thirteen years

In thirteen years,

there has been a whole lot of sunshine and a little rain,

abundant joy and some pain,

but through it all our love has sustained and remained!

 

He knows me. 

He "gets me."

He makes my heart flutter.

I love him more now than ever.

And I'm still absolutely crazy about him.

it's our anniversary!

Eleven years ago today, I married the man that makes me laugh harder than anyone and makes me feel loved and beautiful even on my worst days. May 6, 2000, we started the beginning of our wonderful life together, for the good and the bad, in sickness and in health, through all life’s ups and downs.

There’s no doubt God chose us for each other
… and thankfully we chose each other!I wouldn't have it any other way.
I love him more now than ever.

that was then ...

this is now:the result of 10 years of marriage!

(i couldn't resist just one more anniversary post) :)

two anniversaries

today would have been

my Mom and Dad's
30th wedding anniversary.
and it is my cousin, A and wife, C's anniversary!
happy anniversary, you two!
may God bless you with many, many more beautiful years.

a special anniversary getaway

since Chris doesn't have vacation time, yet, with his new job,

we had a quick anniversary getaway,
we do plan to celebrate more later on this year.

but, on the day of our anniversary,
we visited the quaint little mountain towns
of Highlands and Cashiers.meandered through the streets
strolled in and out of the specialty shops.
enjoyed an ice cream cone.
scouted out several local waterfalls.
had dinner at a 'famous' bbq place - Carolina Smokehouse.
we even took Thumpy along for the trip.

@ Dry Falls:@ Bridal Veil Falls: Bust your Butt swimming hole
(and that's the actual name on the brochure)Cullasaja Falls:

we had a sweet time together,

leisurely enjoying our day,
just us,
doing only whatever we wanted to. ;)

and Chris even found a 4-leaf clover.
the first one he has ever found in his life.
I'm not a believer of luck.
but, thought, that was pretty neat-o! ha! ha!

11 years of marriage

for my cousin, L, and her husband, B

they got married the year before Chris and I.
April 17th(once again, I'm late with this post)
(my life was extremely crazy on her anniversary)

such a special event.
hers was the first of weddings in quite some time.
we had so much fun planning.
shopping for the perfect dress.
preparing for showers.
the first wedding that I was involved in.
my first as maid of honor.exiting as Mr. and Mrs.such a happy coupleL & B, I hope #11 was great!!
may God bless you with many happy, love-filled years!
we love you!

an explanation

for the irregular blogging.

my emotions have been all over the place.
I am unsure of how much or how little to share.
and I've been busy. possibly trying to distract myself.
many things are happening in my life.
and, the month of May is a roller coaster ride of emotions for me.

as you know, Chris and I celebrate our anniversary on the 6th.
and it was a big one this year --- 10 years!
which was exciting and fun to celebrate.

then three days later, on Sunday, May 9th,
it was the special day to celebrate the blessing
of a wonderful mother and mother-in-law.

but on that same day, May 9th, the year 1998,
there were not-so-pleasant memories to recall
of losing my dear father that I only knew 16 years.
I feel so robbed of so much.
he wasn't able to share in my graduation.
or walk me down the aisle on my wedding day.
and I feel as if I need him more now than ever.
then I remind myself ... others lost their dad even younger than I,
including my mom, who lost her father at 5 years old or so.
and some people never even know their dad.
so, I resolve to trust that God knows what's best!
even if it means pain.

but visiting this spot doesn't get easier.tears always flow. my heart aches.

I only have the painful memory of saying "goodbye" here.
however, I'll choose the more pleasant memories.
he was definitely a one-of-a-kind man.gentle. wise beyond his years.
a heart of gold. peacemaker.
influential role model. prayer warrior.
lover of God and his family.I miss him.
I look forward to Heaven.

happy anniversary, T&A

9 years since your beautiful wedding day!

wow! look how far you've come.
and next year will be the big TEN for you two!
YIPPEE!I hope you have a wonderful day!celebrate your love.
remember your big special day.
gaze into the bright future.
and enjoy to the fullest!!!I'm so glad I was able to share in the joy that day.
I can recall it distinctly.
Since I was a part of the bridal party,
I do not have personal pictures.
And I don't have copies of professional pictures, yet. ;)
HAPPY 9th ANNIVERSARY, T&A!
Love you both!

one happy bride

planning a wedding.
finding the perfect dress, the veil, etc.
being the star of the special day.
becoming a wife.
loving Chris.

more wedding smiles

these few pictures are some of my favorites,

because they always bring a huge smile to my faceit's who we are.
together.
we always laugh.
and have fun.

living a dream

Ten years ago today, at this moment,
our dream came true - our wedding ceremony began.
Chris and I vowed to love, honor, and protect each other
for as long as we both shall live. And the rest is history … we’re living out that dream!
Time has flown by so quickly.
It's really hard to believe that it has been ten years.

But indeed, here we are, ten years later. Celebrating our ten year anniversary
and we’re still committed to love and honor one another
and be the kind of spouse that we each need. We’ve been through tough spots and had many worries;
but more and more we’re learning
to turn it over to the Lord and trust Him. And we’re confident that there will be more struggles, worries,
but that’s all part of completely experiencing life.Today, we will look back and remember the people that were there,
the laughs we shared, the love we felt,
and how much it meant to us for everyone to be there.Then we’ll talk about how far we’ve come since then,
how we are more in love now than ever,
and thank God for never failing us.

what a ride!

10 years ... a few pot holes ...

several hills ... lots of speeding tickets :) ...
narrow places in the road
but, there's been so much sunshine ...
many smiles ... tons of laughter ...
more happy days than not ...
and a truck load of love.

belated wishes

I wasn't feeling to well yesterday. I wasn't motivated to post.

But, I did want to mention a milestone and a sweet memory.

Yesterday, my cousin, A, and her husband, D,

celebrated their TENTH wedding annivesary.

Wow! Such a big event calls for celebrating!

I'll never forget the rehearsal and wedding.

The floral arrangements were all gorgeous.

I love the dress I wore as a bridesmaid.

And the cake was a huge display

with many Precious Moments figure toppers.

It was a lovely, beautiful day.

The young bride and groom:All the wedding party:Me and Chris (two months away from our big day):

[side note: After dropping me off at the church
for early preparations,
Chris got lost going back to Aunt A's.
He said every road looked the same ... flat fields on both sides.]

Happy, Happy Anniversary to A&D!!
May you be blessed with many, many more.