On a Friday, the 13th day of May in 1994, Nate and I married for time and all eternity in the Portland Oregon Temple. I have never liked looking at the pictures of our wedding. I think I looked absolutely horrible on that day. We had been separated for 5 1/2 months before the wedding because quite frankly we couldn't keep our hands off of each other. :0) So, Nate was living in Utah and I was living with his family in Washington while we waited, and waited and waited for the big day to arrive. Nate was getting ready to apply to med school, my parents were not at all thrilled with me being married in the Temple, I had no job, I was living with his parents and sisters and I was beginning to think that it was pretty possible I could die before then. So, when the day finally arrived, I really didn't care about anything else but being married. I had a wedding dress that I kind of liked, but it was the right price. I didn't buy any of the undergarments that make you look good in the dress, so it was pretty ill fitting. I did my own hair and make up, which subsequently, I ended up having a really bad hair day. I had a huge canker soar on my upper lip from all the stress. And, when I look at the pictures I am reminded of how I used to have to hold my lower jaw out to hide the fact that I had a massive overbite. Nathan of course, looks as handsome as ever and I still can't believe that he wanted to marry me. We woke up the morning of the wedding and hoped in a car together and drove ourselves to the Temple. Usually you meet each other there, but we were so over not being married and weren't about to spend another second apart. Nate gets mad at me when I talk bad about how I looked in the wedding pictures like it is a bad reflection on him. He would not marry an ugly girl, he says. "I married a gorgeous girl who is even more gorgeous today." I joked with him today that he really hit the jackpot and he said that he in fact did and that he hoped someday I would believe him.
The one thing I do love about all the pictures is the way his is looking at me in each and every one of them ( I didn't put a bunch on here, but there are more on my fb). He looks like the happiest most in love guy ever and he still looks like that at me today, 17 years later. I still contend that I was the one that hit the jackpot and am the luckiest girl ever to me married to someone that is still so in love and looks for every opportunity to whisk me away somewhere for the weekend because he loves spending time with me. So, when I put all the petty and vein worries aside, I look at the pictures and see myself trying to imagine the life we would be living together all these years later and feel blessed that I made the absolute right choice in marrying him despite all of my insecurities. The most important of all is where we were married and remembering that covenant that we made to each other for all time and eternity helps get you through the times that are hard, because life is hard. But as long as you have your best friend at your side you can make it through anything which makes the good times even that much more incredible.
On a Friday, the 13th day of May in 1994, Nate and I married for time and all eternity in the Portland Oregon Temple. I have never liked looking at the pictures of our wedding. I think I looked absolutely horrible on that day. We had been separated for 5 1/2 months before the wedding because quite frankly we couldn't keep our hands off of each other. :0) So, Nate was living in Utah and I was living with his family in Washington while we waited, and waited and waited for the big day to arrive. Nate was getting ready to apply to med school, my parents were not at all thrilled with me being married in the Temple, I had no job, I was living with his parents and sisters and I was beginning to think that it was pretty possible I could die before then. So, when the day finally arrived, I really didn't care about anything else but being married. I had a wedding dress that I kind of liked, but it was the right price. I didn't buy any of the undergarments that make you look good in the dress, so it was pretty ill fitting. I did my own hair and make up, which subsequently, I ended up having a really bad hair day. I had a huge canker soar on my upper lip from all the stress. And, when I look at the pictures I am reminded of how I used to have to hold my lower jaw out to hide the fact that I had a massive overbite. Nathan of course, looks as handsome as ever and I still can't believe that he wanted to marry me. We woke up the morning of the wedding and hoped in a car together and drove ourselves to the Temple. Usually you meet each other there, but we were so over not being married and weren't about to spend another second apart. Nate gets mad at me when I talk bad about how I looked in the wedding pictures like it is a bad reflection on him. He would not marry an ugly girl, he says. "I married a gorgeous girl who is even more gorgeous today." I joked with him today that he really hit the jackpot and he said that he in fact did and that he hoped someday I would believe him. 
The one thing I do love about all the pictures is the way his is looking at me in each and every one of them ( I didn't put a bunch on here, but there are more on my fb). He looks like the happiest most in love guy ever and he still looks like that at me today, 17 years later. I still contend that I was the one that hit the jackpot and am the luckiest girl ever to me married to someone that is still so in love and looks for every opportunity to whisk me away somewhere for the weekend because he loves spending time with me. So, when I put all the petty and vein worries aside, I look at the pictures and see myself trying to imagine the life we would be living together all these years later and feel blessed that I made the absolute right choice in marrying him despite all of my insecurities. The most important of all is where we were married and remembering that covenant that we made to each other for all time and eternity helps get you through the times that are hard, because life is hard. But as long as you have your best friend at your side you can make it through anything which makes the good times even that much more incredible.
2 comments:
Listening to you talk about all the things that were wrong with how you looked that day made me kind of sad, Heath. All I remember about that day was being so excited for you after knowing how hard it was for you to be apart. I remember thinking how beautiful I thought you looked and just wanting to be like you when I got older. As you know, I wasn't in the best position at the time to even be headed in that direction years down the road and it made a big impact on me (as did watching all my brothers and new sisters) get married, but yours was extra special because I had the chance to get to know you and already felt like you were a big sister to me. All I remember was looking up to you and thinking you were beautiful and awesome. I even thought someday I would borrow your dress. ;) Love you guys!
aaawww, Shayla you are so sweet you're gonna make me cry! Nate said he was sending you a kiss on the cheek across the digital universe. I still carry a lot of "ugly" baggage from all the teasing I endured through middle school and even high school, so 17 years ago those feelings were still pretty close to the surface and when I look at that person, that is who I see looking back at me. But, I got over my big bad self and married Nate even though I felt unworthy to and look at me now! Nate saw in me what I couldn't see in myself. It was a pretty monumental leap of faith...And then..... In the words of a seemingly not so smart blue fish; "just keep swimming, just keep swimming."
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