Goin' To The Chapel...

I know, I know it's crazy that I haven't told you this yet; it's absolutely insane. But things have been in the air, and Brian's training to go back to Iraq, and I've been trying to be respectful (and unmeddling), but I finally broke down and asked for permission to blog what's been killing me not to blog:

Brian and Courtney are getting married.

Tuesday.

Tuesday. Tuesday, May 19th, Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Nine.

Right! 5 days from now.

And God's Honest Truth, the reason I haven't told you this thus far is that I've been hesitant to "induct" Courtney into having a blogging Mother-in-Law. "Hello, marry my son, and behind Door #1 is Your Life, blurped out on The Internet. Welcome to the family, smile for the camera **POP***FLASH**."

I have it in writing though: She told me to write my heart out, and that asking for permission is not necessary, ever again. I'll take that with a grain of salt, continue to ask for permission, let her correct my mistakes, and, as I told her already "if I talk too much, just tell me, 'Mommy, shut UP.' "

It that's not a fantastic Mother-in-Law/Daughter-in-Law contract, I don't know what is. Sign here.

That said, I still don't know where to begin, and when to shut up.

My son is marrying the love of his life next Tuesday morning. It will be a civil ceremony, now, before he deploys to Iraq, and there will be a church ceremony when he returns, in 2010.

Courtney brought her dress over to show me, a month or so ago, a moment now embedded into my memory for life. So excited was she, and better yet, Brian's timed phone call just as she left, trying to pry out of me what the dress looked like. As if. "It's hot pink with turquoise ruffles," I told him. "Liar," he retorted. Ah, he knows her, doesn't he?

Yes, it's whirlwind, and Courtney is getting initiated into Military Spouse-ism right off the bat. Brian has been in training, living in a tank, while we have been trying to arrange parties and open-houses, and find honeymoon suites. "The Army," however, had alternate plans that, quite honestly, jacked ours up.

They will marry on Tuesday, May 19, and he must return to his station Thursday May 21.

They will drive 12 hours, for him to sign in at Fort Benning, to sign in, by midnight, Thursday.

And then he has Friday through Monday off, for the holiday.

It's all about compromises: Leave now means no leave before he deploys. What's it going to be?

So, that's how it works, and we, darlings, are going to roll with the punches. We will join them on Tuesday morning, and celebrate Tuesday afternoon and evening.

We will kiss them goodbye on Thursday morning, and see to it that they're set for romantic dinners, a honeymoon suite, and maybe some good Blues music, over the 4-day weekend.

5 days.

Our lives change forever.

Change is good.