true story

10-29-08 approx. 7:00pm at work -
me: I've had this watch for 6 years and I've never had to change the battery.

10-30-08 approx. 1:45pm at work-
coworker: what time is it?
me: 11:30 am. wait. shit.

sigh...

Reason Number 8,444,332,435 I am glad I'm married to Nicholas:

He put the latest episodes of the Shield and Gossip Girl on my flash drive so I could watch them at work and he included a note that said:

The Shield Episode 8....this shit is CRAZY! I love you wifey!
(oh and I put some show called Gossip Girl on there.)

xoxo-
Nick (not GG)

Dreamy isn't he? Referencing Gossip Girl? Granted he won't ever do it again since I'm making it public, but ya'll know I have to keep it real over here at the Fossey house.

1 year down...

Today, our marriage is one year old! 366 days ago Nick and I said "I do". (Thanks leap year!) Originally I planned to publish our very own "Wedding Story" a la TLC, but I know no will read it all the way through. Instead here are some favorite memories of our big day, in bullet points.

The Rehearsal Dinner:

• The wedding rehearsal was the most relaxing fun day of my life. It was so fun and casual and LOW STRESS.
• My 8 year old cousin making a speech at the rehearsal dinner. She said something like, "we never expected Benay to get married...or speak Spanish."
  
• Nick's grandmother planting a slightly tipsy kiss on Beacon, the best man.
• Dancing all night at Cookies, the world's smallest bar, with all the people I loved.
• A drunken rendition of "Son of a Preacher Man" sung by yours truly.
  

Pre Wedding:

• Waking up early, early and driving from the hotel to Nick's house where I crawled into bed with him for a few minutes. I knew we wouldn't be alone the rest of the day. Plus I wanted to make sure he still wanted to go through with it.
• Putting on my BRIDE tank top, finally!
• Going down to the lobby to meet the girls so we could go to brunch and the salon and seeing a white stretch limo arriving to pick us up! A surprise from my brother and my mom.
• Giving gifts to the bridesmaids at lunch.
• Having my mom give me a surprise gift, a pretty bracelet.
  

Wedding:

• Seeing Nick before the ceremony and crying like an idiot.
• Take picture after picture.
• Being surrounded by all of our friends and family made me realize why people have weddings.
• Right before walking down the aisle, feeling panicky and short of breath.
  
• Tyler calming us down with some jokes.
  
• Tyler and mom flipping my veil over and kissing me on the cheek.
• Reazling that my shoes are killing my feet.
• Actually listening to the wedding message from my dad, and being in awe that this was happening to me.
• Trying to figure out a way to slip off my shoes, like Audrey Hepburn did in Roman Holiday.
• Nick's beautiful vows to me, hand written and so well thought out.
• My blubbering, incoherent vows, completely on the fly.
• TJ's song being interrupted by the train.
• Being pronounced husband and wife and being showered with rose petals!

Post Wedding:

• Taking my shoes off immediately after making it back down the aisle.
• A tearful hug from Soni.
• Spending time alone with Nick in the bride's room and taking some pictures.
• "I think you just got pregnant from that kiss." - our photographer after some steamy shots against the barn.

Reception:

• Being announced to the Monday Night Football theme. The things we do for love.
• The first dance. I wanted it to go on forever.
• Dancing with dad. I don't know what we talked about but the pictures show us laughing. As usual.
• The cake. So good. So sad we didn't get to eat more.
• The toasts! Beacon's was SO sweet and of course Soni's made me cry.
  
• Gary's song to the newlyweds.
• Greeting everyone in the barn; getting hugged and kissed more in a day than I had in years.
• Dancing with everyone to Footloose and Love Shack, my faves.
  
• The last dance of Twist and Shout; felt a sudden pang of sadness that it was over.
• Taking our last picture by the Surrey in the barn.
• Seeing the decorated car. Sheesh.
• Continuing the party at the Skirvin.
• Opening the gift from Nick's groomspeople: Rockband! Or at least the promise of Rockband in a Hannah Montana singing card.
• Waking up the next morning with a sense of huge relief and a huge let down, until I remembered there were presents to open!
  

It has been an amazing year, harder than I thought it would be. More fun than I thought it would be. It's just amazing when you realize you have finally found your home. I'll leave you with part of our wedding message...

• Nick:

• Do you also promise now to take Benay, to be your wife, loving her as she is and continuing to love her as she grows into the woman she will be?

• Do you promise to share with her your joys, sufferings, fears, victories and share in her joys, sufferings, fears, and victories as well?

• Do you promise to be faithful to her, in body, mind, and heart, and to make the decisions daily to keep yourself faithful?

• Do you promise to treat her with patience and respect, listening deeply to her, and accepting her influence in your life?

• Benay:

• Do you also promise now to take Nick, to be your husband, loving him as he is and continuing to love him as he grows into the man he will be?

• Do you promise to share with him your joys, sufferings, fears, victories and share in his joys, sufferings, fears, and victories as well?

• Do you promise to be faithful to him, in body, mind, and heart, and to make the decisions daily to keep yourself faithful?

• Do you promise to treat him with patience and respect, listening deeply to him, and accepting his influence in your life?

Exchange of rings

• Do you have rings as symbols of your promises?

• Please place the ring on her finger and repeat after me.

• With this ring

• I devote myself to you

• Until death separates us

• I am your husband

• And you are my wife.

• With this ring

• I devote myself to you

• Until death separates us

• You am my husband

• And I are your wife.

I love you Nicholas!