Anniversary Part I

March 28, 2009 was the one year anniversary of our wedding day! Just saying it makes me tear up! Nothing ever felt so right. We were finally getting married after 3 years of waiting.

That morning I woke up around 4:30 am for a shower. There was a basket of breakfast goodies from Sister Vanvleet that helped to sustain me that morning. An old highschool friend helped me with my makeup. Even her boyfriend showed up to take pictures with a smile on his face!

After she was done I only had a few brief moments to myself. I remember looking around the room I had grown up in and trying to keep myself from crying. There were so many memories--good and bad. I wanted to relive the good and fix the wrong. But I realized that the chapter of my life that involved that bedroom and its memories was now closed. It was a poignant thought--the point of no return. Don't misunderstand me, it was for the better and I was sooo happy and excited! It's just an interesting spot to be at: ready to race headlong into the next part of your life while knowing that you have officially ended childhood years. Although my dad will always be my dad, he would no longer be my priesthood leader. My mom wouldn't be there in the same way either. JT would be my everything--although my parents would laugh at this and say he had been my everything for a LONG time now. :) True, but now it would be official!

Well, sufficeth to say, the excitement and happiness outweighed the nostalgia and I raced out of the house to have Kindy Morris do my hair. She was sooo nice and fun! I had a good time talking to her as she perfected my do. By the way, talk about talent! I pulled a hairstyle out of a fashion magazine and she not only copied it--she improved it!

Once I got home I was faced with a HUGE dilemma. My hair was now perfect but I had forgotten to wear a button up shirt! There was NO way I would be pulling a T-shirt over my head. Without thinking twice, I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of scissors. I burst into my parents bedroom begging my mom to cut my shirt open! Everyone thought it was really funny. I think that shirt is still lying around somewhere. It's a casualty of my wedding day. I then changed into...something else? I don't remember anymore.

JT came and picked my mom and I up for the drive to the Newport Beach Temple!!! I didn't mind sharing the car ride with my mom at all. I was fully aware that after that day I would get him forever! Plus.....we had a little fun with my mom. She's too sweet. We first serenaded her with our then-favorite song: "Take You There" by Sean Kingston. JT and I switched doing the backup vocals and made no attempt to stay in key. She was begging us to finish by the end. THEN I had an "Anchorman" moment. We drove by the sign off the freeway that read San Diego. Me: "San Diego. Spanish for a whale's vagina." Mom: "Really? Then I wonder what Diego means." JT & Me: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA". Then we explained ourselves. We got a dirty look for that one.

After what seemed like forever, we pulled around the corner and saw the temple on our right! Just then I was struck with a wave of hunger and begged JT to find food for us. So while the Trout caravan turned right into the temple parking lot, JT's car kept going straight on past it! We pulled up outside of a Carl's JR and I ran inside to order food and to beg for it's timely completion. Not being in my wedding dress, they probably thought it was a bit early in the morning to be ready for prom.

Once back to the car we headed to the temple. The temple workers were so surprised to have us arrive on time! We were taken back for a chat with the temple president. He gave us a picture of the Newport Beach temple and a copy of "The Proclamation On the Family". Due to a mix up, there was no sealer available for us!!! The temple president happilly cleared his schedule and was honored to do it himself.

After that we separated and I got to hang out in the Bride's Room with my mom and JT's mom. It was really relaxing and pretty. They helped me get into my BEAUTIFUL wedding dress. The temple workers were shocked when I told them that Bonnie made the dress! It was the perfect dress.

Once ready, JT and I were able to meet up again in the Celestial Room where we sat on a couch and giggled while we waited for the ceremony to start. For this next part you need to visualize this: a couch with JT sitting on the right end and me sitting in the middle. When the temple president came over to talk to us he sat the left side. I had a poofy dress with a bustle in the back. To keep from ruining it I was sitting on my side talking to JT. Having the temple president sit down on my other side meant that I had to stand up, shuffle myself around, and literally PLOP myself down on my side facing him! We burst into giggles again.

THEN...it happened. We got married! Not just married either, but sealed for time and all eternity. Close friends and family surrounded us. It was everything I ever wanted. Everything was so beautiful, peaceful, and......right. We made it to the temple together. It took us our entire lives to prepare for it--but there is nothing better we could have chosen. The best part was knowing that we were worthy to be there, that our Heavenly Father wanted us to be there, and that it was the right time to be there.