ready or not, here comes the bride!

"Oh, you must be so stressed out! Aren't you going crazy with wedding preparations?"

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard those words, I'd be a very rich woman, indeed!

Yep, the big day is quickly approaching--12 days from today. But honestly, the ONLY time I've felt stressed since Danielle got engaged was when people asked me that question! I became anxious and lost sleep over the fact that I wasn't running around like a decapitated chicken, frantically doing whatever other people do when they plan weddings.

And not only would I become a stress case, I'd snap at Danielle because she was acting far too laid-back for someone with a fast-approaching wedding day. Of course, she'd react and we'd end up in a spat over wedding preparations (or lack of, in our case). Which, according to everyone I've talked to in the past year, is the proper way to do things.

Late one night, when I was fretting over the fact that we were still far too calm about the whole wedding thing, I had a thought (which was definitely heaven-sent). I'd seen Greg do a gazillion weddings over the past year and in every single one of them, the couple said their "I do's" in front of friends and family and officially tied the knot. Some of the weddings were a piece of cake, so to speak. And other ceremonies were a little more . . . interesting. But I realized that even if the flowers didn't show up on time, or the best man was drunk, or bratty children screamed through the entire ceremony, or it hailed during the outdoor wedding--the couple still got married and people came to cheer them on.

It's kind of like having a baby--the kid's gonna come whether the parents are ready or not!

So after my wedding epiphany, I decided to relax and enjoy the process of helping my daughter prepare for her new life and role as a wife. And we are having a blast! I'm treasuring every minute I have with her. The Lord has given me a supernatural peace (spiritual Prozac?) that permeates my days and I'm especially looking forward to Christmas: having all the girls home one last time (as single daughters), celebrating the amazing family the Lord has blessed me with. Even with all the wedding stuff, I've still been able to bake, decorate and buy a few presents--all without feeling the least bit of anxiety!

So, even if the flowers are wilted, the cupcakes burn and the chocolate fountains malfunction, Danielle is going to become Mrs. Krispin Mayfield on December 29th.

And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it!