6-6-97

June 6, 1997. Wow. A few days, plus ten years ago. Jason was working, until 5. His boss didn't see why he would need his wedding day off. Just show up at the altar, right? I remember running into a drugstore (Eckards, maybe?) a little after 5 0'clock, with wet hair, on my way to the church, to buy a pair of pantyhose! I remember my dad, going out in the rain, cutting ivy clippings from the front of someone's house because we ran out of silk flowers to cover the lattice work in the reception room. I remember trying to roll the lattice walls into place and losing control, careening frighteningly close to the cake tables! My mom, my grandmother (and her amazing handmade flower arrangements), setting up chairs, refreshments, candelabras. We did it all that afternoon.

I was not nervous at all. Delegating for all the set-up work. I even fixed everyone's hair, down to the flower girls and jr. bridesmaid. Then, standing at the end of that line, watching everyone walk so delicately down the aisle, it hit me, that I'm the last one, the one that everyone is waiting for! Wearing my mom's wedding dress, my great-grandmother's brooch, I had everything ready. "Stop figedting, you'll ruin your nails" My dad is worried about my manicure?? How can he be calm at a time like this? But we pulled it off. Jason even said "I do" twice. :) ever so anxious, I'm sure.

Now ten years later. Eight moves (ok, it took me awhile to work out the Military-Brat issues), one dog, seventeen jobs :), four colleges (and one degree!!), six vehicles, countless trips to San Angelo, Brownwood, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Uvalde, a couple of special vacays to Port Aransas, and skiing/snowboarding at Angel Fire, and here we are.

Here we are. Through the good times and the bad, through the great times and let's be honest, the really bad, here we are.

And now we are four. A family of four. We have managed to be blessed with two very special, very beautiful, smart, loving, sweet little girls. And we couldn't be better. The world could be falling down around me, and when I hear Ally say, "Pweese help me, Mama", or have Emma come over and give me a hug and a kiss just "because I love you, Mama", or have Jason get home in time to play Hide-and-Seek with the girls before bed, nothing else matters.

Bring it on. We're ready for 10 more.