"He's perfect!" (9 Months)

Today we took Sammy for his nine month check up. He weighs 19.2 lbs which is exactly average and he is 28 inches which is slightly above average. Dr. Ambrose said, "He's perfect!" That doctor sure knows how to make a mom feel great! He asked us if Sammy was trying to pull himself up yet and was quite surprised when we said he was already walking. When we let Sammy go Dr. Ambrose called him a "Showoff" and said he must really be a year and a half old midget. He got two shots including his first flu vaccine and a prick on his heel to test his iron. He cried less than 30 seconds but it was long enough to break Sam's heart.




Sammy took his first steps in July and we have been chasing him ever since. I always knew that the day would come when I'd be chasing him up the aisles at church but I had no idea it would come so soon. When he wiggles off my lap at church he takes off like he's been called to "COME ON DOWN" on the Price is Right! He is laughing and smiling at everyone he passes. He cheeses it up for all the ladies who reach out for him. Sam and I seriously can't wait for him to be able to go to nursery! I literally can't keep this kid still. He is all over the place and has also started climbing.



Life is pretty exciting these days. Sam and I fought a crowd of way more experienced moms to get him into a story time. It is only 6 weeks so I will have to go through this again in a month and a half. I got in line at 9 am for registration starting at 10. I got the 8th spot. So even though I think 9am is a safe bet I am going to go even earlier next time because I won't have Sam to help me. I am still waiting to see if the other classes I signed Sammy up for will have enough people to not be cancelled. I want Sam to love books and reading. I want him to love to learn so I am going to try to get him into every thing I can. I have tried reading to him but he usually won't sit still. Of course his doctor and Erica both have told me how important it is so I am going to keep at it. Other than that Sammy went to the fair for the first time but he was totally not interested in most of what he saw. When we were in a big barn Sammy was more amazed by the ceiling fan and the fences than the animals.



Other news...Sammy has started taking to his sippy cup and we are thrilled! He always wants us to give him some of our bottle water. I was actually worried about why he drinks so much water but won't sit still long enough for a full bottle. The doctor told me it was fine so I feel better. He still yells "momma" and "da-da-da." Now he has started saying "Aah-wa" for agua (Water in Spanish)...we think. I never updated on this but his finger sucking habit didn't last very long and he started using pacifiers. Now that he is nine months he only gets them for nap and bed time.

I've started thinking about his birthday party. This year has gone faster than any other year of my life! :)

Two years

This is Sam and I on November 17th, 2007...the day we met. I was so nervous this day and really didn't think any thing would come from this. As a matter of fact the next day I text my friend Carrie how much I liked him, scale of 1 to 10, and I said 4! Sam and I had been doing the whole email/chat thing online for a few months before, as Sam says, I finally started paying attention to him. Now we were finally going on our first date. Our second date was at a dentist office when he held my hand through an emergency root canal. Honestly, I didn't want it to work out. He had a major strike against him, he lived in California. I am not like most people I guess because I have never had even the slightest desire to even visit the state of California let alone live here. It is one of my top three states I would never want to live, the other two being New York and Florida. Some of you are thinking I am nuts right now, like my friend Jess who loves NY and my step sister Natascha who loves FL!

Three months later we were engaged and three months after that we were married. It is always tough for me to learn to live with another person and this time a boy. Learning how to live together and communicate. We only dated for six months and were only in person together 3 times before we got married. We communicate in totally different ways. Also, I consider myself a difficult person to be around so I try to tone down the drama that is me. LOL Anyway, there are those silly things you don't think about before your married like how we fold our shirts differently. I am not saying that we are pros at being married now at the two year mark. We still work at it every day. Even when he makes me so mad I could spit fire I know in my heart there is no one else I would want driving me as crazy mad as he does. :) Most of our days we are just like two kids playing house. He is so much fun and makes me so happy that I forget that I am a grown up. I love it! I love him! It has been a blast!



This is us today on our two year anniversary. Sam thought it would be nice for us to get out of town. I consider this our first family vacation! We drove six hours north to Monterey, California to go to the aquarium. I really had no idea how much fun it would be. The aquarium was amazing! The ocean was so beautiful! The day was just absolutely perfect. After the aquarium we went down to the beach and walked around this little town. They had so many little shops and I found two great lighthouses to add to my collection. We even went to this mirror maze that was a lot of fun. Then our last stop was the Dennis the Menace playground. I know that Sam and I had more fun than Sammy did and the other adults started following our example. After we went down the slides we saw other parents start to do it. They knew they wanted to anyway.





Now I look to my left and my little Sammy is all tuckered out in his pack-n-play and to my right big Sammy has fallen asleep watching Animal Planet. Like I said, it was a perfect day. :)

Tagged

What was I doing 10 years ago:
February 2000. I was in school at UNCP. My roommate was my dear friend Amanda.

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Wheat Thins with squeeze cheese
2. Nachos
3. Monkey Munch
4. Chilli Cheese Fries
5. Warm chocolate cookies

In the real world: (Not sure what this means)
1. Figuring out how to be a Mom
2. Missing my sister
3. Homesick for the South
4. Walking and counting my calories...on a diet.
5. Trying to learn Spanish

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Pay for all my siblings education and families debt.
2. Buy all my family their own house in Utah and furnish them.
3. Set up a trust for Sammy and our neices and nephew. Mission and college funds!
4. Build an amazing clinic where Sam could practice with all his favorite medical equipement.
5. Take Erica to every place she has ever wanted to go!

Five jobs I've had:
1. Taco Bell
2. Winn Dixie
3. Total Billings
4. MyFamily (TGN)
5. Acension Management

Three of my habits:
1. Gossip. (Working on that)
2. Facebook (Keeping in touch)
3. TV

Five places I've lived:
1. Sulphur, Louisiana
2. Fayetteville, North Carolina
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. Hope Mills, North Carolina
5. Rancho Cucamonga, California

What do you want others to get from your blog: A good laugh now and then.

Now I'm passing this tag along to:
If you are like me and like filling these things out, go for it! Tag - you're it!

A Baby Story...the details

When I was in college I lived in the dorms of Belk Hall. Meghan was on the same floor as me. She watched TLC's A Baby Story every chance she got! lol Thus my title and here we go!

Tuesday, November 24, still no baby. I had a doctor appointment at 8:50am. I was going to go in there...scream...cry...who are we kidding I was gonna do both until someone agreed to induce me! I told my doctor how awful I felt and expressed my desire to be induced as soon as possible. He agreed to Friday November 26th. I was thrilled! So I had to have an ultrasound and a NST then the nurse would set everything up. Ultrasound showed that my fluid was a 7.7 but she said they were looking for it to be between 8 and 25. While I am waiting for the NST the doctor comes up to me. "Elizabeth, we want you to head over to the hospital." WHAT?! He began again, "Yes, go home and get your bag and go to the Hospital. They are expecting you." He repeated himself but it was like he wasn't speaking English. I was reaching for my phone so I could catch Sam before he started his surgeries. The doctor explained that my fluids were too low and he wanted to monitor me over night and induce me early Wednesday morning.

I called Sam and in as calm a voice as I could muster I said, "Sweetheart, the doctor wants me to go to the hospital." He sounded like someone had smacked him in the face! After I explained that I was not in labor we agreed to meet at the apartment and head over together. When Sam got home he ran around in a panic asking me a zillion question even though I had already explained that I had packed my bag weeks ago and wasn't forgetting anything. At last we were ready...well after Sam jumped out of the already moving car to double check that he had locked the door we were ready. When I got to the hospital they were expecting me but didn't know why. The doctor that was there was the one that did not want to induce me so I thought she was going to send me home. They gave me another ultrasound, this time the fluid levels read at a 5. So they gave me some medicine to start dialation and mild contractions. They were mild too, Sam and I watched TV and were very excited to watch the contractions on the monitor. "Ooh, that was a big one!" (Little did I know that it was NOT a big one!) After 10 hours they checked me. I had not dialated at all, not even a little. They would have to start again. I started to cry and my whole body ached! I had never had cramps for that long without taking medicine to stop the pain. They gave me another and said they'd check it in 8 hours. It fell out after 5 and they checked but there still wasn't the slightest change. They decided to give me the whopper drugs! These contractions felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. The nurse told me to take deep slow breaths but the pain was so bad I felt like I could not breath! After a few hours on that medcine they checked me and yet again...no change. I was too drained to even cry. I was immediately falling asleep after each contraction only to be ripped from sleep a minute later. The contractions were back to back. They had given me something to take the edge off of it but I finally heard those glorious words...epidural! The anesthesiologist came in and Sam held me while I got it because I had two contractions while he was giving it to me and wasn't supposed to move.

After it kicked in everyone around me started moving fast and talking even faster. The baby's heart rate and my heart rate both dropped after the epidural and before I could even ask I was being wheeled in for a c section. Everyone was in such a rush that it made me ask if I was going to be ok. As soon as I spoke someone would get calm and reassure me but with everyone else scrambling around them I didn't know what to think. I kept asking for Sam and they told me he was changing. When he got to my side he looked upset. I asked if he was ok and he shook his head no. I saw a couple of tears so I knew he was worried. "Ok we have a hand." Then I heard him cry which made me cry. Finally, he was here. It was the sweetest sound I have ever heard.

I wish I could say that everything was perfect from then on...it wasn't! I held Sammy for less than a minute and they took him. I told Sam to stay with him. So my baby and my husband were both gone. I was all alone. Then they moved me into a dark room where I sat for two hours. It was depressing. When I finally got back to my room I was so angry. Three different nurses were talking to me but none telling me what I wanted to hear. I just kept asking, "Where is my husband?! Can someone bring me my baby?!" Three hours after he was born sammy was finally in my arms. I only know of one friend that had a c section and I don't know how it compares to a normal delivery but I hated it. I could barely move. I couldn't get up on my own and couldn't even change Sammy's diapers for the first day. I just sat there as everyone walked around happy and pain free. It was really hard for me. They usually release you 3 days after a c section. The first thing I told my doctor was I wanted to go home. I got to go home a day earlier than usual. Now I am happy! Now I can change his diapers and now I can give him a bath. Every nurse and family member has an opinion but now that we are home I can do things the way I want. So I know I look like total crap because I sure as heck felt that way but this is our first picture together.

Dear Sammy

Dear Sammy,

I want to meet you already! I feel like I have been waiting forever! I asked Heavenly Father to please bring you to us safely as soon as you were ready. Are you as excited to meet us as we are to meet you? It isn't just your Daddy and I that are excited to meet you. All your Grandparents are calling non stop to see if you are on your way. Your Auntie Erica and I talk about you everyday. Your cousin Gracie points to my tummy and says, "Primo Pammy," which is cousin Sammy in Spanish but she isn't too good with her s sounds yet. Today the doctor put the monitor on my tummy and said, "Would you listen to that, it is just perfect!" He was talking about your heartbeat. I smiled so big my cheeks hurt for almost an hour afterwards. He doesn't want me to rush you because he said he wants everything to be safe and easy on you when you come. So no more pressure from me, I promise. Just know that as soon as you are ready, your Daddy and I will be here waiting.

Love, Mommy

Prenatal Peek

I have been looking forward to getting one of these 3D ultrasounds since I first heard about them. It felt like I would never make it this far into my pregnancy but it is finally here! Sam and I went to Prenatal Peek for a 3D ultrasound. These are just a few of the pictures. We didn't tell them that we knew it was a boy. We wanted to see if they would confirm. As you can see his little twig and berries are easy to make out. :) It was actually they first thing the technician saw because Sammy was sitting straight up. He was in a bad position for pictures and asleep. So she told me to walk around and go eat some ice cream and come back. When we walked out side there was a 711 next to a Del Taco. So I went and got a delicious Blue Rasberry Icee and ate some french fries. When we got back he had changed positions and was awake. At first he was tucked too high then he was tucked too low. It was so crazy to see his little face. He has chubby cheeks and a bunch of hair! The technician commented on his cute little nose and then said it looked like my nose. So she continued to make the dvd as the soundtrack of tear jerking songs played. We got a good shot of his heart and we heard it as well. He was sucking his thumb a lot and at one point we saw him holding onto his foot. The one shot of him sticking his hand to his mouth made the technician and I both go, "Aww!" Sam had to laugh at us. It was so awesome! I can't wait to meet him.

Happy Father's Day

Erica and I were Daddy's girls no doubt about it! The three of us were best friends! I miss my Dad a lot and I wish that I saw him more often. He was a great dad! He could make me laugh until I pee...in fact I think years of being tourtured by "The Claw" is the reason I am still so ticklish! Whenever I would start to fan my eyes to keep from crying he would say, "Come here boo." I'd crawl over and just let it all out while he would rub my back. He wasn't afraid of getting puked on. Erica and I always would lay on his bed to talk. When he'd come in we'd scream and giggle and hid under the covers,even in our twenties, and he'd always pretend he was mashing lumps out of his bed. He watched New Kids on the Block videos and Nsync concerts with us and we've even catch him singing along some times. :) I always knew the stories he'd tell and the jokes he would make. He used to sing a song my Grandpa sang to him, "Once upon a time in a nursery rhyme, three little kids got lost." When we'd ask him to finish he always said, "I can't, that's all my dad knew." LOL

Now with Sam's first Father's day I wanted to do something special, that he'd never forget. So I scheduled an appointment at this special ultrasound place to find out the sex of the baby. We were planning on going for their 3D ultrasound when I was further along anyway. So when I consulted my Dr....Meghan, she said she was worried he might want to be there so I text some of my guy friends. They all agreed they would want to be there. After talking it through I decided on having the doctor write the sex in an envelope and letting Sam tell me. Sam went off to the library to study and I drove all the way to Newport and got the ultrasound. The baby was being shy always turning away from the camera and crossing it's legs. After she made the ultrasound DVD she tried again to find the sex. She made me walk around, lay on my right side, jiggled my belly, lay on my left side. Finally, she got a good shot and she then verified from a few different angles.

I drove home and picked up a few things to put in with my surprize. Sam of course knew I'd give it to him right away so he was ready for it. When he got to the bottom I had wrapped the packet from the doctor. I said, "Before you open this I want to explain." I told him what I had done and that the envelope contained the baby's sex. His face light up and I have never seen him so excited! It was great and I watched as he went through it. "Ok here's a CD, here's an ad, a picture, a.....AHHHHHHHH!" He was yelling so much and I was like, "What?! What is it?!" "A son, we're having a son!" I started bawling because I had never seen him so happy! It was the best and then we watched the ultrasound DVD. It was one of the best days of my life! It was such a perfect moment and I will never forget it!




His name will be Samuel James Rivera. James is my Dad's middle name. We are thrilled! My mom has to return all the girl clothes she already got. :) I am on my way to Babies 'R' Us to pick out stuff for my baby boy on the way!

Jacaranda Trees

I never paid much attention to trees until I went to Utah on my mission and there was a severe lack of trees compared to North Carolina. I was not used to the open spaces. I used to tell people that in North Carolina you could see until the trees started. Anyway, now I always pay attention to the trees around me. I am in California so I mostly see Palm trees which have to be one of the ugliest trees on earth! They look like toilet bowl brushes!! Also in California are the trees like the picture above. This is the Jacaranda tree and it is now one of my favorite trees.

The few streets I take to work and around town are all dirty and have trash on them. There is graffiti but not much natural color. During my drive I see these Jacaranda trees and they totally brighten my day! Remember the black and white movie Pleasantville? Things started turning colors so they really stood out. That is how these trees are for me. It's flowers are bluish purple and look like little bells. I love that when I come out of work the entryway has these bells scattered all over it. I love that they are all over the ground around the trees. They stand out as if everything else was black and white. They make me happy and make me think of silly fairy tale things and happily ever afters.

One down!

I love how 90% of our pictures look exactly the same! LOL Our first anniversary came at a really hectic time. Sam was graduating and Nano was going into the MTC. It was fun though and we got to spend about a week and a half with our family. Erica, my Mom, and Ray came to California for Sam's graduation which was fun. My Mom got Sam some Lakers gear and me some more maturnity clothes. At least Erica was with her this time so they weren't all horrendous. :) We had fun with Erica here and then we took a road tip to Utah.

Taking Nano to the MTC was weird. I remembered how I felt with my dear friends standing in as my family. While I was there I was so determined to be the perfect missionary. Looking back on my mission that is why I told Nano, "The tag doesn't make you perfect." In the end it was one of the hardest and best things I have ever done. Other than the MTC we got to hang out with Erica more and visit with our new neice, Samantha. She was so sweet and it made me ready for these months to start flying. I know they won't though. It was fun being around a nephew and nieces, it made me really excited.

When we came home we had plans for a big date to celebrate our anniversary, the first one is pretty important! Unfortunately Sam got very sick and we decided to just hang out at our house and watch movies which was so much fun. Sunday we went to over to visit with Sam's family and eat our year old cake. I thought it tasted really good for being a year old. This first year went by really fast and life doesn't seem to have any signs of slowing. I guess I would have to sum it up as hard but wonderful! It is hard adjusting to living with someone new, learning to pay bills (first time for me), compromising and not always getting my way. It was so hard but it was wonderful doing all those things with Sam. He is perfect for me and I can't imagine my life without him. I look back on other guys I dated or ones I prayed I would end up with. Wow! Thank the good Lord for ignoring me!

Most of the time we are together it is like two little kids who are the best of friends. We play, laugh, tease, tickle, and cuddle. I will end with my favorite Sam quote. We went to the park in Orem one time and he said, "Let's go sit on that bench over there and be mushy." LOL I love him!

"One day maybe we'll find that baby makes three"

I am pregnant! I can't believe this! Sam and I have decided to start our family. He's almost done with school so the timing is perfect. Thanks to Meghan's advice I bought an ovulation test kit and also some pregnancy tests. I googled how to get pregnant. I mean...I had an idea but I was wondering if there was any tips I should know about. I stopped taking birth control in February and was supposed to start my period around March 14th. Today, on the 15th, I hadn't started so I took a test. Results come in 3 minutes but after 10 seconds there was a big purple plus sign. For some reason I thought that meant not pregnant so I started to cry and climbed back into bed. I told Sam it was negative and he pulled me closed and I just started bawling. I really believed that I was pregnant. I was so heartbroken. Sam reminded me that we read it usually takes 3 months to get pregnant after getting off birth control. I cried and cried while Sam assured me that we'd have a baby soon.
After I had calmed down Sam got up to go to the bathroom. I'm still hurting when Sam says, "Babe, I think you are pregnant." I got up and realized that the big purple plus meant pregnant! Sam hugged me so tight and we both cried. :) I still can't believe it. I took another one after breakfast and and another one Monday morning. All three came out positive too. It was one of the best days of my life! We took pictures of the tests and with the tests. I peaked at them everytime I walked past and I saw Sam doing the same. :)

Today my doctor confirmed is and I had my first ultrasound. We couldn't see anything but I am about five weeks along. Our due date is November 21st. That fits right in with Sam, Meghan, and Erica's birthdays. Three of my favorite people!

2008

What can I say, it was a great year! I started out the year living in Utah with Erica. I had a job that I loved, super awesome friends, and an amazing boyfriend. I saw some friends get married and some having babies. Watched the Tarheels have an awesome year then get crushed in the final four. I found some old friends, planned to attend my high school reunion and then decided to skip it. I lost a friend. I moved to California and couldn't bare to say goodbye to certain friends. I got a new last name and a license with a decent picture. I missed my sister everyday and became even more homesick for the south! Realized California is even worse than I thought. I found the people here are pretty much like Texans but way harder to understand because they love California. I got a new job in a business I would have never thought I'd work in. I even improved my fake laugh!

I have set a few resolutions like learning Spanish and having FHE every week. I am still trying to get all these wifey jobs down pat. I need to set a schedule so I can get everything done that I need to. I want to keep in touch better with the people that matter to me. For the past few years I have honestly thought that I have been a better person with each "Happy New Year" I shouted so I hope to keep going that way. The funny thing is that most of my dearest friends lived around me when I was the worst I've ever been. Now that I feel like I am a half way decent person y'all live so far away. I never thought I'd end up so far from home. I guess the adventure continues!!

Time & All Eternity

Over the Thanksgiving holiday Gracie and Aurelio were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on Erica's birthday. :) Sam and I escorted them as they took out their endowments in the LA Temple two weeks earlier. We were there when Aurelio recieved the Melchizedek priesthood on Sam's birthday. We were also there when Gracie miscarried. Needless to say this has been an emotional couple of months for them.

I have never been to a sealing of someone who is actually my family. I have been to several sealings of my adoptive family like Meghan, Lacey, Lyndsay and some friends from my mission. I have also never been to the sealing of a family. It was one of the best days of my life.

Since I was the only one with her during her endowment I took one for the team and held baby Gracie in the nursery as Gracie and Aurelio were sealed. I heard that what I missed was amazing but what I witnessed was incredible. There was a presence in the room that I can't quite describe. The spirit was so strong and I could feel my heart pounding. I was trying to keep it to just letting tears stream down my face instead of the loud sobbing I was holding in. :) To see my father in law place little Gracie's hand on the alter over her parent's hands, what can I say, I will never forget how I felt.

I feel so extremely blessed to be a member of the Lord's church. What would life be like without the promise of an eternal family? I can't even imagine a Heaven where I am not still married to my sweetheart Sam. I cannot comprehend a till death do us part. I am grateful for my Savior for His Atonement that can heal every pain we could ever feel. I am grateful to the Prophet Joseph Smith who brought forth the restoration. I love knowing that so many of my dearest friends enjoy the blessings of the temple. I look forward to the day when other members of my family and friends can experience this great joy.

My cup runneth over!

One year ago

Engraved in my wedding band is 11/17/07. It was the day Sam and I finally met face to face after about two months of talking on the phone. It was day of our first kiss. And even though he didn't ask me to be his girlfriend until January it was the day he completely lost interest in the other girls he was dating, or so he says. :) This was the first picture we took together. This was just an hour or two after I picked him up at the SLC airport. On the ride there I was so nervous I thought I was going to puke! He tried his best to help me relax but when our hands barely touched I almost floated off the ground!

We went to Chilli's for our first date and afterwards we watched Elf and snuggled up on the couch. That's when I started to calm down. I didn't want the night to end. When I dropped him off he gave me an awkward hug because we were in the car and got out. I then got out of the car because I wanted a real hug but Sam thought I wanted a kiss. We hugged, there were stars and a super bright moon. Then he looked at me and said, "Come here." He pulled me close for the bestest, softest, sweetest, most amazing and romantic kiss I ever had!

Happy one year Kiss-a-versary babe! Te amo con todo mi corazon!

My wedding day

Well it finally happened, the day every girl dreams about. My wedding day was so wonderful! Of course I will be reliving this day for the rest of my life but I wanted to blog the short version. I woke up after barely sleeping around 5am. I was supposed to be at my brother-in-law's house at eight so Gracie could do my hair. I don't know how I was late but I was. I was a little upset and on the verge of puking and/or crying. Then I noticed I forgot to put my engagement ring back on after I cleaned it. This sent me over the edge and I started bawling! All the ladies in Sam's family were trying to keep me calm. My wedding day was off to a less than perfect start so needless to say I was about to lose it at any minute. We made it to the temple, almost 30 minutes late. Everything that happened before the ceremony is a blurr. The poor old ladies thought I was going to pass out but I was just super stressed and anxious! What's with all the waiting? Let's get this show on the road!

The sealing was wonderful! My mission President, Elder Richard G Hinckley performed our sealing. He said his father said the key to a successful marriage was to be anxiously concerned about the happiness of your spouse. When someone asked his mother how she had a happy marriage she replied, "I lowered my standards." Everything he said was just perfect for Sam and I. It was so special! The family that introduced me to the church (most of them) were able to be in the sealing with me which made it even better. Ryan, who baptized me, was one of our witnesses and Sam's brother Felipe was the other. Now taking pictures afterwards, that was basically a nightmare. We love pictures and they are obviously important but trying to coordinate that many people is a big headache. Even though hundreds of pictures were taken there is not one with just Erica and I which makes me so upset. :( Once the pictures were over I was glad. Onto the party!

The ring ceremony was simple and I am so glad I decided to do that. My photographer, my brother Rusty, got lost so I had to rely on others for pictures of that. Then the reception. It was great! The caterers did a great job decorating and the food was amazing!! We ate and ate and ate! Then the cake was the best wedding cake I have ever tasted. Gracie gave a beautiful toast that made me cry. The first dance was the most romantic moment ever. Our song is Derrepente which means suddenly. Sam sent it to me when we first started dating. He said it described the way he felt about me. The dance with my dad was sooo hard. I was crying, he was crying, my mom and sister were crying, others thinking about their daughters were crying. There were tears in abundance just the way I had always pictured it. We danced to "My little girl" by Tim McGraw.

The DJ was so much fun and got the crowd involved as you can see from the pictures. The men all put on hats and danced to YMCA. My friend who was watching with me said, "I don't know what your dad is spelling but it's not YMCA." HA HA My poor dad and his short arms. The bouquet and garter toss went as expected. Some practically flew off the ground for it while others seemed ok with just letting it fall. After our limo was over ten minutes late and we walked through the farewell bubbles it was all over. We leaned back and Sam said, "Let's never do that again." To which I replied, "Deal!"

There was a few stressful times and a few embarrassing moments but those of y'all who know my family know it could have been a lot worse. I must say it was a perfect day. A perfect ending to a fairy tale courtship and a perfect beginning to my new life.