Wedding Day Morning

After the rough night of sleep, the boys all slept in until about 8:30 so that gave me a little time to start getting things together for the day.

Mary was already up when I got up but I'm sure she was too excited to sleep much! She left for the church before 10 since she was getting her hair done there. Her best friend since first grade (and our babysitter) was at the house and took her and her gown and all of that over to the church so she could get ready there.

I was a little sad that I wasn't the one going with her, but I have a whole herd of little people to take care of and get ready and Mary knows that which is why she asked her friend to go with her.

I got the boys breakfast and laid out their clothes for the wedding with instructions to my Mom to feed them lunch and then get them dressed. Our cousin came over about 10:30 to do my hair and it turned out so beautiful!

Tim, Eli, and my other younger sister got ready at home and we left for the church to start pictures at 11:30. I took my dress to put on at the church so I wouldn't wrinkle it on the way.

When we got to the church I went and saw Mary right away--she looked beautiful! Her hair looked great, her dress fit wonderful and is beautiful, and her jewelry and tiara were just right. She was a beautiful bride!

We took a lot of pictures before the ceremony since we wouldn't have much time in the church afterwards because they were having mass shortly thereafter.

The photographer was great-he remembered everyone's names and called people by name who should be in the picture. He also had to alter how he normally does a lot of pictures since Mary didn't want to be in her chair for all of the pictures. So we (we, meaning her new father-in-law) put her on a stool for most of the pictures and that worked out really well. For some others she sat on the steps in front of the alter, but they all seemed like they will be good so I'm excited to see them.

Then it was time to go out of the church since people were starting to come. We went in the parsonage and Eli told me he was hungry. The guys ate all pizza we had ordered for lunch while the girls were doing pictures but Mary said Father told her we could eat anything in the fridge. So I opened it and all I see are cases of pop and that's not going to help Eli. Then I spy a fruit cup. I grab that, find a fork and we're in business. Except wait, I forgot that those things are vacuum sealed and you know how it spills when you try to open it? You see where this is headed right?

Anyway, I open it and in the process spill peach juice all down the front of my dress. I utter a choice word, finish opening it and hand it to Eli and say, don't spill whatever you do, and eat quick. I grabbed a papertowel and got it wet and wiped down my dress, but it was wet and the wedding was starting in less than 20 minutes.

One of my cousins suggested I stand outside in the sun since it was just on the top layer of the dress she thought it would dry quickly. I ran outside and stood in the sun and fanned my dress and let it blow in the breeze (I was so thankful for that breeze). It dried in about five minutes and I went back in. If you looked you could still see where the juice was, but you'd have to know it was there to notice it.

When I stepped back inside they were getting ready to get Mary to the back of the church but I didn't see Eli. I asked where he was and no one knew. I stepped back in the kitchen and there he was just finishing his peaches, right where I left him. He had been so quiet everyone forgot about him.

Then the other girls blocked the hallway so no one could see Mary inside the church as she went down the hall and Eli and I helped her outside and around to the back steps so her dress wasn't dragging or anything. Then a couple of the guys helped Mary up the steps and we waited in the back of the church.

And that get's us to the ceremony.