And then I changed my name.

I'm married. Wow, still getting used to saying that. It isn't that it sounds odd, but I've been waiting and dreaming about it for so long that it seems unreal at times. Unreal in the way that I finally get to say, I married the love of my life and hey, "this is my husband." Yeah, I'm having a moment here.

Yesterday I drove all around town, to various government buildings, in order to file the paperwork that's necessary when you want to legally change your last name. I began my morning in the probate courts, where you can not only request a copy of your marriage license, but a firearms license as well. Interesting how those two windows are right next to each other. Nick and I both found that amusing. Anyways, I paid for two official copies of our marriage license, the second being out of paranoia of losing the first. The lady handed me two very official looking documents that she happened to notarize right in front of me with her little magic notary device. It would have been magical if I hadn't walked through a security checkpoint and seen a smile somewhere along the way. From the probate courts, I paid a visit to my local social security office. The people there were oddly friendly, and within the hour, I had my receipt stating that I was now a Mrs. After the social security office, I decided that I might as well just go ahead and drop by the local DMV offices. Bad plan, very bad plan. Not only did I think that I was going to die there waiting in line, I took the world's worst photo for my new license. Seriously. Let's just say that I will be going back, paying the small fee of $15 or $25, and retaking the photo when I don't look like a hobo. Otherwise, I will be forced to hide my license (out of shame) for the next ten years. That's a long time.

I suppose the thing that surprised me the most about my whole journey, was that the process was not as hard as I feared it would be. Actually, with all things considered, it was virtually painless. Each time I walked into a different office, all I wanted to do was to tell everyone (and their mother) that I married the most amazing man on the planet. It's just something that I thought everyone should know, because I am so unbelievably proud to call Nick my husband. And it's odd that our relationship could deepen even more after our wedding, especially since it was so wonderful beforehand, but it has. Being tied to the person you love the most, legally speaking, has an effect on your relationship. I love him more with every passing moment and know that my love will continue to deepen with every day, month, and year that passes.

At some point, I will have some wedding photos to share with you all. Our photographers said that it usually takes about 2 or 3 weeks to process through everything, but I'm hoping I hear from them sooner rather than later. I am literally bouncing in my chair with anticipation.

SIDE NOTE: As a side note, I would like to draw some attention to the little badge sitting in my sidebar, on the right-hand side of the screen. (look to your right, below the blurb about me). I recently submitted a design for the annual Minted T-Shirt Challenge and would love for you to go vote. Of course, I would love you to vote for me, but please pick YOUR actual favorite. May the odds be forever in the best designers favor, as we might say if we actually lived in the world of the Hunger Games. Can you tell that I am excited to see the film?