wedding bliss with a side of fries

when nathan and i arrived at my parents home, it was a mad house (even more so than usual!) the wind was blowing. the tablecloths were blowing higher than marilyn monroe's skirt and trees were falling over like we were in lumberjack country. everyone was running around wiring things to the walls, tying things down and repositioning everything that just kept falling over. even my groom had to slip out of his white shirt and tie and do a little drilling. i was still confined to the wedding dress and so i chose to write in my journal the events of the day. i sat in the old green overstuffed chair my parents have in their living room and wrote in my journal. with everyone blowing past me and the wind terrorizing the backyard reception i sat calm, cool and collected, knowing that the most important thing had already happened and i was sealed to my sweetheart. the reception was to begin at half past six. as the time drew nearer many began to fear the outside reception was a mistake. if the heat didn't get you, the wind would! luckily, it was the coolest june day anyone had ever heard of! i decided to go into my "room" and say a quick prayer of thanks, as i did i ask for the wind to stop. minutes later, when the clock struck half past six, the wind ceased, the party began and everyone was happy. i think someone put a good word in with the man upstairs for nathan and i because everything was absolutely perfect! the reception was more than i ever dreamed it could be! friends and family- loved ones- came to celebrate and everyone raved about the sugar cookies (thank you pinks! you do so much for me!). as nathan and i hugged and greeted, every once in a while we would have a moment to look at each other and steal a kiss. i couldn't believe it was finally here! i was standing next to my husband! the reception seemed to fly by. i loved seeing everyone having so much fun and i had a lot of fun myself! grammy made us a beautiful quilt with her own bear hands! she hand stiched the entire temple onto the quilt!!! she's so great! so, after a few dances, and very special moments it came time to say goodbye and start our lives together for real! nathan and i both agreed that we weren't officially married and legit till after the reception (we have our own logic). we walked out of the backyard and everyone blew bubbles, i heard my dad yell "ow! it got in my eye!!!" and we jumped in the car . nathan's brother jake let us drive away in his chrysler 300 and we were lookin fly! as we drove to our suite at the bellagio (life long dream=fulfilled! thanks dad and brother bresler!) we talked about the day and very special experiences we had. i love the man i married and i love knowing he loves me, there's just a lot of love there. ;) as we got closer to the bellagio we both realized we hadn't eaten anything since our little del taco run.......this time, in-n-out. double double for my man and a number 2 for me. animal style. we took it up to the suite and ate at the bellagio in style! nathan and i are probably the only people in the history of the world to stop at two drive throughs (drivethrough wedding chapels don't count) on their wedding day. i love my life!!! the burgers were good too.

nuptials and tacos

june 6, 2009. a day i'll remember for the rest of forever. this day was the day i became forever young. i woke up that morning from a phone call to my very-soon-to-be-husband, he is so wonderful! after we chatted for a few minutes i started to get ready for the big day. everyone was running around like crazy around me trying to prepare for the big day and i felt like i was in a movie where they do that scene where everyone is in fast motion all around them, like super speedy, and I'm just kinda of there doing my thing like "la di da di da". it's kinda of surreal. I just sat in my room curling my hair and doing my makeup while my sweet brothers ran around like crazy little men setting up everything, bless their hearts. wes made a sonic run and got everyone breakfast sandwiches (yum! the perfect wedding breakfast!) Before I knew it, it was time for me to jump in the car and meet my man at the temple. i threw on some church clothes and headed out the door. i doubt there is a crazier feeling than driving myself to the temple to be married! i talked to nathan for a few minutes and then drove most of the way with my thoughts and alan jackson on the radio. i'll never forget the feeling that came over me as i made the turn onto bonanza from hollywood and saw the beautiful temple. so many times i had looked to the temple for comfort, for peace and looked forward to the time i would go to be sealed to the love of my life- the time was now! no words can ever describe the feelings i felt as i looked up at the spires of the temple and smiled. as i pulled into the parking lot i got even more excited when i saw all the other brides coming out, their families waiting for them and the feelings of joy and excitement that seemed to surround the entire place. as i parked my car and met up with nathan the excitement started to surge through both of us. the next time we walked out to the car, we would be sealed together for time and all eternity! we stopped by a bench and nathan said a quick prayer for us. i can't recall ever feeling so calm and right. after nathan's words we stood up and hugged, it was so much fun as we walked to the temple and nathan opened the door for me to walk in. we smiled at each other as he opened the second door to the beautiful temple. we walked to the counter as two seperate people and showed the temple worker the pieces of paper that show we are recommended to enter the temple. as nathan and i walked past the counter and into the temple our eternal life together began. my grandfather sealed us together for time and all eternity in an amazing ceremony that can not be described in words of this earth. after the ceremony and a few quiet, special moments together, nathan and i again walked to the doors that lead out of the temple. this time we walked out as one. it seemed like there were millions of people waiting outside for us. it was amazing to walk out and see all the people that love and support us. we took pictures and after a million congratulations people began to leave. i was denied the privilage of taking my dress off and putting regular clothes on and i was forced to stay in the beautiful torture chamber. after we gathered our things nathan and i walked to the car, as a married couple. as we walked and quietly spoke of how CRAZY it is that we're married i heard a familiar voice shout my name. "HEATHER!!!! OH MY GOSH HEATHER!!!!!" i turned to see lisa tippetts running towards me. it was so much fun to see her and give her a hug! she was there picking up her daughter's sealing dress, they had been sealed together last saturday. it was so much fun! as nathan and i drove away i think we were both in awe at the experience we had both just had. as we began to make the 30 minute drive back to my house we both realized how hungry and thirsty we were. a del taco run was in the cards for sure. we pulled into the closest del taco, wedding dress, cufflinks and all and ordered a chicken taco and drink. perfect!

number 52

it's funny how days seem to drag by while you wait in anticipation for a special event and then when you only have a week left, you wonder what you've been doing that whole time and it seems there will never be enough time to get everything you need to get done, done. thus i found myself, just a few minutes before nathan's family and my family were suppoesd to meet officially for the first time, with a prayer in my heart, a number in my hand and a place in the cutting line at joannes. somehow, this simple task of getting material for table clothes had escaped the "to do" list and now was the only moment left to do it. surprisingly, i felt no stress, everything would be fine. i hoped nathan and i would be on time to meet with the familes we both love so much. while i waited for a man who looked like albert einstein to finish getting his animal skin-type material cut so my number could be called, i reflected back over the past year and all the adventures it held for nathan and i. i thought about the day we met, he and sean (our mutual friend) came over to my apartment for dinner and after we saw iron man. i'll never forget how nervous i was and how stupid i felt when i introduced nathan to my roommates before even being introduced myself. i remembered sitting by him in the movie, hardly paying attention to iron man and only thinking about the man sitting right next to me, nathan. he looked so cute in his striped collared shirt, hat and NUMBER 52 TO THE CUTTING BOARD PLEASE! that was me. i went and got the material pieces we needed and left the craft store capitol of the world. the rest of the day and into the next is a blur. i remember laughing, hugging, talking and sleeping. it was the night before my wedding. i remembered talking to my friends before they got married, wondering how they would ever sleep that night. wondering how they were feeling. wondering what was going through their minds. now it was my turn. i was surprised to feel nothing but complete peace and calm. i had a wonderful talk with my amazing mother and after a goodnight call from my fiance-for-one-more-day, i went to sleep that night with no problem and had sweet dreams of the following day. all the plans, all the waiting, all the everything to do with wedding planning was OVER! i thought for a moment i would miss the thrill of it all....then i came to my senses. i don't know what wedding planners see in it.