Final Countdown
We have hit the final countdown, Erin and me. This is it. This week. To see the countdown clock, which seemed really big when I started it, go to wedding.sw-c.com and you can see that the days are sub-3 with hours to go. As Erin’s mom likes to say (or has said, to me, once) it’s four sleeps and a wakeup. The ceremony is at 10 a.m. on Friday and by 10:20 a.m. we will be Mr. and Mrs. Hattaway rather than John and Erin. We will still be John and Erin, its just that we will be more tied together than the nearly 100% of our free time would currently suggest.
Anyway, several people pointed out that this past weekend was the last one where Erin and I would be single people. We were at church and were getting some encouragement and congratulations as we wandered from one room to the next for the various meetings. The outcome, as always, is that I have to weigh the amount of excitement and anxiety that comes with this information and encouragement with the amount I show in interest and, well, just in general.
I really do appreciate people and their encouraging words. One such, was talking with our bishop whom I felt needed to be invited to the ceremony whether they could come or not (I suspected they couldn’t). He asked, “Are you ready?”
I said, “No. Is anyone ever ready?”
Since there were three or four men standing around, they all chimed in, “Nope.”
I said, “Then I guess I am in the place I need to be,” thanked the bishop for his time and left to change clothes and acquire Erin a heating pad.
Anyway, this is the last week. We are getting married. It is getting close to being absolutely terminal. Exciting and scary all at the same time.
People are going to fly in to town this week. Erin’s dad is getting here Wednesday night, I think. Rebecca’s husband, Keith, flies in Thursday night and Jordan will pick him up and transport him down to Manti, that night. Rebecca made it to Cortez the other night. Most of the siblings have said they are coming to at least something; on top of which, it sounds like the majority of my mothers siblings are coming to the temple in the morning while the one that can’t is coming to the reception that evening. After meeting, and reacquainting myself with many of these people, I am excited to have gotten to know them, look forward to getting to know many of them better, and hope to see them on Friday.
The following Friday we will have a ring ceremony in Massachusetts near where Erin’s mom and dad live. We will have spent several days in Maine. And then we will return to Utah where we will start our lives, again, together.
For the most part, this week, for me, will consist of work, packing and moving things, making sure that the items that have to be picked up/coordinated are taken care of all so I can be in Manti Thursday evening to see both of our parents, spend time, one-on-one with them, and then wake up Friday morning (given that I sleep Thursday night) all to getting married in a very lovely building that, according to Erin, looks like a castle. Her castle.
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