But really, this week has been 100% carefree and stress free. And boy did we need that!
Who knew planning a wedding and buying/fixing up a house all at the same time (while both working full time) would be so awesome yet...super, incredibly tiring and stressful? :)
I went into wedding planning completely optimistic and determined to keep the process simple and fun. However, it quickly overcame me and at times became very, well, not fun. I often felt overwhelmed and disorganized.
People were so graciously offering and asking how to help, and I QUICKLY took people up on those offers (thank you, thank you, you know who you are!!) but at some overwhelming points the only things I could easily delegate...were the FUN, easy parts. And no way was I giving those away ;)
But Josh did what Josh does so well--he calmed me down, rationalized with me, talked sense in to me when I was starting to feel crazy, helped me see the bigger picture, and did successfully keep me out of that insanely high-expectation wedding mindset that our society is WAY too good at pulling us into.
And guess what? We stayed within our budget and I learned to drop things that were bringing more stress than joy. Like our wedding arch that we found, painted, hated, tried to fix up, brought friends into the discussion, scoured over Pinterest for better ideas, argued over and which ultimately tipped over and ripped Josh's parents screen door. That's when we knew to just skip it.
Um, yeah. Seriously, I never want to see that thing again.
Yes, I know I sound super over-dramatic about the whole wedding planning thing, but holy cow that whole experience was so hard for me at times. I'm not a party planner. I've never even hosted a true dinner party or birthday party before. Then all of a sudden I was given this crazy task to plan a party for 150 people.
I just really didn't enjoy the actual planning process much. But I'm okay with that.
Because from the start I knew it wouldn't be perfect--and I was 100% fine with that. I actually quickly embraced the phrase "it will be perfectly imperfect" in response to questions as to how my planning was going. I just cared so much more about all the wonderful people who would be there than any of the colors, themes or details of the party.
But I planned and did my best...and I loved every single bit of our wedding day.
I was so calm and happy. My favorite people were either there or texting me their prayers and thoughts from afar. My groom was looking handsome as ever. My bridesmaids were so beautiful, inside and out.
I loved having some ducks walk right into the ceremony during the message, I loved the prayer the ladies in the Bridal room prayed over me right before it all started, I loved my dad's speech at the reception, I loved dancing with my cousins, I loved holding all the newborn babies who were there, I loved seeing all my worlds colliding, I loved seeing our parents so happy and talking to so many new and old friends, I loved having so many people who mean so much to us surrounding us on that most special day. The day where Josh and I made a covenant with God and each other that we will unconditionally love each other and stand by each other our whole lives. No matter what.
And it's only been 9 days, and I know we will have major ups and downs along the way, but I'm so thankful that God has brought us together and called us into this crazy beautiful thing called marriage.
Now, off to enjoy our last day in Hawaii! And this leftover pizza...
