Thursday, October 2, 2008

Looking back 7 months and a few days...

to our wedding day. I've been thinking about how much things have changed since Jason starting living 24/7 in my little house, 7 months ago. I try to remember what it was like when I was single and just did my own thing around the house. My last single morning was the wedding day. What a crazy morning. I had stayed up the night before trying to write my wedding vows. (I didn't mean to wait until the last moment. I was waiting for inspiration to say something great. I work well under pressure, so the inspiration finally came while I was laying in bed the night before.)

I woke up the next morning with all the things that were left to do - mostly ironing my veil, and fluffing my crinolines one last time. Jason came over and was helping me get things together for the rehearsal. (Rehearsal was the morning of the wedding. I highly recommend it for small evening weddings.) Jason came up from the basement and asked what my stress level was. (I'll never forget that.) The basement was flooded. Well, almost half of it was. It was the drain, it wasn't draining after my super long shower. Oops. (My poor brother couldn't shower until the water went down, but he didn't need to be at the rehearsal thankfully.)

I remember getting to the church late, rushing into the rehearsal, but then finishing in plenty of time. I remember walking around taking in all the family and friends who had gathered for that moment. Lunch was wonderful, but I wish we had made a toast or introduced important people. We planned on this but then didn't. It was informal, maybe it just didn't feel right to stand up and be the center of things, but just to let people mix and mingle and relax.

Afterwards, Melissa and I went back to the church to start getting ready. We goofed around a bit before going to get our hair done. After that it was rush rush rush. I still took in each moment knowing that this was the only chance to have everyone around and hear them all chatting and laughing. I wish we had more pictures taken. I wish I would have had pictures taken with the friends that helped us out so much. Our photographer was awesome and got pictures I never imagined would be taken, so for that I'm grateful. (I didn't make a list of pictures I wanted. I should have made a list...)

The rest of the evening is a blur. Laughter, tears, more laughter, more tears, almost setting my veil on fire - a couple times I think. (And technically, it wasn't my veil.) It's all on video, which we have, but for some reason I've never watched it. We're looking forward now. There's so much to come, and yet we have no idea what it is. I feel like I'm still taking in every moment trying to get as much out of it as I can.

What I enjoy most about marriage (*cheese alert*), those moments that I savor and want to hold on to as long as possible, is when Jason and I have our arms around each other, and we're looking at each other making faces. Who else in this whole wide world could I do this with? Who else in the whole wide world gets me, and understands me, and knows what I'm saying when I make a face at him, and in response, he makes a face back at me. And we laugh. :)

I just wanted to share my blog from myspace that I posted March 16th. This blog wasn't around back then, but I wanted to make sure I have it over here too.

Sunday, March 16, 2008
Memories from the wedding day & Honeymoon Diary

I wrote all this down a couple days after the wedding. I thought I’d share. (Done in my usual incomplete thoughts style.)

- Tried to sleep in, got up at 7:45 am. (Supposed to be at church at 9:30 am.)
- Typed up vows & direction from church to the Schuster Center (where the rehearsal lunch was.)
- Decided I could iron petticoats and steam veil later.
- Long shower – basement flooded.
- Got to church at 10:00 am.
- Rehearsal started at 10:15 am, ended around 10:40 am.
- Walked around church until 11:15 and then headed to luncheon.
- Food was very good, had a wonderful time with everyone.
- Passed out gifts, never got around to making speech/toasts for everyone.
- Melissa & I went back to church to steam veil. Gayle (Jason’s mom) ironed petticoats.
- Got to Liza’s at 2:00, my hair took 40 minutes. (This is where the schedule starts to get off a bit.)
- Melissa’s hair done by 3:00 pm.
- Went back to house to finish packing & get forgotten items.
- Back to church, almost 4pm. (Now running 45 minutes late.)
- Brush teeth, teeth-whitening, make-up, under garments – took so long!
- Put on dress (petticoats inside dress & then stepped into both) & Melissa laced me up.
- Dress too long in front, keep stepping on it. No idea how to fix this. (Had to kick dress out to keep from stepping on it.)
- Jason comes in to see me – he looks incredible in a tux!!
- Pictures upstairs by windows of Jason and me.
- Family pictures next (trying to get corsages & boutonnières on everyone & get them into the church).
- Off to hide, Nancy & Melissa try to fix my hem, double-sided tape didn’t work! Realized that two pick-ups had pulled out, Melissa sewed stitches back in. Dress now perfect length! (Thinking it came from dress shop this way.)
- Jenni & Becca wouldn’t let me put lotion on, didn’t want to get it on my dress, so they put it on for me. Too funny!
- Time to go. Melissa was started too early, during Moms lighting candles. Thankfully she walked really slowly.
- Kevin announced for everyone to stay seated. (Said it humorously, like it was for everyone to see MMEEEEEEE!!!)
- Hosanna starts & Dad and I start walking, he’s walking so slowly!
- Get to look around and smile, everyone smiling right back.
- Dad passes me off to Jason.
- Kevin does Declaration of Intent & first prayer.
- Sing "Beautiful One" and "How Great is Our God." Songs seem long but stood there listening to all the voices.
- Melissa & Bryan didn’t have words, faked the singing pretty good.
- Walk up to platform after song is over.
- April & Nancy do readings. Noticed they were looking at us while they read. (Reading to us instead of to the guests. Kevin must have told them to do that.)
- Kevin reads scripture from Ephesians and did message – to us, but for everyone.
- Kevin teased about humility (everyone laughed, I almost caught the veil on fire).
- Kevin also said to bear with one another, not be a bear to one another. I told Jason that was for him.
- Read vows to each other through smiles & tears. (I almost dropped my vows.)
- Exchanged rings.
- I was tearing up, so Jason gave me a tissue. (Exchanged vows, rings, … and tissues.)
- Unity candle & communion while Kate sang "How Beautiful." (Left parents candles burning.)
- Kevin served us communion – cup was HUGE ceramic thing; bread was a small hoagie roll.
- Kevin asked people to come up to pray for us, about half the guests came up. (Surprising!)
- Steve Bowen told us he saw two streams coming together and God was the banks holding us in. (He’ll write it out for us.)
- Mark Eggenschwiller & Connie Hunter also prayed for us. Kevin prayed last.
- Kevin pronounced us husband & wife, before he can finish everyone starts yelling & clapping.
- We went ahead and kissed. (Kiss, hug, and another kiss.)
- Announced us as Mr. & Mrs. Jason Parsons.
- Music starts & we walk out. Melissa & Bryan follow.
- Wait a moment and go back in for receiving line. (Just Jason & me.)
- Ushers dismiss people to come up and greet us before going downstairs for reception.
- Greeted everyone with hugs. Was so wonderful to have a moment with each person.
- Service was 55 minutes long!
- Melissa bustled my dress. Decided to leave veil in. (Probably couldn’t have gotten it out of my hair anyway.)
- Got downstairs and everyone eating or in line.
- Chocolate fountains & fruit – surprise from Pat! (Our caterer.)
- Mingled for the first part of the reception.
- Kids kept ringing bells to see us kiss. (Fun at first, annoying after awhile.)
- Karaoke DJ got there & played my CD for us until we were ready for karaoke. Did announcements for us.
- Didn’t eat much; wish I would have had more fruit.
- Snuck upstairs so Melissa could help me put the petticoats under the bralette that was scratching me pretty bad. Emelynn was taking pictures of this. (Melissa got to tease Jason she got under my skirt before he did…) ;)
- Cut cake. Was nice to each other, but managed to get a bit of cake on each others’ noses. (Jason let me walk around a bit unknowing I hadn’t gotten it all off…)
- Bouquet toss upstairs from balcony with a ton (20-30?) of single women.
- Did a fake-out like Darrin (photographer) suggested. They weren’t happy. Rachel Leibold caught the bouquet!
- Back downstairs, did 1st dance together & then started karaoke. About 9:00 pm.
- People started to leave after 9pm, the last left around 10pm.
- Was worried that things weren’t cleaned up and presents wouldn’t get back to house, but family & friends took care of everything for us. (Thank you thank you!!)
- Took limo to Therapy Café. Got our Appily Married martinis and did some salsa dancing. Darrin joined us and got more pictures. Bunch of friends joined us there.
- Left around 11:30 pm (got to give Kira a ride to her car in the limo).
- Rode around Dayton until midnight and then checked into hotel.
(And that’s where the details end.) ;)


Honeymoon Diary

Saturday, March 1st, married 1 day.
Left Dayton around 1:30 pm and drove to Gatlinburg.
Got to cabin around 7:30 pm.
Went to Pigeon Forge for dinner then got groceries.

Sunday, March 2nd, married 2 days.
Made Cinnamon Twists for breakfast (our first meal made together).
Watched TV all day, had frozen pizza for lunch.
Went into town around 4pm and shopped until 6pm (stores closed).
BBQ for dinner.
Ghost walk around Gatlinburg at 8:45-10:00 pm.
68 degrees during the day, but down in the 40’s at night.

Monday, March 3rd, married 3 days.
Cereal & bagel for breakfast.
Went into Gatlinburg around 1pm; lunch at Bennett’s. (Also BBQ.)
Took skytram to Ober Gatlinburg. Watched skiing; stayed about an hour.
Drove up into Smoky Mountains; 68 degrees at bottom, 48 degrees at top!
(Almost ran out of gas, coasted most of the way back down the mountain!)
Jason’s meatloaf burgers (what I call them) and tater tots for dinner.
74 degrees during the day, back down in the 40’s at night.

Tuesday, March 4th, married 4 days.
Cereal & bagels for breakfast.
Decided to stay in all day, raining out.
Did laundry and ran dishwasher. (Yes, housework during the honeymoon.)
Sat on porch swing outside and watched the rain. (Sun came out a couple of times.)
Played pool, we both suck. I figured out I could beat Jason if I cheated.
Lasagna & peas for lunch. (And Girl Scout cookies.)
Went into Gatlinburg for dinner, ate at the Peddler. Wonderful dinner!!
50’s during the day, stinkin’ cold that night.

Wednesday, March 5th, married 5 days.
Cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
Packing & cleaning; check-out time was 10:00 am.
Rain had ended, but ice on the deck.
Went into Gatlinburg to finish shopping & get Old Time Photo.
Headed back to Dayton around 2pm. Got home and opened presents.

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