. She has been a friend to both of us when we were struggling and has always encouraged us to seek God's will in our relationship. I don't have this fact confirmed, but I'm pretty sure Lilly was one of the first people Al called when he finally had my ring in his possession. They FaceTimed so Lilly could see it, and Lilly told me that the look on Al's face was perfect joy. So while Lilly will be standing on my side of the church when we're saying our vows, I know if she could, she would split herself in two so she could be on both sides. Her friendship is precious and priceless to us both, and we are a better couple because Lilly has loved us!

Lilly, you are one of the most important people in my life. I would not be half the person I am today if it weren't for you. Thank you for always encouraging me and loving me. I am honored to have you as a part of our wedding day. We have been talking about this time for so many years, and I can't believe it's finally here. Even when Al and I are old and married, the three of us will still be having Eno dates and talking about life for as long as we live. I love you so much, and I can't wait to share this time with you!