Ten years ago....

ten years ago today I wore a dress that I loved, I was surrounded by all the people that I loved: family, friends, co-workers, I had my sisters and one brother by my side, I walked with dad down the aisle, I waited for dad to come from the bar to have our father/daughter dance. Ten years ago I felt on top of the world for it was my wedding day. The day was perfect and couldn't have gone better. The flowers, the music, the groom, the wedding party, the family and friends, the reception, the dancing - everything was perfect.

It is funny how even then technology isn't what it is today. Ten years ago, digital pictures weren't common and so unless I scan pictures in I can't post any pictures up here from my wedding, except this one that I have posted before. It is from my dance with dad - dad loved to dance.

No one tells you how hard marriage is - how it is really a marathon and not a sprint. How it takes a lot of patience, a lot of understanding, a lot of letting go of silly things, a lot of forgiveness, of acceptance, of being kind, of communication, of being there, emotionally and physically, a lot of heartaches, a lot of laughter and tears, alot of respect and a lot of love. We knew we were complete opposites - complete. And it isn't a bad thing but sometimes it isn't a good thing either. To put it mildly we have been put through the winger. The greatest impact of our lives was going through losing our fathers within a year of each other. To watch each other go through the hurt and the pain, the loss and the grieve - it was unbearable and put a lot of stress/strain on us, BUT it also brought us closer - it brought our family closer. We appreciate now every minute of every day that we have together, with the boys, with our brothers/sisters, with our aunts/uncles/cousins, with our moms. We have realized that life is short and we have grown in our faith and we have grown as a family.

Even though we have only been married ten years we have been together for eighteen - crazy huh. Here is to another eighteen of laughter and joy and heartaches and pain - here is to another eighteen of crazy times with the boys and with our families. Here is to all of the married couples who have survived this crazy thing called marriage, called life.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

Miss and love you dad.

Much love to all,