a marriage preview

The wedding thing happened. And it was the best day of my entire life. I am not even just saying it.

I had been sleeping on the floor in my parents room because the house was so packed. Many a night was spent on a couch in that very room when I needed my mama to hold my hair back when I ran to the bathroom barfing in the middle of the night. As I woke up the morning of the wedding, I laid in my little futon-mattress-topper-turned-bed while my Dad was still snuggled up in his bed. I couldn't see him, but I could hear him. We chatted all about the day that lay ahead of us. (Later he would come knocking on the bathroom door telling me to hurry and that "we all need to shower!" Doesn't he know this is the most important leg shaving session of my entire life? Mom quickly shewed him away... She just gets me.) But while we laid there, I couldn't help but feel a phase of my life ending. You get married and all of a sudden you don't get put on the floor in your parents room anymore. Weird how that works. It was one of my favorite moments of the day. The calm before the storm... You know, the 72 degree, sun- shining, slight breeze kind of storm.

We were sealed in the afternoon, and partied in the evening. And it was flawless. We were surrounded by the people we love, and the people who love us (or are at least really good at pretending.) I can't express how overwhelmed we felt. I broke down crying on Friday night when I had a few minutes too long to myself in the car ride home from a bachelor party turned "knock out" basketball session. When I came in the door with red eyes and a sniffly nose, my mom jumped up real fast. I think there might have been a moment of "don't tell me I made that beautiful white dress for nothing" running through her mind. So when she very worriedly asked me what was wrong, saying "I'm just really grateful" seemed like an awfully silly reason to be sobbing uncontrollably like my first cat just died. But looking back on it, it was the perfect reason. 

Simply put... Marriage: I recommend it. I love love. And the day was packed full of it. The gushiest, lovey dovey ist, heart boxes full of chocolatest, stuffed teddy bears that creepily whisper personalized messages when you squeeze them ist, deep down warm feelingest love. Wedding day, I give you a 10. 

Oakland, California LDS Temple, June 15, 2013