10 years ago today I married the love of my life. TEN YEARS AGO!!! We were both 20 (TWENTY) when we got married and had no idea what we were doing. Neal and I have known each other since he was in 6
th grade. He was in my mom's Sunday School class at
CFBC and I thought he was SO cute. I had a huge crush on him through my Middle School years and finally, when I was a Freshman and he was a
Sophomore, he figured out that I existed. We went out on our first date the day after my 16
th birthday (in 1993). Neal had just turned 16 a few weeks earlier. We went to Wednesday night church and then out on our date. When he opened the door to his truck for me, there were a dozen roses sitting on the seat, how sweet is that? Then he took me to The Empress of China for dinner. We dated 2.5 years in HS, until he went off to
OBU and the Lord told him to break up with me. What a jerk, or so I thought back then! A year and a half later, January of 1997, we got back together. We got engaged in May (he took me back to the same restaurant as our first date) and then married in December '07. It's been a hard 10 years, we hit some really rough patches, especially the first 4 years when we were trying to figure out who we were and what we were doing. It was right around our 4 year anniversary, when we were driving back to Nashville from Christmas in Houston, we looked at each other and realized that Nashville was our home and that we had made that home together. It was a good feeling to know that we had solid ground to stand on after 4 years of moving every year. It felt good. We got pregnant with Sam that March and took him to his 3 week checkup on our 5 year anniversary. After 10 years of
marriage, Neal is my rock. He takes such good care of our family. I know, without a doubt, that we are the most important thing to him and that he will do whatever it takes to take care of us. I know that he loves me, and that he will always love me through whatever life brings our way. He makes such an effort to make me happy, to communicate with me, to meet me halfway. He certainly is the calm to my storm. I've never loved him more than I have this past year when we were going through all the
miscarriages and this pregnancy. I've never felt so close to him and so in love with him than in those moments where he was just with me, listening to me spew every thought that came and went in my head. I love watching him with our boys, being their dad, sitting on the floor for hours playing
Leggos with them, or throwing them around on the bed, or making them grilled cheese sandwiches or watching his face when he walks in the door and they come running to him. Seeing the joy that they bring him on his face is priceless. This man I married, this man God so obviously had picked out for me, he is a treasure, a jewel, a man that I look forward to having 5 or 7 more 10 year anniversaries with. I love you Neal!
10 years ago today I married the love of my life. TEN YEARS AGO!!! We were both 20 (TWENTY) when we got married and had no idea what we were doing. Neal and I have known each other since he was in 6th grade. He was in my mom's Sunday School class at CFBC and I thought he was SO cute. I had a huge crush on him through my Middle School years and finally, when I was a Freshman and he was a Sophomore, he figured out that I existed. We went out on our first date the day after my 16th birthday (in 1993). Neal had just turned 16 a few weeks earlier. We went to Wednesday night church and then out on our date. When he opened the door to his truck for me, there were a dozen roses sitting on the seat, how sweet is that? Then he took me to The Empress of China for dinner. We dated 2.5 years in HS, until he went off to OBU and the Lord told him to break up with me. What a jerk, or so I thought back then! A year and a half later, January of 1997, we got back together. We got engaged in May (he took me back to the same restaurant as our first date) and then married in December '07. It's been a hard 10 years, we hit some really rough patches, especially the first 4 years when we were trying to figure out who we were and what we were doing. It was right around our 4 year anniversary, when we were driving back to Nashville from Christmas in Houston, we looked at each other and realized that Nashville was our home and that we had made that home together. It was a good feeling to know that we had solid ground to stand on after 4 years of moving every year. It felt good. We got pregnant with Sam that March and took him to his 3 week checkup on our 5 year anniversary. After 10 years of marriage, Neal is my rock. He takes such good care of our family. I know, without a doubt, that we are the most important thing to him and that he will do whatever it takes to take care of us. I know that he loves me, and that he will always love me through whatever life brings our way. He makes such an effort to make me happy, to communicate with me, to meet me halfway. He certainly is the calm to my storm. I've never loved him more than I have this past year when we were going through all the miscarriages and this pregnancy. I've never felt so close to him and so in love with him than in those moments where he was just with me, listening to me spew every thought that came and went in my head. I love watching him with our boys, being their dad, sitting on the floor for hours playing Leggos with them, or throwing them around on the bed, or making them grilled cheese sandwiches or watching his face when he walks in the door and they come running to him. Seeing the joy that they bring him on his face is priceless. This man I married, this man God so obviously had picked out for me, he is a treasure, a jewel, a man that I look forward to having 5 or 7 more 10 year anniversaries with. I love you Neal!
5 comments:
Happy Anniversary, you guys!!! i cannot even believe that it has been 10 years since your beautiful (at least I think I remember it being beautiful...I was pretty drugged-up) wedding. :o)
You two have been such dear friends for Casey and me and we have loved sharing so many of our marriage milestones with you.
I always look to you to tell me what my next year of marriage will bring. Thanks for always paving the way.
I am friends with Carrie Helton and she said to click on your link to see a prayer request for your unborn son. I am due in April and I am sick for you and your family. I wanted to write and encourage you, my friends' son had a heart issue when he was born, and just celebrated his first birthday. God is still in the miracle business, and loves your child so much and has Him in His loving arms!
Lindsay, I need your email address! This is Lori Carlson. Will you email me lorikcarlson@earthlink.net
Happy Anniversay! Okay, why was Carly drugged??? Because I was totally high on some form of pain killer for having surgery on my finger the day before. All I remember are the pretty trees on the stage and Joyce dragging me around to meet CFBC people. I also remember Julie and Nicole washing my hair in Andy's tub b/c I couldn't do anything...funny. So happy to be a part of your special day 10 years ago....wish I remembered more!
Kathryn, I remember your broken finger and hearing those stories! How funny. Carly had just had jaw surgery a few days (or the day) before, so that's why she was all drugged out.
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