So, what is married life like?

Is a question we get pretty often these days. I never know quite how to answer.

This is an attempt.

A few weeks ago, I burned my tongue really really badly on a cup of tea. I don't know what I was thinking. I took a sip almost immediately after I poured the water. As I was explaining this tragedy to Derek, I showed him my swollen taste buds in order to prove the extent of the damage and justify my whining. He said that it looked pretty bad but that he didn't know what my taste buds usually look like. He asked me to remind him to take a look after they healed in order to get a good baseline. And then he kissed me on the taste buds.

I think that maybe being married is knowing what each others taste buds look like. For better or worse.

(This is a picture of my first married Valentine's day gift. It is for holding my wedding ring when I cook and do dishes. I just love it.)

And They Call the Thing a Rodeo

They say that people tend to gain weight after they get married. Derek and I went to the San Antonio Rodeo this weekend and learned exactly how. 

Clockwise from left that is

1. Fried oreos

2. Unsweet tea (because we are watching our figures)

3. Jumbo corn dog with french fries

4. Fried snickers

5. Jumbo corn dog

Got all that? We ate it all. NOM NOM NOM.

After we ate the whole world it was time to pet some animals. So we headed off to the petting zoo. Or as Derek should call it "the vicarious petting zoo."

You see, my husband does not like to have germs on his hands. He is a fastidious about his hand cleanliness and petting zoos are pretty germy places. So it went like this:

D: Look, donkeys!
K: Cool!
D: Touch one.
K: Okay.
D: What does it feel like?
K: It feels like a furry ottoman.
D: Cool!


And then on to the next animal where we would repeat the process. All the while, Derek keeps his hands in his pockets. He still washed them when the whole thing was over.


The rodeo was pretty great. Mutton busting gets me every time. 

The night concluded with a Clay Walker concert and he put on quite a show. I was pleased that he chose to play a song that Derek once put on a mixed cd for me in the 9th grade, Hypnotize the Moon. It's kind of a cheesy song, but I liked it. I still like it because it makes me feel sentimental. 


The whole rodeo experience left me pondering if Derek and I could quit our jobs and become a husband and wife calf roping team.

Dibs on heeler.

Our Wedding Day

Derek and I got married on September 25th and I learned that it is true what people say. It really was the best day of my life.

One of the things that I've enjoyed since that day is reminiscing about it with friends and family. I like hearing stories about the things that happened at the wedding that I didn't get to see. Like that at least one guest was planning a proposal while he danced with his lady. Like how there was a missing bouquet that no one ever told me about. 

I thought a behind the scenes look at our wedding might be a fun way to capture the experience on our blog.

Breakfast

The morning of our wedding was super laid back-just like I hoped it would be. My dad made omelets and bacon for all of us girls and we sat around the big table for at least an hour just refilling each others cups of coffee and cracking jokes. Breakfast is a sacred ritual for a Kerr and I was so happy to share the experience with my favorite friends on such a special day. 

Breakfast was followed by the getting ready time.  Which was also laid back.

Mom and Dad
The behind the scenes all-stars of the wedding were definitely my parents. I can't express how grateful I am for everything they did. I know that the wedding was ultimately about Derek and me, but the truth is, it was a really special time for my parents and me as well. Every wedding task that accomplished was celebrated with a lunch out together or big dinner at home. Wedding manicures? Check! How about flights of wine to celebrate? Those memories are really special to me.

Our wedding was also very handmade and we spent a lot of time working out all the details together. See these? My mom wrote out every guest's name.

 And these? My dad spent a whole weekend baking every one of them.

Of course these are just two examples and there are so many more. Their fingerprints were all over this wedding. Especially the tab. Thanks, Mom and Dad! Here are some of my favorite pictures of them from the wedding.

 Drawing maps for all the family.

This is Keith, one of my good friends from college who was also my neighbor when I lived at Frankie. He is a big fan of my parents and thinks my mom is one of the most adorable people ever. He is right.

My parents dancing to their song-The Tennessee Waltz.

Rain
Most of the behind the scenes drama at the wedding was related to the weather. I don't know if you remember, because sometimes I forget, but it rained. Rolling thunderstorms were predicted for the whole day and it poured down hard for about 45 minutes right before the ceremony.

The rain meant that we had to move the planned outdoor reception into the barn. I was sick about it the day before. But that was really foolish as you can see.

At the reception, our friend Aaron advised us to take a look back at the barn as we drove away. He said that he and his wife had taken a walk outside to see the stars (because of course the rain cleared up) and that the sight of a red barn full of lights, music and love on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere was beautiful. He was right. It was so much more perfect than we could have planned.


Sneak peek
Derek and I chose to see each other before the wedding on the advice of our officiant and good friend BV. I'm so glad that we did. We chose to make this a private moment, so this is the only picture I have to share.

Isn't he handsome? I was standing in the library on the other side of that door. We had a moment to say some nice things to each other about how we had been wishing for this since we were fourteen.


Ceremony

I actually have nothing very behind the scenes to share about the ceremony. It was very intimate and I feel like everyone had the chance to see and hear everything that happened. The only thing that I hope you didn't see or hear was my nose running. I managed to mostly hold it together tear wise through the vows but I cried as I bowed my head during the prayers. Which made my nose run. This was fortunately not documented on film as you can see.

Choreography
We received many compliments on our dancing skills. We took a couple of lessons before the wedding but it was mostly a frustrating experience. The practice sessions we had in our little kitchen turned out to be the most helpful. However, the song we chose to dance to had a few funky pauses and this part where the singer held out the word "Looooooorrrrd", the music dropped out, and we had no idea how to dance to it. So, we just planned to kiss during those parts. So this...

And this...

Were totally planned.  I was actually whispering, "Okay it's coming in 1, 2, 3..." and then thinking about holding that kiss for the right number of beats so that we could smoothly move back into dancing. Fooled you, right?


Bride to be

From the beginning Derek and I knew we wouldn't be doing the traditional garter and bouquet toss. It just wasn't our style. However, all of the Frankie ladies and Monroe men knew that Becka and Cody would be the next ones to get married. So on my way out the door, I grabbed an attendant's bouquet out of a centerpiece and said, "Hey, Becka? Think fast!" while throwing it straight at her face.  What choice did she have but to catch it? She was predictably embarrassed but she caught it. And then Cody proposed a few weeks later and they are getting married this summer.  You're welcome, guys!

Okay last one.


Goodbyes
So this is the last thing that everyone else probably remembers from the night. We we ran threw a shower of lavender toward the car, drove off, and lived happily ever after.

That's mostly true. The only trouble was that it started to rain as we turned off of Red Corral Ranch Rd. Naturally, Derek turned on the windshield wipers. However, due to certain decorations that had been attached to the windshield wipers unbeknown to us, the wiper blades broke off. Derek had to pull over, in the rain, on a hill country road, in his wedding suit, to change the wiper blades. Which, fortunately, he knew exactly how to do.  And right then, I knew that I married a good one.  The best one.

Best Intentions

I'm better with ideas than with execution. My intentions are good. My follow through could be better.

When Derek and I got married I had every intention of creating a blog to document our newlywed life and stay in touch with friends and family. Yet somehow we have been married for over four months and I've yet to post a single thing. What went wrong? I have some theories.

Why I Haven't Blogged

1. Too many other things to do. Here is a quick rundown of the last four months. I got married, moved to a new city, and started my first job. I went on a honeymoon, celebrated one thanksgiving, two christmases, a new years. I decorated things, cooked things and ate a lot things. I fell in deeper love with Big Lots, tacos, and my new husband.
2. Fear. Fear of having a lame blog. Fear of technology taking over the world. Fear of not following through on something.
3. Occasional lack of internet. One time Derek and I didn't have any internet at our apartment. Or electricity. Or water. For like two weeks.

Why I Want to Blog

1. I have an awful memory. Truly awful. It makes me a great wife because I can't stay angry for very long due to forgetting what I was mad about. It also makes Derek a very patient husband because I tell the same stories all. the. time. Or so I am told. I'm hoping that a blog will help me remember my life better. Because it is a really good life.
2. I enjoy other people's blogs. I like to read my family and friends' blogs.  And the occasional stranger. 
3. Derek is the funniest person in the world. I have laughed harder in the past four months than I have in my whole life. I hope to share some of that and make the world a better place.

Today is a snow day in our city where it never snows. Seemed like a good day to stay inside and start a blog.