The Life and Times of a Married Man

Amanda and I's honeymoon was the best time I can ever remember having in my 21 years of life. We were in Ontario, Canada for a whole week.

The evening of our wedding we stayed at the Ritz Carlton, a five-star hotel in downtown New Orleans. It was beautiful. We flew out of New Orleans the next day, a Sunday, to Buffalo, New York. We were supposed to rent a car there, but the Avis representative explained that there is an extra $110 surcharge per day for renters under the age of 25, per New York law. After speaking with a manager and getting very livid about the fact the Avis representative never told me this several months earlier, Amanda and I decided to take a taxi into Niagara Falls, Ontario and rent a car in Canada the next day, to avoid the New York law.

The gentleman at the Best Western in Niagara was actually kind enough to give us a honeymoon suite for free, including a voucher for breakfast and a heart-shaped jacuzzi! The next day Amanda and I got our PT Cruiser car rental and took a trip to the Falls. We took a boat ride on the Maid of the Mist, which goes right next to the falls and saturates the riders with mist. That afternoon we drove four hours to Collingwood, Ontario, on the bottom of Blue Mountain and on the shore of the Georgian Basin, which empties into Lake Michigan. We checked into our room at the lodge, a cozy cabin-ish room with a hammock on the back porch.

For the rest of that week Amanda and I mainly enjoyed each other's company alone, separate from the rest of existence. Other than that, we did a few activities...

On Tuesday, we went to Wasaga Beach. We walked about 1/8 mile out into the waters of Nottawasaga Bay, and still the water had not reached our knees. We eventually turned back because it was a little bit creepy being so far from shore, though the water was eerily shallow.

On Wednesday, we did an "Ecoadventure Tour." This included scenic cave exploration, a walk across a shaky suspension bridge over a gorge, and an hour-long treetop walking tour. Yes, that's right. Treetrop walking tour. We navigated a trail of rope bridges at heights of up to 60 feet in the top of the forest canopy.

Thursday was a day trip into Toronto, the capital of Ontario. I was surprised at several things about this metropolis: the cleanliness, the abundance of trees, the lack of any significant number of skyscrapers, the cars that would stop and park right in the middle of traffic downtown, the numerous bicyclists, and the multiculturalism. Amanda and I went to the top of the CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing man-created structure. We ate dinner in the slowly spinning restaurant that gave us a great view of Lake Ontario and the area.

Friday was hiking day. Up the side of Blue Mountain. We got some beautiful camera shots!

Canadian cowboys showed us the landscape as we went horseback riding on Saturday. I rode Brumby and Amanda rode Mac. We got a chance to "lope," between a trot and a gallop. It is the fastest I've ever been on a horse. It's quite a scary and invigorating experience.

Sunday we returned home. That left us to a week of married life back in reality in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We've done a number of things this week: Amanda started working at the Department of Tourism, I assembled Wal-Mart furniture for our apartment, we cleaned cleaned cleaned, shopping shopping shopping, Chi Alpha events, Louisiana Students For Life events, helping friends move, I took a trip back to Slidell to get the rest of my belongings, reconnecting with friends, getting ready for the school year.

Married life is wonderful. The best thing is that whatever our days are like, Amanda and I come home to each other, another person we love and respect, another person we know will respect and cherish us for who we really are. The mundane things I've always done grudgingly have been really fun: laundry, cooking, sleeping patterns, figuring out what to wear, (this shouldn't be mundance but) seeking God, and the list goes on.

Something we are proud of is that God gave us the grace to, through matrimony, offer the virginity and purity of our bodies and minds to each other exclusively. Let doubters beware; the grace of God is still alive in this age. Let believers rejoice and walk the straight and narrow path with lightened loads.

People ask me if it's weird being married. I just shrug and let them know it feels very natural. Amanda and I are as we have always been. Just a little bit happier and lot more complete.

Our new bed from Mattress Direct after delivery.

Photo, courtesy of Jacob Benda, friend and former groomsman.

The Life and Times of a Groom

My wife is currently taking a well-deserved repose in the other room. It seems much has happened in the last 2 weeks.


On the night of August 10th, I slept about 5 hours, which is much more than I thought I would get the night before getting married. I awoke quite calmly and went and lay out on the living room couch, thinking, "This is the day." I proceeded to take a long bubble bath, followed by the world's most precise and cautious shave. I expected a regular breakfast, but lo and behold, my dad had decided to get Subway sandwiches. After a repast, I gathered up all the elements of my white groom outfit and put them on one by one. The long dress shirt, the tie, the vest, the pants, the socks, the shoes, the coat. And then it was off to Covington, Louisiana to Vintage Court, the site of Amanda and I's marriage and wedding reception. As my dad drove, I prayed and sang praises to God on this glorious morning.


I arrived at PJ's Coffee, right down the road, and few of the groomsmen and I waited for the "green light" to proceed to Vintage Court. Apparently, the bride was taking pictures, and most of us hopefully know that it is a big faux pas for the groom to see the bride in her wedding gown before the processional. As I nervously paced around I took two phone calls, one from a groomsmen who was running late, another from a violinist who had to cancel because of unfortunate sickness. I took a deep breath and realized that if all else failed today, if Amanda, my father and me were there, everything would be fine. Today was the day I would declare to the world my intentions to husband for all time this woman who is the love of my life.


Eventually we were phoned in to come. I energetically shook a few hands before taking my place up at the front and to the side. Soon the processional music started. Amanda and I's grandparents, followed by our mothers proceeded down the aisle, with our mothers both lighting a taper unity candle. This was my father and I's cue to walk to the front and center of the beautiful altar.


Let me set the scene. When you drive down the roadway to Vintage Court, it is a typical southern Louisiana scene. Oak tree groves and beautiful flower beds greet you. When you walk in the front door, there is a small reception area, which opens up into the main hall, a long aisle with windows on each side, leading to the main seating area and altar at the opposite end. The sanctuary forms a cross, actually. Over the center of the cross is a beautiful chandelier with white ribbons. At the altar there are two brightly burning candleabras, marble steps leading up, and there my father and I stand.


Here come the bridesmaids and there escorting groomsmen. The best man, Matthew Clayton, and the maid of honor, Valerie Mautz, are first. Then come Jacob Benda and Betsy Sihvonen, David Mautz and Laura Post, and Zechariah Brewer and Hannah Clayton. Next an adorable site, my brother and sister, John and Jessica, the ring bearer and flower girl. John is bearing both the rings on a pillow and Jessica, with a curious smirk on her face, is gently sprinkling flower petals.


I looked at my father, the minister, and turned with a lump in my throat as the music once again changed. At the far end stood Amanda and her father. I could already feel my pulse quickening as I could tell from this great distance that once she got up to the altar, I would be gazing upon the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. As she reached the altar I walked down the steps to greet her and both our faces lit up in gorgeous, goofy grins. "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" the minister bellowed out. "Her mother and I do," my father-in-law calmly said. Removing her veil, he shook my hand and placed his daughter's hand in mine. I led her up to the altar, where we turned 45 degrees from each other and we both smiled until we turned red.


From thence there was a welcome, a presentation, an opening prayer, a message about the unity of marriage and the body of believers, the exchange of vows, the giving and receiving of rings, the lighting of the unity candle, our parents praying for us at the altar, an altar call, a wedding song by John Roger and Deanna Bell, the Lord's Supper, pronouncement, and the recessional. Amanda and I were very proud of the ceremony, because we wrote the entire script ourselves 3 months before its realization. The minister gave a powerful word of exhortation and encouragement to us, that our marriage was a symbolic represenation of the marriage between Christ and His church. The altar call was a call to salvation through Christ, and the Lord's Supper was offered to all believers, who wished to partake. For this is something important to Amanda and I: the unity of God's people.


The entire time we were up there, Amanda and I kept glancing from the minister back and forth to each other, with large smiles on our faces. It is the giddiest feeling I can ever remember having in my life. My eyes devoured every inch of Amanda in her dress, as her eyes continually greeted mine with shouts of adoration. I was also glad to have a handkerchief for my forehead because the air conditioning sporadically went out. When the ring bearer brought the rings to me, I was so nervous, I tried handing Amanda her ring to put on me. This led to a moment of laughter at the altar (there were many others, as well).


The kiss at the altar was the slowest and most relaxed we have ever had. After we walked down the aisle as husband and wife, the blur known as a wedding reception began. We had to quickly sign the marriage license copies, as well as take dozens of photographs inside and outside. By the time we actually joined the reception, I was already tired. But that quickly turned into a rush of emotion. Hug after hug, congratulations after congratulations. People that I see every day at college began to become unrecognizable as I greeted more people than I ever have before in my life. Amanda and I had our first dance to David Crowder Band's "Stars," and then I danced with my mother as she danced with her father. We cut the cake, drank from our sparkling grape juice glasses, fed each other cake, had the bouquet and garter toss, talked ate a tiny bit whenever we had time, took pictures, talked some more, danced (mainly Amanda), and before we knew it, Amanda was telling me, "your brother's got the getaway car in place, we have to go soon!" And I honestly could not believe that nearly four hours at Vintage Court had passed.
We walked down the outside steps amidst cheers and many wedding bubbles and I helped her into the car, as I drove away, honking. I remember thinking, "That happened way too fast."

But we were headed for our first evening of marriage to the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans, a five-star hotel. And the only people who knew this were our parents. And then we dropped off the face of the map for a week, and entered a paradise of love.











Note: These pictures, courtesy of Laura Post. These are just a few photos to give readers a general idea of the look of the occasion. Professional photographs will follow when available.

Phase 2

So this blog is about to enter Phase 2 of its existence. The Life and Times of Joshua Clayton Blog is now just over 3 years old, but it has only just begun.

In about 12 hours I will be professing my lifelong commitment to the lovely Amanda Mautz.

We're going to the chapel and we're gonna get ma-a-aried! We'll be honeymooning in Ontario, Canada for a whole week. So my blog will be taking a break...but I will not. I can't promise when I will return with a fresh post, but when I do, be sure I will have lots of wonderful things to share with Cyberworld.

Peace out.

August Evenings

My friend Sheralyn and I hugged each other and gave a final farewell in a blistering hot underground subway station on the hottest day of the year in New York. I had already said so many goodbyes last Friday. I was not sure whether or not I should rejoice at the job offer from Deloitte or weep at the imminence of telling New York goodbye.

As I surfaced at Broadway and 116th for the last time, I began to feel the surges of emotion in my chest. I walked toward the Hudson and found Riverside Park, which I somehow never discovered until the last evening in the city. I began to realize how much a city can have a personality. I felt like New York is a person, one I will miss very much. I found myself thinking and God interrupting them to have a conversation. "Won't such a great city as this have any great words spoken about it in eternity?" You know the answer to that, my son. "I just want to remember this place because I'm sad I'll have to leave it." Why would you trade the glory of eternal things for something that breaks your heart? And this is what we always love to do: become fond of things that will break our hearts.

Before bed, I had a final coffee in the city, this time with my friend Maria. We left and talked about life, God, pain, and family amidst a mighty lightning storm on the way back. A few hours later I was riding the M60 bus early Saturday morning, wistfully looking through the city streets for the last time. By the time I was in line to go through security procedures, my mind had completely changed topics. Now for the real thing. A young lady who was more real than a city, more real than a summer, more real than anything I've ever known before. Waiting for me to come home so we can make our steadfast love known to the world.

My plane arrived back in New Orleans shortly before noon. Amanda picked me up, and as I told her I would, I said, "I am ready." She already had a picnic lunch prepared for me and we ate at Sunset Point in Mandeville on Lake Pontchartrain. Immediately, I was adjusting to the silence so different from the constant clamor I'd heard in the big city for over two months straight.

It was my 21st birthday, so I wasn't surprised when Amanda pulled out a package. Carefully wrapped inside was a brand new MP3 player. We listened and danced to a couple songs she had downloaded onto it already, including our first dance for the wedding. Then a lyric from a song came on that said, "We should make jerseys, 'cause we make a good team..." She quickly produced two white tee shirts and tempera paints and we made ourselves matching shirts. (I have to say that look good enough to be sold in Aeropostale. They turned out well.) Later she took me to Trey Yuen, where we had our first "official dinner" date not two years ago. All I can say is, I felt much more relaxed and peaceful this go-round! I think she would agree.

Since then, this week has been crazy. Getting the marriage license, finalizing the ceremony, finalizing the music, making multiple trips to Baton Rouge to move into and clean our new apartment, buying furniture, buying clothes, seeing Betsy and Ryan's little baby James...

Tomorrow I have a final tux fitting and a bachelor party to coordinate and attend. Then Friday, time with Clayton and Mautz relatives, a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and packing for a honeymoon in Ontario, Canada.

Saturday morning, I intend to take a tub bath, eat a relaxed breakfast, and then put on a white tuxedo with boyish enthusiasm.

And then comes a beautiful woman, the love of my life, wrapped in pure white garments, walking down the aisle toward me. Her father will remove the veil, we will stand to face the altar together, and...

Seoul Food

Yes, New York has its own "Koreatown." On 32nd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. Two girls from LSU invited me to have Korean barbeque with them in Koreatown a week ago. It was an amazing experience!






From left to right, Me, EunSun Lee, Fei Lin.
I call EunSun "Debbie." It's her American name. Debbie and I have become great friends this summer and have been able to work on the same client for a couple weeks. Debbie is super cool and I am so blessed to have super friends like her!