May 14, 2011

I had been waiting for this day for FOREVERRR and it was finally here :o) I was stressed out to the MAX, but I knew I was doing the right thing. I was ready. I couldn't wait to be his wife. I felt so mature, accomplished, in love...life just couldn't get better! IT WAS MY WEDDING DAY!!! Yay! Yay! YAY!!!

It was the night before my wedding. I couldn't believe it was finally here! CRAZY how fast time flies. Mormons are on the "fast track" to getting married, who can blame them? But I did NOT want to rush into anything. I met Michael July 25, 2010, we dated for a few months and then I decided to take a break October 1st. Welp, the next day was General Conference and I couldn't stop thinking about him. It was so weird. I felt like I was FORCING myself to make time for him, I break up with him, and then the next day I'm like "I want you again"...ridiculous! I am ridiculous. But in all honesty, I feel we would have never gotten to this point had I not separated from him for a short time. It made me realize how much I really cared about him and how much I wanted to be around him. I was too chicken to call him, so I gave it a few weeks and then we finally started dating again around Halloween time. There was no "official get back together day", we just started hanging out again and things progressed, positively. And it was wonderful.

I waited until he said "I Love You" first. It was like PULLING TEETH I tell you! Hahaha, I wish you all could have been there that night. I KNEW I loved him, or at least that I was falling in love with him but I wanted him to say it first. He finally did and 6 weeks later we were ENGAGED!!! May 14th, 2011 was the BIG DAY and it could not come sooner! :)

10 months later the day was finally here. I had wonderful friends that came down from Utah that were staying with me. Both are very good friends I met up at BYU-Hawaii. I was so happy they were there. We all hung out after the dinner we had for our wedding celebration and they had gone to bed. Michael and I stayed up and talked and he helped me pack for our honeymoon, which I wanted to do between our sealing and reception and am glad I didn't because there was zero time. We finally said our "goodbyes" around 3 am and off to bed I went. The last night I would ever be single again. AAAGGGHHHH!!!

I woke up that morning and vomited. Literally. I wasn't really nervous, I think it was a combination of some nerves, stress, anxiety, excitement, all of the above!! I just couldn't believe I was getting married. The day finally arrived and it felt like I just met him the day before. I was so so excited, I could not WAIT to see him and kneel with him at the alter in front of our family and friends. Cassie's friend, Hillary, did my hair, Jenny did my makeup. Whitney let me borrow "something borrowed". I felt pretty and I was happy.

My parents picked me up and drove me to the temple. I was 20 minutes late. Not bad!! I saw Michael, and I got nervous. Hahaha, don't ask me why. Too many emotions running through my body. For those of you that know me VERY WELL, I am not shy. BUT...that doesn't mean I want all of the attention on me. My mom especially will probably laugh at that statement but I mean it when I say I was kind of embarrassed when I walked in and saw everyone in our sealing room. I wasn't really sure how to act and I just wanted to get through the sealing and be married! But once our sealer, Brother Tim Hall whom my family loves and has known for many years, started speaking I wasn't really embarrassed anymore. I listened to every word he said and was so happy he could be there for us that day.

Within a matter of minutes, it was a done deal! It was such a perfect day. I was beyond happy and was so thankful for our friends and family who could attend our sealing and share that special moment with us. There was a little bit of heaven on earth that day :)

It has been 4 months now since we were married and I still feel like it just happened yesterday. Time needs to SLOW DOWN, what's the rush?! Although this year has been extremely difficult for me, life really is great. EVERY TRIAL we have faced before and after we were married has been worth it. If anything, the thing I have learned the most, this year especially, is to be patient. The Lord KNOWS who we are and what we need and when we need it. Sometimes I feel so impatient with Him, but things have worked out and I have learned to thank Him for guiding me even though I think there might be a better way.

Michael, by far, is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve him. My dating history is not the greatest and I never really had a boyfriend that I was "head over heels" for that treated me with the love and respect I deserved, until I met Michael. He is the sweetest thing ever and from the time I met him, I couldn't live without him. I am so happy to be his wife.

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."

Michael & Lindsay Fowkes

May 14, 2011