January 14th...

Part of this was originally posted January 14, 2009

January 14, 1990 This guy I had been friends with for a very long time who had dated several of my girlfriends and had actually only stopped dating my oldest friend weeks before, asked me to "go with him". I was a sophomore in high school. He was a Freshman. That morning at Sunday school I had walked around the corner and caught him kissing yet another girlfriend of mine...I was hesitant, yet naive and trusting and I couldn't resist his charms. Later that night after youth group, I had my first kiss...I almost threw up.

January 14, 1993 I was a freshman in College. That guy, he was a senior in high school. We'd dated 3 years. Many seemed surprised that we'd made it so long. We wrote lots of notes, talked for long periods on the phone, and spent most free time together. We also shared most of the same friends and the same amazing youth group. We had no doubt we were in it for the long haul. We went to dinner at a very nice restaurant but opted for deep dish pizza to celebrate our third anniversary. Sometime during dinner that night He opened a ring box and slid it across the table. I just smiled. Our waitress (a girl we went to school with) shrieked and seemed more excited than we did!

Truth be told...only a few close friends know this truth...Mike had proposed to me one day in October. I was home sick from school. He rode his bike over after school...this was forbidden, but we're married now, so does it matter? I was in bed, looking and feeling like death. He told me he wanted to be with me forever. This is real love. I said yes then.

The official engagement with ring and public announcement was the night over pizza.

January 14, 1995 Show tunes from Phantom of the Opera, Pippin, and Les Mis drifted from the piano welcoming people into the church. My baby brother lit the family candle to this song ...



Our brothers Ryan and Jeff escorted our Moms in to a slightly more up tempo version of this song...



My dad held my arm and walked me down the isle to Canon in D.  He cried. I cried. After the ceremony he stood up to kiss me on my way back down the isle...I really wasn't sure what he was doing. I miss him.

During the ceremony there were three songs. One was written by a good friend of ours who happened to be both of our gifted teacher growing up as well as the church choir director and the high school theater director. We felt honored that he he not only let us use his song but sang it for out wedding.

There were the other songs, sang by close friends, although I couldn't find a great version by Geoff Moore and Steven Curtis Chapman, here is one of my favorites...



We left the church to a loud and beautiful burst of music that went something like this...



One of my bridesmaid's families owned a florist. She had been saving rose petals for weeks. We packed cones with them before the wedding and they filled the air as we made our way through the rainy, warm, January night.

The reception was filled with dancing and fun. Young children drinking from the champaign fountain...not knowing there was anything "grown up" up in there. There was a minor punch on wedding dress moment, and believe it or not, my little brother (who had been drinking from the for mentioned punch bowl) was actually to blame, not me! We danced and laughed and had a wonderful night.

We started the night and ended it to a song that was and still is "ours". Pick that song careful girls, it can carry you through all sorts of things! Big hair and all can't ruin that!

For some reason this song has had it's embedding disabled..go figure!

***update***

Since last year's post, they have added an embeddable official video...I guess they figured they really weren't making big bucks keeping this one from people!



January 14, 2009 19 years since that first kiss, 16 since the fancy pizza dinner, and 14 since we shared all that music with those we love. Lily says it's our "Golden" aniversay since it's 14th on the 14th. Whatever it is, all the music still fits and it still makes me a cry. So many years. So many people. I still wouldn't change a thing. I love you...

January 14, 2010 20 years together. Another year of chaos and wonder. Another year of gratitude. Here I sit at this kitchen table watching little boys play, waiting for a not so little girl to come home from school, feeling so blessed that God put Mike into my world when I was so young. We have grown together in so many ways, but when I hear that song, I still feel 15 somewhere in a little part of my heart and I can't help smile at all that big hair, big glasses, and mixed tapes full of meaningful lyrics and love.

For our 15th anniversary we might not have made it back to that beautiful place in Savannah we spent our honeymoon, nor some grandiose trip to Hawaii, be we had a few hours alone togther to laugh and love and remember just how much we like each other, even(or maybe especially!) when there is no one else around!

Here are a few picture from the beautiful place we escaped to for the night last weekend. It's only 10 minutes down the road, but it was like a whole different world! Hopefully we'll get back there soon!

living room

bathroom goodies and rose petals =)

beautiful bedroom

skyline view from the bedroom

outside our door

the hotel

A little visit to the "manager's reception"

I opened my eyes as the sun was rising, crept out of bed to get my camera, climbed back in and took this...

view when I was waking up for real

The cute little cafe in the lobby was a great place to stop before leaving...I was thinking of some of my girls when I had my chai! =)

It's been a long time since a certain someone (or anyone!) brought me my favorite peach roses.  I loved that they were there waiting for me in the room when I walked in.  I love too that a certain person made the reservations and stopped in to make sure the room was just right before coming home to get me.  I kind of love that certain person, just as much as I did 15 years ago and far more than I could have ever imagined 20 years ago, standing outside of church after youth group was over! =)