Wedding: The Temple

You guys. Getting sealed in the temple has got to be the best thing life has to offer. The whole experience was seriously incredible! I had gotten endowed a few months before our sealing, so the week before we got married, we went to the Provo City Center temple to do sealings for the dead. That was an amazing experience! We listened to the blessings that are given to you by being faithful in your covenants over and over and got to experience what it'd feel like to get married... or so we thought!

The day of our wedding, we went to the temple at 9 am to get paperwork and what not filled out. We then went to separate dressing rooms to change and relax a little bit. Luckily for us, the Columbus Temple was not too busy, so we had a lot of quiet time and peace to ourselves. We stayed in the Celestial Room for quite some time together after speaking with the temple president as well as the man who would be sealing us! I can't remember what we talked about, but right before Brother Ralph took us in to the sealing room, Jake said, "I think I might cry." And I was feeling pretty cool, confident that I wouldn't cry and he said, "If I cry, you have to cry too otherwise it'll be weird."

When we walked into the sealing room and saw all of our family sitting there for us, I just lost it! Haha, it was so embarrassing but also it was okay. Beth got me several tissues and handed them to me. As we were sitting and listening to the sealer talk about the blessings of temple marriage before we got married, I was just crying. Luckily I wasn't sobbing, but there were steady tears... it was crazy! Everyone else must have been feeling it, too, because when I looked up, everyone else had tissues in their hands! The moments leading up to kneeling across from each other are so special and sacred to me. Has it really been a month since we did that?!

When we kneeled down across from each other, we were both just crying. It was such a spiritual, pure experience that I can't find words to describe it. I've tried to remember it perfectly so many times since that morning and I don't think that memory will ever go away. Jake and I had never been "mushy" or "lovey-dovey", but that morning we were. We were just so happy we were finally married!

After we left the sealing room, I went to change into my wedding dress and then we walked out together to everyone cheering. It was so special to see all the people who made the icy drive from Cincinnati. I was so warm in my dress, but I noticed other people around me were freezing, so we headed back to the farm. I could relive this morning over and over again.

This was right after Tracey slapped my butt. Hahahaha! I deserved it though, because my position in this picture is quite awkward for her... Hahaha, I have the best MIL ever.