And Two Became One

On Monday, February 24, 2014, Eric and I sat in the kitchen of his house talking about our days while dinner cooked. At this point, Eric and I had been a couple for almost a year and we talked about getting married constantly. Heck, we began talking about marriage one month after meeting. But, on this particular night, with NO ring on my finger...we set our wedding date for June 20, 2015. We knew this "wasn't that far off" (YES IT WAS!!), and it would be a Saturday, and best yet, it would be my parent's anniversary, whose anniversary is also shared with my maternal grandparents. So, we liked it, and we decided then that would be our forever anniversary. One little problem was that I was still waiting on the ring we had also been discussing relentlessly (especially with all of the passing Christmas and Valentine's marketing for love). Finally, March 7, 2014 came along and we made our engagement official with our engagement ring. Now the wedding plans could really take off.

There were months of planning and shopping and dreaming. Many tears and emotions passed with the countdown and the planning of this big event set to happen on June 20, 2015. It seemed like forever until our day would finally come! Many times I even thought about just eloping I was so ready to be married to my best friend. I just desired to be his wife sooooo bad! But the day did finally come and it was a glorious and beautiful day! All I could think of that whole day was, "I;m going to be Eric Gladden's WIFE! His WIFE! This is like the world's biggest honor of all time!!! How lucky am I?!!" I wanted my hair to be perfect, my makeup perfect, the dress perfect, and I wanted to get that amazing reaction from my Groom as I walked down the aisle.

I was cool and calm all day long. This is rare as I am so high strung and uptight. But I had such peace and such joy! Only when I was standing in the bridal suite of our church did I become overwhelmed with emotions of joy and excitement so unfathomable that I began to cry such tears of joy!! And then I couldn't breathe. This was a combination of the fitted bodice of the dress, and my heart trying to pound through the dress!! I stood in the bridal suite watching our bridal party begin to proceed down the aisle to the lovely classical music and all I wanted was to see my groom! Get me out of this closet of a room and down the aisle to the one who will calm my nerves and bring me all of my comfort and happiness! I asked my bridesmaids if they could see Eric?! And when they smiled and said yes, I nearly fainted right there!! Finally it was my turn to make my walk down the aisle and finally say, "I Do!" to my husband!! I cried the entire way down the aisle. And I saw tears in Eric's eyes too and that made me cry even more! Once I was finally able to hold his hands and cling close to him I began to lightly cry and get super giddy! I began twirling (as I was told by many guests and as I witnessed from our wedding video), and I couldn't stop smiling! It is so true it all comes and goes so quickly. It was important for us to savor every little piece! Eric melted my heart more as we lit the unity candle. He and I stepped back and he then led us in prayer over our marriage. There is nothing sweeter than a man who leads his wife in the way of the Lord and there is nothing I desire more for my life or my marriage than to be lead by a Godly man. When the ceremony came to the end and we were pronounced husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Gladden, my heart shot out fireworks to Heaven!

Knowing that from then on out everything I did was no longer for me but for God first (as usual) and then my husband, and for us as one person was so special. It is an important job and role and it is fun and sweet and so so precious! It is something to work on every day together and to embrace so warmly! I am so happy and so truly honored and blessed to be the wife of Eric Gladden who leads me to love God first and before I love him!

Mark 10:8- "and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh."
Ephesians 5:31- "“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”