It was the case that I possibly suffered from “love brain” since probably this time. It just kept getting worse. And by “worse” I mean “awesomer.” For everyone who was worried that I would one day be a bridezilla, I was not. Stress about my upcoming wedding? Not me!
Dr. Wile E. Coyote and I had talked about colors a little, where I wanted to get married, etc, before he even proposed. I think the conversation happened in October or something. We had decided from the time that we were engaged until our wedding, we would not kiss. Every couple is different, and we didn’t have to do that, but we mutually agreed that among other things, it would make our marriage kiss sweeter.
Nobody I asked to be a bridesmaid had any reaction.
Christina: “Yeah, I thought that was the plan.”
Beth: “Well, I don’t like dressing up and stuff, but I will.”
Laura was in bed and playing on her phone when I asked her. She did smile big when I asked her to be MOH. I liked that. By the way, I took advantage of Laura being my MOH. I was her Barbie doll, after all. I thought she could come up with better church decorations than I could (I was right). In return, she threatened to make me do all these things for her wedding someday. We’ll see, Laura. We will see.
Everyone else I asked was a little more enthusiastic. (Notice all caps and/or exclamation points.)
Emily (personal attendant): “YES.” (No questions.)
Megan (usher): “Yeah!”
Berit (flute): “Yes!”
Jenni (usher): “Sure!”
Basically, people that I love, I wanted involved in my wedding. So I gave out a lot of jobs to many people. I wish I had more to give out, but it was fun. I actually asked my sisters to be in my wedding even before Dr. Wile E. Coyote proposed to me. And I asked Beth (his sister) as soon as we got back to Peshtigo, hehe. Because I had asked so many people to do things, I was like a conductor of a band or orchestra. “Ready, you do this. . . . And you do that!”
Being engaged is really fun. It’s more fun, for instance, to introduce your significant other as your fiancé instead of your boyfriend. We chose a general date (my parents said “no” to May because that was planting). We had friends getting married at the beginning of the month, so we were looking at a few options toward the end. Did you know that my birthday is November 28, and his is January 28? So it worked out perfectly that June 28th was available at the church. Who would have thought that farmers in the area wouldn’t be all done planting by then? It was an odd spring, weather-wise. Also, I told people that my wedding day would be the first Saturday in June where it didn’t rain. And I think I was right!
Anyway, I had a to-do list, so every time I went home or there, or Dr, Wile E. Coyote came to where I was, we would check something off our list. And we did still try to get together every month or so. At the beginning of February, Doug came to Sioux Falls to visit. He stayed at Pastor Jason’s house. He met my roommates, and I got to show him around Sioux Falls, which was my stomping grounds during college. I remember that he was stressed that he was late, and I was stressed because I was cooking supper and it was not done when I thought it would be. But it all turned out for the best, really. He got to our apartment with 10 minutes left on supper (and I had to really scrub out that pan after he left again). We did cupcake taste-tests that visit, because we had decided on cupcakes for our wedding. I think I had to work a half day or something while he was in Sioux Falls, so he got his car worked on because it needed to be before he went back home. Anyway, he got me a rose, because Valentine’s day was coming up soon! I was touched, and it graced our table until the day it wilted.
It’s sad, that I don’t remember everything of those six months of being engaged. I do remember that Dr. Coyote came to Sioux Falls at least one other time. I remember that Dr. Coyote and his mom, Karen, came to Cottonwood so that Karen could see where the wedding and reception would be. I remember that we needed to meet with Pastor Jim for 3 in-person pre-marital counseling and we did. I remember slowly checking things off and not being stressed, much to my surprise and the surprise of a few others. I do remember other things, though:
In March, my parents and Dr. Coyote and I went to Pikeville, Kentucky to check out where we were going to be the next few years. Dr. Wile E. and I had already signed a lease after just seeing pictures, but we got an actual tour. And I went job searching like crazy. I had my resume, and I tried to hand it out to people, but nobody would even look at it. I had heard that I wouldn’t be able to get into the Pike County school system because I wasn’t related to anyone, but I didn’t know that that was such a true statement! The very last place I went in to ask about a job was a music store—Sound House Music. I think Dwain, the owner, liked my credentials and me in general, because he held the job for me until I got there in July! Simply wonderful, and a huge blessing I didn’t realize that the Lord was giving to us. My uncle Brian was concerned about me not having a purpose, or a job in KY. But boy, oh boy! That was like the cherry on the sundae of all the arrows God was pointing toward Kentucky. I felt better about moving all the way to Kentucky after that, for sure!
In April, I went to Peshtigo for Easter. Karen attempted to gather a bunch of the extended family so that they could meet me, and I them. Well, that probably wasn’t the sole reason they all came, but I did enjoy meeting them all immensely. I, unlike Dr. Coyote, did not have all names down after a weekend. (But they are mostly down now.) We had an Easter-egg hunt, and everything! It was a great weekend.
We didn’t get together in May, because at the very beginning of June, we were going to go to our best man’s wedding. But I couldn’t make it there! So we actually didn’t see each other until wedding week. Wedding week? I think that, and wedding, will be Part VI, appearing on Friday! I might have seven or eight parts to this story. You are still interested, right? Besides, someday, I’ll make this into a book or something or generations after us will read this and be like, “Aww. How cute! They used to plan everything in their weddings, themselves!” or something like that. 🙂
Until next time,
Anna
Anna E. Meyer 