Leading up to the wedding...

I have finally found time to sit down and reflect and write about our the day before our wedding. Time went by both slow and fast and some things are a blur and others are crystal clear. The days leading up to the wedding, the actual wedding itself, and our reception was completely surreal. Thank goodness for pictures because those moments in time remind us that we lived out our dream of becoming man and wife.

My Mom arrived in town on Wednesday July 31st which was also the last day of the Bar exam. When I talked to Jace that night he sounded exhausted, as expected, and drove home from Nashville. On Thursday Mom and I got manicures and pedicures. We ran to church and started arranging the sanctuary like I wanted, which didn't include many changes. I had ironed tablecloths the night prior and we placed those on the Lord's table as well as a table that held our unity candle and communion. We dropped off programs and the guest book. We chilled waters and sodas for us girls.

On Friday August 1st, the show got on the road! Lauren & Whitney met me for lunch at our Mexican restaurant that we used to frequent while in undergrad. We got caught up and I relished in the fact that I was having lunch with my two best friends. In my heart of hearts, I knew it would be a long time until we could do it again. I gave them their gifts and we all promised not to read any cards until after the wedding. We all knew if we let the flood gates open, they may never close.

We decided to head back to Teak's after our two hour lunch and there were so many surprises. First, Jace was there! I hadn't seen him in over 5 weeks, he had just taken the Bar, and the next day we were getting married! I was so happy to see him! And then...Aunt Karen and Sara had arrived with all the flowers for the rehearsal dinner, wedding, and reception! They put the flowers on Teak's deck and Sara & Aunt Karen worked out there arranging the most beautiful centerpieces and bouquets I have ever seen. It smelled heavenly too! White flowers everywhere with touches of green, just like I envisioned. It was during this time that I got to sit down and enjoy the calm before all the craziness ensued. I watched Sara & Aunt Karen make art and I was fascinated. Sara is magnificent at what she does and I captured some shots of the flowers and her in action.

 

 

The deck was covered with white flowers

 

Rehearsal dinner centerpieces

I  knew time was ticking and I had to start getting ready for our rehearsal. I showered and slipped into the prettiest white dress, a cherished gift given to me. It was one of those dresses that hides everything you want to hide and accentuates what you want to be noticed. It fit like a glove and honey, I felt like a bride in it! This was the dress you wear to your rehearsal.

As for the rehearsal, Jace, Jay, and Bo were 15 minutes late! Traffic was a little congested on New Circle Road! While waiting for the men to show up, we realized that the air wasn't working properly. It was rather warm in the sanctuary but we had hopes it would be fixed by tomorrow.

Joanna, our wedding coordinator, and Kory, our minister, made the evening run so smoothly. We practiced the recessional first since Joanna wouldn't be up there during the actual ceremony and tell us what to do. Next we practiced the processional and I could have gotten really emotional when Ross walked me down the aisle. Everything was starting to hit me and it is a moment every girl dreams about. I held it together because if I lost it so would everyone else.

Smiling but wanting to just boo hoo on the inside

 

 

Less than 24 hours at this point until Mr. & Mrs.

After we practiced the ceremony, it was time to eat! We all headed over to Sal's and ate in the banquet room. This night is one that Jace and I will never forget. Our friends from Lexington, Graves County, and Jackson, MS as well as our family were all in the same room together. All of our worlds collided and we were beyond blessed by their presence. I was so excited to talk to everyone and eat a great meal but I was nervous in giving my speech. How do you begin to thank the ones you love for being there and supporting you on the biggest day of your life? Where do you begin?

I had put off writing the speech for almost the entire length of our engagement. One day I finally jotted down some points I wanted to make on my phone. I looked over the speech a few times that day but hadn't completely memorized it. After we concluded dinner and dessert, it was time to turn the attention off of us and turn the spotlight on the people that raised us, loved us, have supported us, and would stand beside us on the day we make the biggest vow of our lives. We thanked them for taking off work, rearranging their schedules, and even buying plane tickets to be with us this weekend. We asked that they pray for us as we begin this new journey in our lives. We thanked them for letting us be the third, even fifth, wheels on their dates when we were multiple states away from each other.

 

MS & Lex girls! I adore this picture

We thanked our mothers for loving us as we tackle too much life in 3 weeks.

Mom had an "allergy!"

I made it through the speech just fine until I thanked Jace. I thanked him for being so patient with me, tearing down tall walls, being understanding, teaching me what it is to love, and making me so unbelievably proud. At this point, I needed to wrap up the speech because we didn't need mascara running down and getting on my fancy white dress. We cheered and raised our glasses and in that moment came instant relief! I felt like I could finally relax because what I was so worried about turned into one of the most beautiful moments.

Once the parents and grandparents left, the "kids" made our way down to Harry's for a little after dinner celebration. It was here that I saw Jace relax. The stress of the Bar and the rush that is his life vanished. With his bowtie undone and his closet friends around, I could sense that he was ready for our wedding. His life was so fast paced this summer and centered around one thing that he didn't have much time to process what was about to take place. It was in this moment, that we both knew just how exciting tomorrow would be.

 

We continue to talk about that night. We had so much fun. We loved having our MS friends in KY and visiting with them. We would have stayed out later if we could but we all knew the next day would be fun and exhausting. I got home a little after midnight and thought without a doubt I would sleep from such a fun day. Not the case. I stayed awake all night because I was so excited. This time, reality was better than my dreams and I couldn't shut off my brain. I thought back over the day and the night and anticipated what the next day would be like. My alarm was set for 5:30 AM but it never went off. I turned it off around 4 AM and started blogging.

And that is where I will end for today. I will blog more on the actual wedding and reception soon.

Gainesville so far...

Gainesville so far is great! We are loving Florida and more importantly being married. When we first moved in, I told Jace that we are living our dream and I still can't wipe the smile from my face. We are finally together, married, and Jace is in one of the best programs in the nation for tax law. What we have prayed and waited for has finally come to fruition and the wait was worth it!

School seems to be going well for Jace. It is sorta like graduate school in that it is different. Jace tells me about school and even though I have no idea what he is talking about, I listen. From what he tells me everything is code and regulation intensive. He has to back up everything he says with the code and regulation. Again, I have no idea what this stuff means but I am thankful that he does. He is impressed by his professors. They are the authors of his textbooks and have personally written code and regs. He says he is learning from the best. As for his work load, about every other night he camps out at the library and reads and works on problems. He does his thing and I curl up with reality TV!
He has met some guys and he says most are married. I have only met one wife and am dying to meet more.

As for what Gainesville is like, its nice. It rains every day here, usually in the afternoons, and when it rains it comes a downpour. It is humid and hot, around 85 most days. People are not nearly as friendly as the people we know in Lex and in MS. We are missing some good ol' Southern hospitality. I just want to hear someone ask, "how's your momma and them?" We are also used to seeing churches on every corner and that is not necessarily the case here. We tried out a church on Sunday and when we left I told Jace that we may have to kiss a few frogs until we find the right one. We are definitely missing Crestwood and First Baptist, Jackson now.

After cleaning, organizing, and putting away all of our stuff we feel at home in our 600 sq. feet apartment. I was thrilled to realize that we have so much storage space. We have a pantry, linen closet, walk-in closet, and outside storage. Here is a few pictures of our "Florida Home" as Jace likes to call it (as if we have multiple homes!)



Our little kitchen

The long bathroom countertop is a blessing!

 

Our bedroom. (The euro shams are different colors thanks to a Bed, Bath, and Beyond mixup!)

Lenny, the Lizard, lives on our porch...along with SEVERAL of his friends

Living room
 

It isn't much but it's ours. We have tried to make it homey and we feel very comfortable here. It is the typical apartment with white walls but Jace has a large collection of prints for a 28 year old. We have three golf prints in our apartment which gives the walls some color. For instance, every night I go to bed with two men: Jace Stamper and Ben Hogan hitting his famous one iron shot. Don't be jealous!

We also survived the first week of grocery shopping. We went to the grocery about three or four days straight. If you gave us a gift card to Wal-Mart or money for our wedding--BLESS YOU!!! You helped us tremendously and we were so grateful to have the resources to pay for our groceries and needed items. Surprisingly, the Wal-Marts are not that big. There are two Super Wal-Marts but they just didn't have the selection we were hoping for. Currently we shop at Publix and love it, however, it is a tad pricey although the selection is out of this world!

While we have been in Gainesville, I did something that I have wanted to do for almost two years now. I cut all my hair off! Six inches total! My hair comes to my jawline now and I like it. I was that bride that grew it out for the wedding and then off it went.

Saturday night we ventured downtown and visited Lake Alice. While we were there, we saw our first alligator and he was bigger than my liking. While admiring the alligator and making my getaway plan if need be , the UF band was practicing in the background. Nothing like hearing a little drumline to get you excited for football season!

All in all, life in Gainesville is good. We are happy. So far in marriage I have done more things than I thought I could do and have gone outside of my comfort zone but the reward is oh so sweet. People told us marriage would be an adventure and it is. We still have lots to learn and things to do but are so thankful to do it by each other's side.

I'm Back!

Hi Y'all! I am exhausted. The past 3 weeks have been filled with love, a moving truck, goodbyes, boxes, grocery store runs, more boxes, excitement, and Florida heat. I will blog about everything in detail later on, Our wedding ceremony was so moving and meaningful and our honeymoon was wonderful. I think we both left a little piece of our heart in San Francisco.

As soon as we landed in Cincinnati, we hit the ground running. I had to do what I have been dreading for months and had to say goodbye to my Teak and Momma. It was probably the hardest thing I have had to do and plenty of tears were shed. Jace held my hand the entire time and knew that it was hard on me. But there wasn't lots of time to be sad and to analyze what I just did because we had to hit the road to MS. Once in MS, we had to load up the Penske truck and get back on the road, only this time it was for FL. 11 hours later, we arrived at our new home.

Y'all for two days Jace and I worked like dogs. We cleaned everything from top to bottom and started putting things away. After 48 hours of hard work, this apartment started to feel like home. We are in a great location and are so close to Publix and Wal-Mart. It is a safe and quiet apartment complex and we couldn't be happier.

Jace had orientation on Saturday and tomorrow is his first day! On Saturday we drove through campus and the campus is beautiful. We went to the bookstore which can be confused with the Taj Mahal, and bought some UF paraphernalia.  

I promise to follow up and tell you all about the wedding, San Fran, and Gainesville. So much life has happened and it has been a beautiful, crazy ride. I still can't believe I am a Mrs. and have a husband. I can't believe we live in Gainesville now. Thinking about it all it makes my head spin but also puts the biggest smile on my face.

Day before/Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner/Wedding Day

I fell into bed at midnight with the biggest smile on my face. My mind raced with how great yesterday was and how great today will be. Excitement and pure joy have kept me up and I don't feel tired.

Yesterday I couldn't sit still. I desperately needed to stay busy and constantly going. By 8 AM I had breakfast, balanced my checkbook, taken out the trash, and emptied the dishwasher. Y'all I haven't moved that fast since I left work. After getting ready, Mom and I ran to the grocery to get food for today and delivered everything to church. Once we were at church we realized that we needed to make another trip home and get more things. I ironed 4 rented tablecloths on Thursday night and brought those to the church. We also had the unity candle, memory candle, programs, and pen and guest book. Mom and I got the church how we wanted it and felt so much better about everything. My nerves started to leave at this point. We also ran to Jimmy John's and placed the lunch order.

When we got home, Lauren was here and we visited for a quick minute before heading to lunch. Whitney met us at Ricon, which is the Mexican restaurant we used to eat at in college. I just felt like going back for one last time with the girls. I gave them their gifts and there were strict instructions to not read the card I gave them until we were apart. We couldn't be boohooing at the lunch table.

Jace arrived in Lex around lunch as well as Aunt Karen & Sara. I wish you could have been on Teak's deck yesterday. Sara & Aunt Karen assembled all of our wedding flowers on Teak's deck and you have NEVER seen or smelled what dozens and dozens of spray roses, hydrangeas, peonies, and other flowers I don't even know what they are called. All white with touches of greenery. If I could bottle up that smell and sell it as perfume, I would have my future kids college education funded.

Jace and I did get time together but it was spent running several errands. Jace, me, Mom, Aunt Karen, and Lauren ran to church and dropped off the ferns and ran the flowers to Malone's for the dinner tables. Then Jace and I ran to the bank and cashed a check. I am not going to lie we also practiced dancing and kissing at the alter. When 200 eyeballs are going to be watching you, we don't want to look like we don't know what we are doing. After the practice runs, Jace left to go to Jay's and get ready.

After Jace left, I watched in awe as Sara & Aunt Karen did their thing. It truly is an art and talent at how lovely and fast they can create arrangements and bouquets. As much as I loved watching them two, I needed to jump in the shower and start getting ready for our rehearsal. I wore what may be the prettiest white dress from Dillard's. It looked like a rehearsal dress and made me feel like a bride. Thanks JH!

Everyone arrived on time except my groom, the best man, and groomsman. Traffic was bad but they all arrived at the same time. Kory opened the evening in prayer and we gave quick introductions for everyone. We began the evening with rehearsing the recessional. From there, we worked our way backward through the ceremony. When my brother escorted me down the aisle and Jane played the Bridal March I got a little teary eyed. I held it together because I didn't want to start the tears just yet. Things ran so smoothly and no one had questions, so we all piled into cars and headed to Malone's for dinner.

The food was excellent but the company. Oh the company!!!! All of our worlds had collided and the stars aligned for this special night. My girls from college, our friends from GC, our families, and our law school friends were all in the same room. I can't tell you what that did and still does for my heart. They are the reason I am blogging so early. They rearranged their schedules, took off work, found babysitters, flew up, drove four-ten hours to get here. And why?  For Jace and I. To watch, support, and love on Jace and I as we commit ourselves to each other before God, our family, and friends. I wanted to thank them. I had a speech prepared and was so nervous. Now, I can speak for a solid 30 minutes or more about needs vs. wants and how to create a spending plan to large groups of adults or kids and not be nervous. But this was different. It is always the hardest to thank the ones you love most.

Jace and I stood up and though I had something jotted down, Jace decided to "wing it", I thought we gave a heartfelt speech and we didn't even practice. I did get emotional but no tears fell. We concluded dinner and hugged the parents and grandparents good bye. At the end of the night we were surrounded by our closest and dearest friends. Words are not adequate to describe what these people mean to us. They have allowed up to be the third, fifth, and sometimes seventh wheel on their dates. They have supported us when Jace and I were miles apart. They have gone through law school with us, some physically and some emotionally. They have made us laugh and been there when life wasn't that grand. I came home and thought could life get any better? Yesterday was the perfect day; if only I could stick all of them in my pocket and take them with us everywhere we go.

As for today, I can't wait. Everyone talks about the bridal peace and how calm the bride always is. It has washed over me. It washed over me last night and I am soaking up all its glory. I think the peace stems from being surrounded by so much love. Once everyone was together, I was so relaxed and ready to enjoy our moment; a moment eight years in the making.

Today I am ready for so many things. I ready to put on the dress. I am ready for the first look. I am ready to say our vows and place the ring on Jace's finger. I am ready to walk down the aisle as Mrs. Katie Stamper. I am ready to see everyone at the reception and dance the night away. It is these things that keep me from sleeping. It is these things that keep me thanking God through continuous prayer and rejoicing. 

It's 5:12 AM.

It's August 3rd, 2013.

I am wide awake and excitement hasn't allowed me to go to sleep.

Today is a big day.

This house won't be quiet for long.

The stillness won't last.

Today I get married!!!!