Getting Married

Well I need to post SOMETHING before the wedding, so I can at least remember what I felt like the days leading up.  I have realized that wedding planning is like, so fun for the first month or so because you are pinning things on Pinterest and you are like, "Ya I am totally going to DIY mason jars into centerpieces and DIY my bouquet and grow my own Dahlias for it.  I can totally do this."  Then reality sets in, and you are telling your florist, "Okay ya whatever you want to put in bouquet is fine, just make sure it goes with my colors."

But things have come together nicely, I am glad I have had a lot of help and a lot of people to help me decide over the agonizing struggle about whether I want my hair up or down or what shoes I should wear.  For example, I scoured the internet for months trying to just find a rehearsal dinner dress.  I whined to Laura that I couldn't find anything, and within 10 minutes, she sends me a link to a dress I LOVE and was trying to find something like. BAM. Bought it immediately.

My friends have told me that their wives called off their weddings several times leading up to the wedding, and although I have never gone to that extreme (which is shocking because I AM extreme), I think I have to credit it to Austin.  I have loved coming home to finding him putting the little favors in boxes or taking care of the cake arrangements, pastor, or how the wedding day will run.  I feel guilty because he is in the hardest semester of nursing school, but somehow he has found time the past few weeks to cook dinner and not let me clean up because, "you need to relax. Go rest on the couch."  I don't really know where he gets the energy or drive to do all this, but he shows me how to be a good partner and put someone else first.

We met with the pastor 3 times before the wedding, each time to discuss difficult topics or topics people argue about most.  There were a few things I found most difficult.  At our first meeting, the pastor simply asked, "What do you like most about Austin?"  I was startled by the question because I felt like that is not a question you can just ask nonchalantly.  I had to stare off for a little while, and of course Austin was exclaimed, "Surely you can think of something!"  But the problem was that there are so many wonderful things about him that if I even started talking about it, I would start crying!  The other question the pastor brought up that was even more difficult was discussing end of life care.  Like, if something happened to one of us, what would the other person do in that situation.  We didn't have to share with him what we would do, but bringing that topic up was one that left me a wreck after.  How can you ask a couple that when they are just starting their life together?

Then on a lighter topic at another session, he asked us what we argue about most.  Housework.  The pastor was relieved to hear that, and we explained that we just want all of the housework to be equally divided all the time.  We both dislike housework, but share the love of one chore: Vacuuming.  Who doesn't?  The sound when the vacuum sucks up little dirt flecks and the track marks.  Our house may be a mess, but our carpets are clean!

The meetings with the pastor were actually really fun.  They left us feeling more confident as a couple and had a better understanding of how to communicate.  I don't have any nerves about being married, I only have nerves for the actual ceremony because I know that it signifies such a pivotal moment in my life that results in many 'firsts' and unique experiences that I get to share with my best friend.  It is funny that what you thought was happiness when you were a bit younger is much different than when you are a bit older.  I never thought that dancing in my living room with my soon to be spouse would incur such belly aching laughs or preparing dinner together is something to look forward to in a day, but I'll take it.  For all time.