August 20, 2016

For just over a month now, I have been Rheannon Drumm.
(Kinda. I am still in the name change process.)

We had a wedding and brunch (Because who can afford $50+ per person for a dinner?) And it was wonderful.
The wedding coordinator messed up on my song (A Thousand Years by the Piano Guys) and missed my cue, only the kids danced, and everyone bounced about the time I turned to Aaron and said "I am over this wedding. I just want to be with you". And every second was perfect.

I had my mom and stepfather, Tom. Joel was on top of the world having everyone he loved in the same place for so long.

Somehow along the way, from getting my neck burnt during my hairdo process (two of my wonderful friends showed up early just to do my hair and makeup, thank you Sarah and Bonnie)
to walking down the staircase, my mind went blank.
I mean blank...
Like, Dad has to carry me because I can't remember how to walk.

  

 After so much planning and waiting I was shocked by something.

I didn't care.

I didn't care if people danced. If the music was right, if I stumbled on my way. I didn't care if I mumbled through my vows and only Aaron could hear me, if I fumbled getting the rings on or looked silly in pictures.  The one thing that I could think the entire morning was, this is it. I am finally getting married to the man I know I was meant to marry.

And Joel is dancing his butt off.

Near the end, after we had all decided that was enough wedding for the day, my brother showed up with what made the entire marriage worth it.

My nephew Hayden.. The very first apple of my eye.
My brother came up the staircase, and I saw a tiny blonde behind him.

"No way" I thought (and said out loud). And then Hayden looked at me and I felt the world melt around me. It has been over 4 years since I had the chance to hold him. I went straight to him with my arms out, wondering how he would react. And after looking me over, Hayden reached right back and let me pull him into one of the most meaningful hugs I have ever had. I whispered to him how I missed him and love him. He patted my back and said
"Yup."

(Yeah... he's a boy.)



Joel joined us on our first dance (Very upset that I was getting so much attention, he had to remind me that he was my one and only.)

 

Yes. The past month has been a whirlwind of emotions, stress and bliss. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Except potty training... I'd like to skip potty training....

Well Hello

So much! So many posts to come! So slow to post them!

Since my last post.. a wedding. A marriage. Tears, laughter, anger, fear. Etc etc.


But writing any post brings me back to when I first met Aaron.

Meeting the person you're going to marry is some kind of emotional ride. We broke up no less than half a dozen times throughout our 8 years. But we still hung about knowing what the inevitable was. (And it has come to pass after all.)

I don't know what made him realize it. But I can pinpoint my realization to the moment I realized I loved this man.

We were going to have our first date night. Having only been "seeing each other" for about a week, I showed up at his house ready to go. We never went. He spent our entire time on the phone talking to other girls. And my heart overflowed the entire time.

I never heard his voice go so soft.
I had never dreamed he had some mushy, almost girly side to him.

When they finally hung up he wiped tears from his eyes and looked at me.

"Sorry Rhea. They're my girls. They always will be."

I heard stories upon stories. Skateboards he made them from random bits. Dora the Explorer he was forced to watch to make them smile.

The terrors, the horrors of twin girls. And how much he missed it.

Those are his girls. His Mia and Mya..
And if I wasn't okay with that, that was okay. I could go. But those were his nieces, and they would always be the first girls to have stolen his heart.

I'm okay with it. After all. They are his girls.