Marriage

Well, here we are. It's 630 in the morning on my wedding day. I've slept in 2 hour increments all night. I'm not nervous at all about marrying Dave--not one bit--but my mind is up and going.

We had our family dinner last night at the park. It was so strange to see all those people and realize they were there because of something Dave and I are about to do. I think I may have a similar reaction today. I'm not accustomed to being so front and center. Good thing I'll have Dave by my side.

I've been thinking about mom this morning. I have felt a lot of peace this week as we have prepared. I thought I would miss her more but I think God has been merciful and let me feel how happy she is instead of sadness over her not being here. Last night was hard though as I wrote a little explanation to go on the cookie party favor table. I felt for a moment, keenly, her absence. I know that she will be in the temple with us. I just wish I could see her. I wish Dave could meet her. But I guess I will have to settle for warm feelings and be grateful.

So now I'm just waiting for the sun to come up and people to wake up so that we can go for a run and start this crazy, wonderful day.

I'm getting married. I never thought it would happen but here we are. I've never been more tired and happy in my whole life. :)

See you on the other side...as Julie Grygla.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

Today is my last day as Julie Bradshaw. Tomorrow I will become Julie Grygla. (Yeah baby!)

Yesterday as we were frantically trying to get the house cleaned up for company, the doorbell rang. My dad started laughing and called me to the door. There was a man there with a vase of flowers for Julie Grygla. I signed for them and looked at the card. They were from Dave: "Dear Julie, Happy 5th Anniversary. Love, Dave." My family looked at me oddly. Happy 5th anniversary?

Yes, people. Yesterday was the 5th anniversary of Dave's and my first date. I love that he remembers things like this. Also, these were the first flowers he's ever bought me. They are beautiful. I love him. I think I'll marry him. Like, tomorrow.

I am the luckiest. girl. alive.

See you all on the other side!

Hired

Yesterday I thought I was coming down with something. The last couple of days have been really draggy, punctuated by bouts of nausea. Nevertheless, I've had to push through the sickies to complete last-minute planning items, getting the house ready for company, unpacking bridal shower items into the kitchen and house (so exciting!), and...preparing for a job interview.

I know.

Worst. Timing. Ever.

I wanted to put it off. When I thought I was going to lose last night's dinner this morning, I wondered how wise it was. But there was no time to reschedule. And Dave and I both agreed that we need me to have a job. A real teaching job. Otherwise we both might go crazy. So, today I dragged myself to my interview at Dixie State College and prayed I didn't pass out in the middle of my teaching demonstration.

I shouldn't have been worried. One of the best things about teaching is the adrenaline rush of standing in front of a class. No matter how bad of a mood I'm in or how tired I am, when I stand up there, I go through an amazing transformation. The energy I get from imparting information and engaging with students makes everything else melt away. Today was no different. I was on fire.

The interview as a whole went really well. I like the feel of campus. I like the faculty members I met. I arrived feeling unsure that this was what I wanted to do and left hoping I would have a chance to teach there. When they dismissed me, I was told I would receive an email later that afternoon, after they had discussed me and my interview. I felt pretty confident they would offer me a position, but you never know. (Funny enough, after I walked out of the building, my nausea went away. Turns out it was all just stress...)

By the time I got home, lo and behold, I had an email from them: They would like me to teach three sections of freshman writing starting this fall. A Tuesday/Thursday schedule no less!

It's yet one more miracle in a long series of miracles that have brought me to St. George to marry Dave. I get the man of my dreams. I get to continue the job of my dreams. And I get to invest in my new community. It's hard to believe that after all of the pain of the last few years, God has decided to bless me with more than I would have ever dared asked for. It's pretty incredible. I think some prayers of gratitude are in order tonight.

Bridals

Bridals have been hanging over my head since we hired our photographer. In the last 10 years or so, I've slowly developed an aversion to posing for pictures, so the idea of putting on a fancy dress and working it for the camera was really stressful. Especially since we were spending a good chunk of change on the experience.

Dave took the entire day off of work: blessing number one. We spent the morning finalizing some reception details and then parted ways to get ready. I went to get my nails done. Dave went to load up the four-wheelers.

Getting ready for pictures was really surreal. Here I was, putting on makeup I have been practicing with for two weeks, looking at a dress I bought two days after Dave and I got engaged, wondering how it was going to look with the jewelry I had carefully chosen and the red shoes I was in love with. I really wanted to look beautiful--no, gorgeous--but I don't know that I have ever truly felt that way. So it was a lot of pressure.

I met Dave down at the temple a few minutes before our photographers arrived. I didn't feel like I could drive in my dress so I changed in the visitor's center. The only problem was the many, many buttons down the back of my dress. I called Dave from the bathroom and asked him for help. He said he'd be right there, but when the door opened, I found a sister missionary instead of Dave.

"Um, your fiancee asked me to come in and button you up." Hilarious.

When we were finally done, I put in my veil, put on my shoes, and looked in the mirror. The dress fit perfectly, the shoes were awesomely fierce, and I felt beautiful. Then I had this moment when the pressure of the pictures faded away and I thought about what this really meant. I am marrying David, the best man I know. All of this is for him, not silly pictures. The pictures are just meant to capture this amazing moment. I went from being nervous about taking pictures to being giddy with nervous excitement over meeting up with Dave dressed this way. Strange transformation.

I walked out of the bathroom expecting to be taken in at that moment, but Dave was nowhere to be seen. However, there were plenty of missionary couples and sisters willing to ooh and ah. That was a good start. I called Dave. He was out at the temple steps with the photographers. I set out to find them.

I was intercepted by one of the duo. They had planned a "reaction" shot from Dave. I was to walk up to him slowly and then wait for him to turn around. I got to where they wanted me and they weren't quite ready, so we stood there anxiously, Dave with his back turned to me and me waiting anxiously for the verdict.

"Okay, Dave. Turn around." Like the good man he is, his eyes met mine before he looked at anything else. Then he soaked in the whole package. The look in his eyes brought those feelings from the bathroom back, the ones about how I was marrying the best man in the world. I was now standing in front of him in a wedding dress and veil. I was so grateful, so happy...I started to tear up.

"No! No tears! The makeup!" That was me. Dave laughed. The photographers snapped. I knew it was going to be a good day.

We spent some time at the temple getting shots. I thought I was going to feel like a goober in my solo shots, but with Dave looking at me the way he was, it was easy to smile for him. It was a joy. That was not at all what I expected. And the day just got better.

The main reason we hired these photographers was because we saw their work at a wedding expo. They had these shots out on the rocks at Sand Hollow reservoir at sunset that were to die for. We wanted that shot. So, we drove the truck and four-wheelers out to Sand Hollow and started the 20 minute ride across the rocks and sand. Of course, with the buttons and lack of changing space, we opted for me to keep the wedding dress on and just wrap up in a blanket. I laughed the whole way out. Here we were, Dave in his tux, driving me up and over sand dunes and rocks, and me in my wedding dress! I was in heaven.

It became clear when we arrived at our destination that it was pointless for me to have even brought my heels with me. I got off the four-wheeler and let my toes sink into the sand. The sensation said "home." Sure, the sand was the wrong color and there was no beach, but that feeling of home permeated my entire being and I felt so relaxed, ready for the hours of pictures ahead of us.

After a few pictures, one of the photographers looked at me and said, "How much can you move in that dress?" I saw his eyes flick up to a rock behind me.

"I can climb up there, if that's what you're asking." Huge grin from him.

"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say."

That set the precedent for the rest of the photo shoot. Dave and I spent the next two hours climbing all over rocks, working together to keep my dress and/or veil from snagging. I was barefoot for the entire shoot and loved every minute of it.

My favorite part came at the very end when Dave and I climbed onto one of the four-wheelers in our full regalia and he drove us as fast as he could past the photographers. I'm pretty sure we have one photo where I'm clutching Dave with one arm and my veil with the other, screaming and laughing. That moment, I think, captures our entire courtship: a wild and fun ride all the way to the altar just as fast as Dave could take us safely.

On the way home, I realized that an experience that had been stressing me out for weeks had actually turned into the biggest stress reliever of all. Dave remarked that something that had the potential to feel very surreal actually felt very normal and fun. I couldn't agree more. We'll see if that's the case 11 days from now when I get to kneel across the altar from him.

Excited doesn't even begin describe it.