May 17th, 2002

I can still remember the day very clearly.  My closest friends had spent the night in the tiny, 750 square feet apartment I would soon call home.  We woke up to a call from my dad telling us to get up, throw on some clothes and meet him at I.H.O.P.  Not even the steady downpour could keep us college-age girls away from free breakfast at 9 am. 

We met my dad for pancakes, and I distinctly remember how sweet the gesture was for this man who, for the better part of my life, could be found in his pasture feeding the cows, delivering calves, repairing electric fences and pretty much any other task that had to be performed to get the job done.  And now, we were eating breakfast, my dad and six girls, chatting about the days' events and how excited I was.  A moment for pause on what would be, what is, the biggest day of my life.

The rest of the day was spent, rather calmly, I might add, showering, packing, primping, and simply enjoying these moments with my friends, before I became a married woman.

Once we arrived at the church, things seemed to move pretty quickly, but still, my memories from that time are good ones.  No real stress, just hanging out in the church parlor waiting for 7:00 to finally roll around.  Pictures were taken, visitors stopped in to say hello.  When it was finally time for the wedding party to take their places, it was just me and my dad, waiting.  Even now, I remember being excited, yet the whole feeling was surreal.  I had planned for this day for months, and now the time was finally here. 

Walking down the aisle with my dad, I remember everyone looking at me.  I was happy at the faces I saw, and I was filled with gratitude that these people were sharing in this moment with us.  Finally, I could see Nick (I think his eyes were blotchy, already), and he had the biggest smile on his face.

The ceremony went off without a hitch.  The unity candle was lit,* we both made it through our vows, I didn't cry when Nick performed a song he had written for me, and no one tripped or passed out on stage.  A true success in my book.  And at the end of that day, eight years ago now, I couldn't have been any happier to finally be Mrs. Nicholas Eason. 

And I still am.





*If you've ever used a dripless candle, then you know that it's a candle with a metal casing on the outside, so the wax stays inside and doesn't drip on your hands.  Well, apparently, when pulling the tapered candle out of its candelabra, it is entirely possible that if it is stuck, and if you pull too hard, then you can be left holding a metal casing while the wax candle, still burning, drops out of bottom and onto the floor.  Feel free to ask Nick how we know this.

P.S. Stay tuned; I'll try to do a recap of the reception in the next couple of days.  But as I've said before, we have no digital photos from our wedding, so I'll have to channel my inner-Flinstone find time to show you the pictures the old fashioned way: by scanning them.