Day Five: Let the Memory Live Again

These challenges are going to start overlapping if I'm not careful.  Over half of the "assignments" could apply to either my parents, my husband or my daughter.  I'm going to have to branch out eventually and chose something besides my absolute "favorite" of something.

Day Five is my favorite memory.  My mind of course goes to the day I had Amelia and the day I got married.  I've already talked so much about Amelia's birth in previous posts, so that leaves the wedding.  The sad thing is that there are huge chunks of the day I don't remember.  Seriously.  Big white spots in my mind.  It was a wonderful day, but I was so overwhelmed that I didn't stop and really enjoy it.  In fact, I probably remember more about the night before.  Here are a few of the memories that stand out.  They're pretty random. 

 



Just a couple of crazy kids in love...


• Laughing through our rehearsal.  Seriously.  It was like no one could keep a straight face.  It didn't help that our minister was a hoot. 
• Having to add a junior bridesmaid DURING the rehearsal.  It was the only way we could get the ring bearer to walk down the aisle.  Luckily, the best man's little sister had a white dress and was more than happy to be a part of the wedding. 
• Rushing to Kinkos in Jackson in the middle of the night to pick up the wedding programs at the last minute.
• Crashing in my old room at home with some of my bridesmaids.  I think we slept three hours.
• My friend almost crashing her Mustang into the church. John was outside and I didn't want him to see me.  I kind of freaked so she stomped the gas.  It was raining and we slid.  It scared us to death.  Scared John, too.
• My hands being so swollen that I had to soak them in a big Tupperware dish of ice water so that I could get my ring on.
• The first time John and I saw each other.  We decided to do our pictures before the wedding so that we all could enjoy the reception.  However, I wanted it to be special when we saw each other.  They cleared the church out and took him to the front of the sanctuary.  They turned him around and brought me in.  His face when he saw me is one of my favorite pictures, as are the ones of us holding hands with our faces almost touching (we didn't kiss, though!)




Saying our vows


• Winning the battle of the shoes (I didn't wear them) 
• My brother and John's cousin having to light all the candles with Bic lighters when the big fancy candle lighters malfunctioned.  What made it funny was we had just been joking earlier about them using the Bics because it would be "super classy."  By the way, we had quite a few candles.  My brother my not have a fingerprint a his right index finger now...
• Standing at the back of the church, waiting to go in, and realizing that John's ring was still on the other side of the building in the Sunday school room where we dressed.
• I remember very little about the ceremony because I was so nervous that I was going to mess up our vows.  On top of that, it took every ounce of control I had not to burst out crying since that's what I do when I feel any type of extreme emotion, not just sadness.  In every picture during our vows, I look almost mad. 
• The kiss.  The kiss was nice.  And church appropriate. 





You know I love him if I'm sharing frosting...

• The reception is pretty much one giant blur.  I remember walking in and being totally blown away.  The decorator had completely transformed the gym.  I couldn't believe it.  I was his last wedding so he went all out for me.  Besides that, I remember A LOT of hugging.  Our receiving line lasted almost an hour.  I didn't mind at all, but by the end I was so tired.  
• Besides the cake we ate in our pictures, we didn't eat.  Even after the never ending receiving line, I still felt the need to walk around and visit.  That's the Southern girl in me. No time to eat when you're hostessing.
• Strangling on punch during our pictures.  I'm very prone to getting choked when I'm drinking anything (as are my mom and grandmother).  It happened during our pictures and it took me several minutes to recover.  There are some great shots of me coughing, though.                              

• Lots and lots of bubbles.
• Once everyone left, we changed into our street clothes and went back over to the church to tackle a stack of presents.  I actually dozed off sitting in the floor of the foyer because I had not stopped moving in HOURS.
• When we got to our chalet that night, it took me over 45 minutes to take out all of the bobby pins from my hair.  Very sexy.
• About 10:30 PM, we were both STARVING.  We had eaten nothing at the reception and we had exerted quite a bit of energy in the post-wedding activities (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).  The only thing open within 25 miles was McDonalds.  So off we went to Mickey D's for burgers and fries.  We try to go every year now as an anniversary tradition. :)

Guess I remember a little more than I thought.  :)  There were a couple of not so good memories involving the wedding, but they aren't worth recounting here.  What I can say is we stood together and got through them so that we could focus on the ceremony that would join our lives together forever. 

I wish I had all of my wedding pictures here so that I could scan them in, but they are at my mom's house.  I may have to get them and add in a few (like me soaking my hands or coughing my head off or when we saw each other for the first time).  Luckily, I have a few on my computer.  It's nice to go back and look at them and try to remember all the craziness of that day.

 September 1, 2001, the day I married my best friend.