Check List...

Groom, check. Dress, check. Rings, check. Family and friends to love us through our journey, check. Sense of humor, check, check, check. Faith, CHECK!! Yup, in preparation for tomorrow's celebration. We have it all.

Here is a visual though. A friend of mine said "wouldn't be cool if when you turned to face the crowd after your vows that in every single chair was a dog (pointers, no doubt) wagging it's fool tail off?" For some people that would be a nightmare. Not for me.

I don't believe in dressing up dogs in little bride and groom outfits. But I do believe in brides and grooms being as in the moment and joyous as dogs are. Dog's don't sweat the small stuff and we know it's all small stuff.

So in my check list I need to add, let heart wag like the tail of a happy dog. Check, check and one more happy check.

High Maintenance

I don't think I have ever been described as high maintenance. Crazy dog lady?? Yes. A bit shy, yes. But pretty much a down-to-earth girl. Make-up takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. Hair about as long as make-up. But, when it comes to preparations for my wedding, I'm crossing over to the dark side.

I now have acrylic nails. I've always wanted long, lovely nails. I wasn't able to grow 4" inches (vertical, not horizontal) before the wedding, but I can have long nails. I think they make me look skinny.

In all honesty, I thought as they were being applied, that I would be completely immobilized by them. They have slowed me down a little as I get used to them. But, they make me look skinny, so I don't mind being slow. It gives me time to savor the experience. I do wonder how on earth I'll be able to pull my Spanx up to cover a multitude of sins when I dress for the wedding. My girlfriends keep telling me if I need help just ask - hahahahaaaaa.

I think this will be a one time thing. Just something to primp for the wedding. Several weeks from now I'll go back to my normal working girl hands. Hands that dig in the dirt, create, and take a little abuse. For this week I'll indulge in a little maintenance. It's okay to do that...I'm the bride.

Jitters

The dance the Jitterbug must have been created by a bride-to-be. But overall, I think having jitters is probably a good thing.

The first time around, many many moons ago, I was blissfully unaware of anything but the wedding. He was perfect, I was perfect, life was perfect...all systems go. Boy was I clueless!! This time around I am ever so aware of how not perfect we are and how much more faith has to do with the success of a marriage.

For every time I may roll eyes at something my beloved does, I know he has ample opportunity to do the same. Frankly, this time around it is scarier. That's probably because I wasn't smart enough to be scared the first time around. I am experiencing post traumatic first marriage jitters and jitters for our pending wedding.

Do I doubt that it's the right thing to do? Heaven's no. Do I worry? Oh yes, because I am a woman, and because I am more of a realist now. I worry whether being married will easier or more difficult. I wonder if we'll be lazy about investing in our relationship after the I Do's. I wonder what challenges lay ahead. I wonder if my feet will hurt during the reception, and if my dress will make me look fat. I wonder if I've forgotten anything totally important for the ceremony and reception. I wonder if the airport will close due to flooding making things crazy for our guests.

Jitters? Yup, checking them off the list of things occurring before the wedding. Accepting them, understanding some are valid, some are manufactured and all are okay. Knowing this too will pass and I'm perfectly normal, jitters and all.

Now I Know

I have such an enhanced understanding of brides now that I am a bride, or a repeat bride, whatever you wish to call it. Maybe I'm an encore Bride, or a born again bride, or a repeat offender bride. But, plain and simple, now I know.

I know that no matter how careful you are the budget can take on a life of it's own. I know that what I want to do, and what I can afford to do are a gazillion $'s apart. I also know, after all is said and done most people will only remember it was lovely and the food was good. And, of course that the bride was stunning. Other than that the details will be generalized into an overall memory.

I know that if we can laugh though what ever little things go wrong, and they will, it will all be okay. We will be just as married if there aren't enough chairs, or if there is a horrible food faux pas. For the record I do not wish to jinx the caterer....that is just a random example.

The wedding isn't the celebration and the marriage is not the wedding. The marriage is the sacred part, the rest is just sharing our joy. No amount of money spent can express the depth of that joy. This I know.

Gifts

We received our first wedding gift yesterday. Wow! It makes it all so real.

Here is our take on gifts. We don't need a thing, really. We are completely blessed as it is. Now, tongue-in-cheek, if someone wants to give us a house, on a lake, in the mountains, near the ocean, well, we would graciously accept it. And write the worlds most gracious thank you note!

We tell people no gifts are necessary. If someone insists, a donation to either Pointer Rescue or Outward Bound, in our names would be wonderful. This wedding is celebration enough, and those who share it with us is a gift in itself. Still heartfelt gifts are coming our way.

We will be toasting with a gift of champagne at the reception. It seems a good way to start our life together. Light, bubbly, celebratory....and with those we love most. The toast holds more than wishes for the future, it also honors the journeys of the past that led us to this day.

We are gifted, by those who love us and share life in good times and in bad, in sickness and health. For that we give thanks.

Counting Down

So it's count down time. It's gearing up time. It's pay the balance time. It's a bit of a weepy time. It's almost wedding time.

In the something old category - well, besides the bride that is. I have the pleasure of using vintage footed cake plates to serve cake at our reception. I'll be using my Mom's and Reno's Mom's cake plates. It doesn't get any better than that. I love the vintage look, I love including treasures such as these to grace our event.

Something new, well that is an easy one. New hopes and new commitment. New directions and new challenges. Bottom line, we are renewing our faith in marriage. Kind of a good thing at this time in our lives, huh?

Something borrowed - hmmmmmmmmm. I believe I'll borrow some strength to get me through the next two weeks. Does anyone have any they'd like to lend me??

Something blue....I'd be lying if I said I haven't had some weepy, blue moments recently. It goes with the preparations, the stress, the challenges of getting married, getting a house ready to sell, leaving a job and moving to a new city. Have I mentioned I'm a wee bit emotional these days?? I'm also very excited and slightly terrified.

So yes, I'm counting. Counting down, counting on things being better than we dreamed. Counting on sharing and celebrating. Counting on my best friend to meet me at the altar in just about two weeks.