KARALEE's WEDDING TRIP

 My sister Karalee got married yesterday in the Manti, Utah Temple.

This is literally the only picture I got of the wedding.

I know sad.

I am really sad about.

It was a rough day for me.

I know her wedding day isn't about me.....

But she is married now and happily in Hawaii with her husband, so this post is going to be about me.

I will have to have her send me some pictures when she gets back in town and do a real post about her.

 

I had been battling a cold for a few days.

Nothing serious.

I  had been drinking about two packets of Emergen-C a day for a couple of days and thought I would be fine.

 

Then the night before her wedding I climbed in the shower and washed my hair.

My blow dryer went out.

I slept with wet hair.

My cold went straight into my lungs.

Then I got a text at 3:00 in the morning from my friend who was planning on watching my kids for the day while we made the quick trip.

(Nate could only get a day off of work and he wanted to be there for my sister. We had made arrangements for the girls, knowing it would be a nightmare to spend 8 hours straight in the car and one in the temple.)

She said in her text her daughter had been throwing up all night.

She was still willing to watch the girls but she wanted me to know.

She was too sweet, but I couldn't let the girls go over there not with her needing to take care of her daughter.

I frantically texted my friend Kay three times. (She never got the texts.)

I went to bed resigned that the girls would be going with us.

I didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

Not because of my friends text, but because by this point the cold had hit my lungs.

I couldn't stop coughing and I was cold and needed more and more blankets.

My throat was so dry and sore I needed multiple glasses of water and then of course I am pregnant, so I have to go potty two minutes after I drink.

 

At six I got up.

I got the girls dressed.

Nate woke up at 6:30.

I broke the news that the girls were going to have to come with us.

He was stressed.

He knew it was going to be miserable.

I didn't know who to call and I am not in the habbit of leaving my daughters period, but especially imposing on someone so last minute.

I thought to call my visiting teacher, who I love.

I called her, she answered.

I explained the situation.

She offered to take care of them.

Bless her.

We dropped them off.

We headed out.

 

I was so cold.

There was this draft under my feet.

I kept cranking the heat and Nate kept cracking the window.

I thought, whatever heat I was trying to put in the car, he was sucking out the window.

I begged him to not crack the window.

He rolled it up most of the way with a sliver remaining.

(Before you judge Nate too harshly... finish reading the story.)

I wished I had of brought a blanket.

I had brought one out to the garage and then sat it down to help Madison into her car seat and forgot to put it in.

I tied my coat around my feet.

I was still cold.

 

I called my Dad.

I asked if they would bring an old blanket to the temple, so at least I would be warm on the way back.

He said, "You sound terrible, go home. Your sister will understand."

But, she was my closest sister growing up and I wanted to be there with her.

I told him I would be fine I just needed a blanket.

I started bawling like a baby.

Maybe it was no sleep, or being eight months pregnant, or being beyond sick, or my freezing legs, or hearing my daddy's voice say, "It is okay you don't have to be so tough." I am not sure.

I couldn't stop crying.

My poor dad put my mother on the phone to talk some sense into me.

I wasn't going to miss my sister's wedding, no matter what.

We shared a bedroom for 21 years.

She was the one I stayed up at night with and traded tickle backs with.

"If you tickle my back 100 times, then I will tickle yours 100 times." We would say to each other when we were little.

 

Nate stopped off and got me yogurt, apple juice, and cough drops.

When we got to the temple I was feeling better.

I wasn't coughing.

It was warm and peaceful in the temple.

(Nothing like our drafty 4-runner with over 200k miles on it. I am grateful that car still runs but....)

 

I have to say, the Manti Temple is so beautiful.

I gave my sister a hard time when she wanted to be married there. As we drove up, I understood why. It was so beautiful and the views from the hill were amazing.

I felt guilty for giving her a hard time.

We all met in the temple all my brothers and sisters and their spouses and my Uncle David, Karalee was always his favorite niece. It was so special that he made the trip.

My sister looked beautiful and happy.

 

After the wedding, we waited a while for them to come out of the temple.

Then came the pictures.

It was so cold.

The weather had been nice when we pulled up but then it turned.

I was coughing so hard and couldn't stop.

The father of the groom came over to introduce himself for the first time.

I felt really guilty shaking his hand.

We took a few pictures and then we had to go I just couldn't be there any longer.

 

My father followed us back to our car, got me a blanket and made sure we were well and safe.

Then we drove back.

We stopped in Gunnison City and had Chinese food.

They had the best Hot and Sour Soup I have ever had.

Every bite was soothing to my soul.

 

I got back in the car and cuddled down in my blanket and fell asleep.

 

When we got to Green River Nate let me drive the rest of the way home.

He cranked the heat and he kept complaining how cold it was.

He asked, "Where is that draft coming from."

He kept checking the floorboards and increasing the heat.

I was so hot. Beads of sweat were coming off my forehead, I had to crack the window.

Then both off us understood each other.

It wasn't being sick as much as it was the car.

Love that car.

Today I am by the fire.
Covered in vicks vapor rub.
With a humidifier.
Finishing my book.
Yesterday, is yesterday.
Today, is today.
I am so glad for today.