So this little knothead was asked by his cousin Shelby to be the ring bearer in her wedding. Of course, we said yes!! Mommy was excited! She's always wanted her kid to be someone's ring bearer. (Check that off the bucket list!) But being realistic, come on. This energetic, hyper, silly, ornery turd was suppose to be prim and proper down the aisle and NOT steal the show? Yeah right. But we tried our best anyway. :)
At the Friday night rehearsal, Daddy gave Noah instruction on how to hold the pillow. (We'd already been practicing prior to the rehearsal at home. Each night after bath for about a week, I'd sit at one end of the hall and Daddy at the other. Noah would hold his blue throw pillow from his bed and walk very slowly and carefully, making sure he smiled, balancing two Rold Gold pretzels as rings. He even practiced in his cowboy boots he was to wear in the wedding. When we'd finish practicing, he'd get to eat the pretzels.) So that night at rehearsal, Noah asked when he looked at his ring bearer pillow the first time, "Mommy, where are the pretzels?" I had to explain that those were just for fun at home and he'd just have to pretend. He looked at me like, "Yeah right, Mom." 
Cody escorted Mother of the Bride, Celeste, to her seat during the processional. Thank goodness he didn't flash a peace sign during the real processional! (On a side note, at the rehearsal (and then the day of the wedding) I helped the wedding party get down the aisle during the processional and organize a bit of the ceremony. We needed ushers to seat guests as they arrived. I twisted Cody's and Travis' arms to do it. Might I say they did an exceptional job! Especially Cody. He just jumped right in there taking the lady's arm and walking guests to their seats offering "bride or groom side?". It was wonderful not to have to worry about traffic flow or making sure guests were taken care of. Such help they both were.) 
Noah walked with two little cuties - Tatiana and Madison - down the aisle. The flower girls dropped shades of pink petals as Noah walked beside them. We had to constantly tell him to slow down. "Walk slow, buddy!"
Father of the bride, Dwayne, practiced escorting his daughter down and giving her away to Dillon. It was sweet to see them in this moment. 
To keep that little knothead still during practice and distracted from twirling, throwing and using his ring bear pillow as a shield or gun, he played games on Daddy's phone while the minister walked the bride and groom through the ceremony. Overall he did really good. We practiced a couple of times going down and up the aisle to the music - "Ordinary Note" by Kenny Chesney. I taped quarters to the floor so Noah knew where to stand once he reached the end of the aisle. For doing such a good job, Noah got to pick out a car from the movie CARS 2 to add to his collection.
And then the big day arrived! A sweet country wedding happened on July 23rd, 2011 in Ada, Oklahoma at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. A cute little boy dressed in a white pearl snapped shirt, Wrangler jeans and brown cowboy boots (Thank you, Aunt Sundy!) was all smiles ready to complete his task as the ring bearer.
I had the honor of pinning on Noah's first boutonniere - two miniature white roses wrapped in brown ribbon. So sweet.
Daddy's phone came in handy to keep that little cowboy still while guests were being seated.
After all the guests were seated, the Mother of the Groom and Mother of the Bride had been escorted and lit part of the Unity Candle and the groomsmen had ushered the bridesmaids to their places at the alter, it was Noah's turn to walk the flower girls. (You can see me above kneeling down and talking to the kids getting them ready to go.)
Little Madison went first. She didn't really get the concept of dropping the petals, but she did a great job walking down to her momma who was the Maid of Honor. Then Tatiana and Noah followed behind. Tatiana started dropping her petals as Noah walked beside her. I stood to close the double doors. Masha, Cody's sister, stayed back with me to help me open the double doors when Shelby made her entrance. I watched as the doors closed and saw Noah still walking slowly. I thought, "Perfection!" Little did I know that sweet boy had a lapse of silliness because he started doing pirouettes, twirling and spinning with that pillow in hand, down the last half of the aisle!!! (You can see him spinning below. He's blurry because he's SPINNING!) Cody said the guests started giggling watching this little cowboy spin his heart out.
Then Noah got to his spot at the alter and chose NOT to stand on the quarters Mommy taped to the floor AND reminded him to STAND ON BEFORE he walked down the aisle, but to lay - no, sprawl out on the steps!!
Oh - he took a peek at Dillon. "Hi," he said. 
Dillon looked down at Noah and shook his head. And then Daddy got Noah...The guests continued to giggle. Oh dear. He'd completely stolen the show.
Noah may have only stole the show for a few minutes because then the music changed to "I Loved Her First" by Heartland, the double doors opened and the gorgeous bride stepped forward holding her daddy's arm. The guests stood. Dillon beamed and off they went to say their "I Do's". It couldn't have been more perfect.
I can't believe when I started dating Cody eleven years ago that Shelby, now a gorgeous woman, was only 8 years old. She just doesn't seem old enough to be getting married! Time has really flown by and watching her grow up has been a blessing. Shelby told me the night of the rehearsal that she had no clue what she was doing as far as planning a wedding goes. Well for someone who doesn't know how to make a wedding happen, Shelby and her mom really planned a good one. It was quaint. It was simple. It was just right for Dillon and Shelby to begin their lives as husband and wife. 
Pictured: Gene and Linda Goodnight (grandparents of the bride), Dwayne Goodnight (Father of the Bride), Shelby and Dillon Thomas, Celeste Goodnight (Mother of the Bride) and Judy and her husband (grandparents of the Bride).
So I guess this little knothead did a great job. It was a good first time as ring bearer. He's ready for cousin Kate's wedding in Wisconsin in October. We can't wait!
