7 years…

So, seven years ago today Gene and I got married. Just about everyone who reads this blog was there and like I said on Facebook, I am so thankful that everyone I love in the world was there. I have the pictures to prove it 🙂 This time 7 years ago, Gene and I sat at our dining room table alone, ate leftovers from the buffet (I hated our caterer but I was so glad that there was food in the house!) and opened our presents. We had a zillion hour drive to WDW the next day and I wrote Thank you notes on the way.

That entire weekend was really nice. Gene’s brother and his wife showed up on Thursday (?), my friend Tracy showed up that day too – we went to the mall and spent a lot of money at the Clinique counter in hopes that I’d learn how to do my makeup via osmosis. (I think I forced Tracy to eat barbeque for lunch… what a sport!)

Later on Thursday we had a huge crowd at the house and grilled steak. My SIL made blue cheese stuffed zucchini and oh, that was yummy. Admittedly it’s fuzzy now – I’m going to guess that Friday was my bachelorette party (and Gene’s bachelor party – hey, Brandy, remember Gene’s brother trying to run us off the road in a rental minivan?). By then Brandy and Julie and Amanda had showed up. Awesome. All the women (except my stepgrandmother and a few others – maybe my Aunt Lyn?) went out for Mexican food and then the younger crew went to Dave & Busters. We danced a little, we drank a little, we played a little pool. The only rule was that I did not want anything waggling in my face. Impressively, no one tried me on that one.

Saturday: rehearsal, rehearsal dinner at a Creole restaurant. The rehearsal dinner was financed by my family, which is good because if we’d had to buy you all would have been lucky to get two slices of pizza. (A word on the wedding budget: you start off a year before the wedding buying the cheapest shoes possible and the day before the wedding you basically walk around with your Visa in your hand, just offering anyone money to just…make…problems…go…away! To wit, see above re: Clinique counter).

Anyway. Sunday, the big day. Awesome. Brandy gave a reading and I didn’t promise to obey anyone. (The minister wouldn’t have let it happen anyway).

Oh, hey, the minster! He walked into the dressing room where Gene was waiting (nervously…) and told him that I’d told him that Gene was going to recite his vows from memory. (This is funny because I pieced together the entire ceremony and I’m pretty sure Gene had only memorized “I do” and may have not even read it)

Hee!!  The minister = expensive, but worth it. (Especially since our other options were getting married in prison or at City Hall, neither of which was a valid choice for multiple reasons).

And in conclusion, I married Gene seven years ago today. It was a good day and I’m glad we’re married. And gladder yet that we will never have to do that again.