Being a Bride

We got our first wedding gift today (thank you Julie!). After I ripped it open, I thought "maybe I was supposed to wait" -- but too late. It was so fun receiving our first gift (and one from our registry at Target, my favorite store). It's not about receiving gifts that made it such a delight (although that part is pretty nice too). It's about ... I'm getting married. I'm going to be a bride. It's the start of our life as husband and wife.

For those who don't know, I didn't do any of this the first time around. The first time around, I got married in the judge's chambers. Our wedding night included our two children with us at the Holiday Inn. My family, except for my sister, did not know about the wedding until after the event. There was no party or celebration. There was no being a bride.

Now I consider myself a modern woman. A feminist even. Hey, I'm still keeping my birth name this second time around. But part of me, wants this celebration. Part of me, wants to mark this special event in front of the people who mean so much to me. And part of me, wants to be the bride for this one day in my life. Hey, I've waited a long time for this and I'm one happy woman.

So today, I had my pre-wedding haircut and made wedding small-talk with the hairdresser. Joel's wedding ring arrived and thankfully, fit. We picked up my wedding ring, which finally returned from being re-sized.

And I'm wearing it right now just for the thrill of it.