Memories of Us

I went to sleep at 1:00 a.m. I woke up at 3:00 a.m. Spencer picked me up at 4:00 a.m. We drove to the hotel to pick up Vehicles Two and Three (Spencer's parents and brother) in our convoy. We drove to pick up Vehicle Four (Spencer's sister), and then we all drove nearly three hours (in weekday morning traffic) to the temple. We waited a short time for my family to arrive.

My mom and I were escorted into a beautiful room. She helped me put on my gown and my ceremonial clothing. The sisters serving there were sweet and happy and suitably excited for me. One of them escorted me to the Celestial Room, where Spencer was waiting for me, looking as beautiful (in all the appropriate, wonderful, masculine ways) as I felt. Except for the sister who was my escort, we were alone in that amazing room. We held hands and whispered a little bit. I wasn't nervous at all.

The sister then escorted us to a sealing room. All of our family and friends were inside, but the sealer hadn't arrived yet, so our escort had us sit outside the room. We sat. We waved to people inside. We sat some more. And more. And more. Spencer's dad came out to walk off the stiffness in his back. The mother of the next scheduled bride came and paced in the hallway. THEN I got nervous. At last, the sealer arrived, and we were escorted INTO the sealing room.

We introduced everyone in the room. I wasn't nervous again. We knew everyone. We loved everyone. There were friends, co-workers, church leaders, parents, siblings, grandparents. We listened carefully to the instructions given to us. (I don't remember any of them!) And then we were married for time and for all eternity (at which point I thought I might tip over backward). We kissed each other. We stood together and gazed at one another in the 'eternal mirrors.' We hugged everyone.

My mother and I were escorted back to the beautiful brides' room. The sisters asked me my last name so they could retrieve my stuff. I said, "Fish." And they said, "Sorry, there's no 'Fish' here. Are you sure your name isn't 'Hill?'"

There was a heck of a lot more to that day, but the highlight was the approximately 5 minutes during our time in the House of the Lord, when we made covenants with God and with one another, resulting in our marriage for time and for all eternity.

It was a good day, 22 years ago.