Every wedding deserves its last minute emergency and this is the story of ours as written by my mother.
Ten---- that's the number of attendants my daughter chose to stand up with her at her wedding next week. Nine bridesmaids and one bridesman!!! The brides man clothing was easy to decide on as he will wear whatever tux the groomsmen wear. The girls however are a different story. One now lives in Virginia, one in Nashville, one in Spokane the rest in our area.One is a model, one is a Mother of 3, one is 8 weeks pregnant and one is 8 months pregnant!!!So the choosing of the dresses is vitally important.
The shoes were chosen first. Red of course, Sarah's favorite. Even she, as the bride is wearing red shoes.The dresses----- style, length, color. 2 redheads, 3 blonds, 4 brunettes of various shades.hmmmIt was settled. The wedding would be somewhat ethereal with neutral colors and small touches of red. The reception following is to be a "big red party"Champagne color for the dresses, order 15 weeks out from a reputable formal shop. We are all set. Rest easy!!!!!
Fast forward 14 weeks--------Did you know dyeable shoes are hard to find and it takes 3 weeks to get them dyed?Shoes not here in time . Thank God for Zappos 9 pair red heels ordered!The dresses arrive in Seattle, friends pick them up and bring them to us; they are distributed; bridesmaids try them on------The girls begin talking about really needing a tan, of needing to have the dresses altered to fit, one of my sons makes unflatering comments about the dress to his wife. It really can't be that bad!!!
One of my daughters inlaw cannot get the dress altered as she is now pregnant and it can't be let out.I take the dress home to contemplate. Try it with the red shoes I have THE DRESS IS PEACH!!black shoe, white shoes-- nothing really works. I decide to try the dress on. Great decision-- It is absolutely not acceptable.
12 days until the wedding.Thank God for Nordstoms ----overnight delivery of The Little Black Dress but wait-- are you aware that even though they list all these sizes they may not have them all ready to ship? Well consider yourself warned.That was Tuesday.
Today is Thursday one more Thursday before the wedding.All 9 girls have at least one black dress , some have 2, one has 4 and the 8 months pregnant girl has 5. Nordstroms has a really great return policy.We have gone from ethereal to elegant in black. It really WILL make the gorgeous Bride stand out. Still all in red shoes.
2 flower girls in red
8 ring bearers and a red wagon.
9 days to go until the big day.
It will be a great day------ gorgeous bride,------ wonderful groom.
A real WHOO HOO day!!
P.S. I think I'll wear red shoes
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Moving Day!
This is the last post from #215. Today we are moving into our new place...well sort of. All of our stuff is moving in and the dogs and I are moving in. Daren will be sleeping on a mattress on the floor of his house until Saturday! Poor guy.
One week from today it is finally here. Wedding Day! This has been one of the craziest weeks of my entire life. There was the bachlorette party, the bridesmaid shoe issue, the bridesmaid dress fiasco, work, getting our marriage license and moving. Its been insance and true to form I don't have time to tell all about the events! More....well sometime.
I have realized that this is what 'they' talk about when they tell you how busy you are right before you get married. Craziness!
7 days and counting!
One week from today it is finally here. Wedding Day! This has been one of the craziest weeks of my entire life. There was the bachlorette party, the bridesmaid shoe issue, the bridesmaid dress fiasco, work, getting our marriage license and moving. Its been insance and true to form I don't have time to tell all about the events! More....well sometime.
I have realized that this is what 'they' talk about when they tell you how busy you are right before you get married. Craziness!
7 days and counting!
Monday, April 7, 2008
1:59: 30
The day started at 5:30 am. I actually woke up at 4:00 am out of nerves and anxiety but managed to fall back asleep for the next hour and a half. I woke up knowing that today is finally race day.
All of my cloths had been laid out the night before. My new favorite running pants that hit just below my knees, my most comfortable long grey t-shirt, lucky socks, and my hot pink running jacket with the front pocket to hold my GU and my inhaler. Daren had helped me put my chip on my shoe the night before and my bib on my jacket. Lucky number 34 was my race number. I drank my coffee and forced down my oatmeal. So nervous that it was hard to eat anything but knowing what was ahead I ate all of my oatmeal and a yogurt. I told Boomer not to be nervous and then hopped into Daren's truck.
Wait! I yelled "I don't have my watch!" All of the nervous energy came bursting to the surface with this tiny mishap as if somehow having that watch would make a major difference in my race.
Back in the truck we drove mostly in silence except for my singing quietly along with the radio to calm myself down. I don't remember exactly what happened after we parked but before I knew it we were at the starting line. Daren always likes to start in the faster mile group because "its easier for them to pass us than for us to pass them". So there we were 5 rows back from the starting line and surrounded by around 5000 excited and nervous runners. It is a really cool feeling to be a part of something that is so big and that so many people have spent so many hours working for. Then it started 3...2...1....bang! And we were off and running, literally. It was at this point that all of my nerves, anxiety and fears surfaced and my blue eyes filled with tears and my heart laughed and and swelled with pride and the accomplishment of going from running zero miles to starting out on my first 13.1 miles in a matter of months.
The first 6 miles felt really easy and went by quickly. Daren and I were chatting and laughing and enjoying ourselves and our race together. Then came miles 8 and 9 those were a bit more difficult. The coarse took us almost all the way out to the dump and back again and by mile 9 the pain was starting. I kept telling myself "Good for you, this time you didn't start hurting until mile 9". Another GU and 4 more miles to go.
My goal was to run a sub 2 hour race at at about the 9 1/2 mark the 2:00 hour pacer passed me. And in an instant I was racing. I was no longer running for fun and companionship but I was racing. I looked over at Daren who has been faithfully running by my side for all of these months of training and he said "Go."
I stretched out my stride and steeled my mind for the last 4 miles. I passed the entire 2:00 hour pace pack and it took everything I could muster to keep them behind me. At mile 11 my legs were aching, at 11.5 my feet were hurting in places they have never hurt before, at 12 I was all but done for and headed toward the final hill that takes you over the bridge to the finish line. Exactly at the time I reached the 12 mile marker Daren was passing on the other side of the route and shouted to me "You can do it! Great Job! Dig in Sarah, last mile!" And so I did...
I fought for this race with my whole body. Just after the final hill as I reached for the final straight away a stranger who was cheering on the runners look directly at me and into my eyes and leaned in towards me and said "excellent, you are doing excellent". I smiled back at her and dug in for my finish.
As I reached the finish line I started clapping for myself and had a huge smile on my face as I crossed the line. Then the announcer says and now #34 an even pronounced my name correctly. I hopped, jumped up and down, clapped and then went over to the side and threw up. With that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had done it. I had given this race my all and taken my mind and body as far as it would go.
I did it! I ran my race. I met my goal. I ran a sub 2 hour half marathon and became even closer to and fell more in love with my fiance.
Thank you Daren for the hours of patient training that brought me to this huge personal accomplishment. I love you for it...and now on with the wedding!
All of my cloths had been laid out the night before. My new favorite running pants that hit just below my knees, my most comfortable long grey t-shirt, lucky socks, and my hot pink running jacket with the front pocket to hold my GU and my inhaler. Daren had helped me put my chip on my shoe the night before and my bib on my jacket. Lucky number 34 was my race number. I drank my coffee and forced down my oatmeal. So nervous that it was hard to eat anything but knowing what was ahead I ate all of my oatmeal and a yogurt. I told Boomer not to be nervous and then hopped into Daren's truck.
Wait! I yelled "I don't have my watch!" All of the nervous energy came bursting to the surface with this tiny mishap as if somehow having that watch would make a major difference in my race.
Back in the truck we drove mostly in silence except for my singing quietly along with the radio to calm myself down. I don't remember exactly what happened after we parked but before I knew it we were at the starting line. Daren always likes to start in the faster mile group because "its easier for them to pass us than for us to pass them". So there we were 5 rows back from the starting line and surrounded by around 5000 excited and nervous runners. It is a really cool feeling to be a part of something that is so big and that so many people have spent so many hours working for. Then it started 3...2...1....bang! And we were off and running, literally. It was at this point that all of my nerves, anxiety and fears surfaced and my blue eyes filled with tears and my heart laughed and and swelled with pride and the accomplishment of going from running zero miles to starting out on my first 13.1 miles in a matter of months.
The first 6 miles felt really easy and went by quickly. Daren and I were chatting and laughing and enjoying ourselves and our race together. Then came miles 8 and 9 those were a bit more difficult. The coarse took us almost all the way out to the dump and back again and by mile 9 the pain was starting. I kept telling myself "Good for you, this time you didn't start hurting until mile 9". Another GU and 4 more miles to go.
My goal was to run a sub 2 hour race at at about the 9 1/2 mark the 2:00 hour pacer passed me. And in an instant I was racing. I was no longer running for fun and companionship but I was racing. I looked over at Daren who has been faithfully running by my side for all of these months of training and he said "Go."
I stretched out my stride and steeled my mind for the last 4 miles. I passed the entire 2:00 hour pace pack and it took everything I could muster to keep them behind me. At mile 11 my legs were aching, at 11.5 my feet were hurting in places they have never hurt before, at 12 I was all but done for and headed toward the final hill that takes you over the bridge to the finish line. Exactly at the time I reached the 12 mile marker Daren was passing on the other side of the route and shouted to me "You can do it! Great Job! Dig in Sarah, last mile!" And so I did...
I fought for this race with my whole body. Just after the final hill as I reached for the final straight away a stranger who was cheering on the runners look directly at me and into my eyes and leaned in towards me and said "excellent, you are doing excellent". I smiled back at her and dug in for my finish.
As I reached the finish line I started clapping for myself and had a huge smile on my face as I crossed the line. Then the announcer says and now #34 an even pronounced my name correctly. I hopped, jumped up and down, clapped and then went over to the side and threw up. With that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had done it. I had given this race my all and taken my mind and body as far as it would go.
I did it! I ran my race. I met my goal. I ran a sub 2 hour half marathon and became even closer to and fell more in love with my fiance.
Thank you Daren for the hours of patient training that brought me to this huge personal accomplishment. I love you for it...and now on with the wedding!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
43
Forty-three hours and counting until I get to ( have to ) run my first half marathon. My sweet runner of a fiance has run many of these half marathons as well as three full marathons so to him this is just another week with a race at the end of it. For me its a week with a race at the end of it! A long race at the end of it. In fact, the longest that I've ever run race at the end of it. I have not run 13.1 miles ever in my life. Twice now I've run 10 miles but that's still not 13. I stopped racing in high school because of my intense race anxiety and now I've done it to myself again. And now I'm locked in. I am not quiting unless I lose a leg in a shark attack between now and 7:00am Sunday morning. But I sure am nervous...
Daren is already trying to sign us up for three more races! Two more half's and one 12K. I keep thinking I don't even know if I can, let alone like, to do one half let alone two more.
Note to future Brides-to-be: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT agree after two martins to run your first half marathon with the fiance you adore three weeks before your wedding just because he smiles at you with his cute dimple and gives you a high five and coffee after every run. It makes you freak out! Not only do you spend your time having to count RSVPs and moving boxes but miles too.
A few weeks back when Daren and I were running one of his favorite trail runs he looks around and says "You know, you don't really see too many couples out here running." I said "No Kidding, its because it makes 'em break up!" HA! I have run many an angry mile these past few months training for this race and it better pay off. Yeah, if this isn't an awesome experience Daren is going to have to do more than buy me coffee and give me a high five...he's going to have to take Pilates. Take that sucker!
Maybe Sunday at 9:00am I'll be singing a different tune...but for now its Anxiety by Black Eyed Peas.
Daren is already trying to sign us up for three more races! Two more half's and one 12K. I keep thinking I don't even know if I can, let alone like, to do one half let alone two more.
Note to future Brides-to-be: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT agree after two martins to run your first half marathon with the fiance you adore three weeks before your wedding just because he smiles at you with his cute dimple and gives you a high five and coffee after every run. It makes you freak out! Not only do you spend your time having to count RSVPs and moving boxes but miles too.
A few weeks back when Daren and I were running one of his favorite trail runs he looks around and says "You know, you don't really see too many couples out here running." I said "No Kidding, its because it makes 'em break up!" HA! I have run many an angry mile these past few months training for this race and it better pay off. Yeah, if this isn't an awesome experience Daren is going to have to do more than buy me coffee and give me a high five...he's going to have to take Pilates. Take that sucker!
Maybe Sunday at 9:00am I'll be singing a different tune...but for now its Anxiety by Black Eyed Peas.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Power in Prayer.
"For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to give you a future and a hope."
Somewhere in Jeremiah ( my mom would be so proud :) )
Pray for Tricia http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/ and her future.
Theirs is a story of hope, true love and faith that is inspiring. From following their journey my eyes have been opened to the simple blessings I have in my life and the importance of organ donation.
As Daren and I look to combine hearts and lives that includes finances. We have been looking and praying for ways and places to give. As Christians we are called to give generously and with a happy heart. All of this time I thought I was talking about only money and then I was lead to the story of Nate and Tricia and organ donation. What a moving and life changing way to give. If you are interested in becoming an organ donor find out out here www.donatelifenw.org
Somewhere in Jeremiah ( my mom would be so proud :) )
Pray for Tricia http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/ and her future.
Theirs is a story of hope, true love and faith that is inspiring. From following their journey my eyes have been opened to the simple blessings I have in my life and the importance of organ donation.
As Daren and I look to combine hearts and lives that includes finances. We have been looking and praying for ways and places to give. As Christians we are called to give generously and with a happy heart. All of this time I thought I was talking about only money and then I was lead to the story of Nate and Tricia and organ donation. What a moving and life changing way to give. If you are interested in becoming an organ donor find out out here www.donatelifenw.org
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