HAPPY 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY... to Isaac and me!
Yep, it's true. Today we've been married for two whole years! It's strange because it feels like there's no way it's been two years--but it's like that both ways. It seems like we've been married forever because how on earth did we live without each other? That's not possible that we just got married two years ago. On the other hand, it seems like we just got married a week ago and what? Two years? You're kidding me! And both are in the absolute best way possible. So. In honor of today, and kind of as a gift to myself, this post is going to have several pictures from our past. Some you've seen, some you haven't, but I'll be telling the stories behind them as if you've never heard them. Prepare yourself for a pretty long entry (I suppose you do that every time you come to an entry from me, hmm?), but if you don't read it all, that's okay. It's mostly for the sake of my memories. =o)
We met at Word of Life's Sights & Sounds of Christmas. We were both students at WOL's Bible Institute, though he attended in New York and I in Florida. That's why it took us till nearly 3 months into the school year to meet. He came down with a group of about 50 other NY students to help us put on this massive production--hence the makeup. At the time, the first scene took place in the Victorian era--hence the costumes. He and I hit it off immediately because we have practically the exact same sense of humor. He had a girlfriend whom he'd been dating for over 2 years and besides, he was too short for me, so romantic notions never even entered our heads.
WOL puts on another big production around Easter time, called The Passion Play. Again, he came down to help and we were both in it. Between Christmas and Easter we had kept in contact via email and occasional instant messaging. He and his girlfriend sort of broke up during that time for reasons complete apart from me, and things were officially over between them by June. Because he didn't have a girlfriend anymore we were free to get to know each other further, and truly we became best friends. It wasn't easy, since both of us were still into the platonic thing and we were at Bible college so of course no one believed us when we said we were just friends. That was *really* annoying. Anyway. This pic is of the night they were heading back to NY. Like I said, we'd become best friends, so obviously we didn't want him to leave. A friend walked by and laughed at us pouting in the costume wardrobe and took a picture. This is it. =o)
Summertime came and I went up to NY to do my summer ministry at WOL's teen camp, WOL Island. Isaac was 10 miles down the road at their Family Campground. We got together during the summer every few weeks and sent notes back and forth with Bible verses and encouragement for the other. During the summer, about a month in, is when I realized he was basically my dream guy. I was telling him what I wanted in my future husband and about 3/4 of the way through I realized he fit the profile exactly! After that things were very confusing on my end because I started to see him in another light. Here I was, having very more-than-friendly feelings about my best friend. Yeah. Awkward. Of course I didn't tell him because I'd never told any guy ever that I liked him. This pic was taken one of the times after that when I went to visit him at the FCG. We hung out all day since it was both our days off and snapped this picture at the end of the night. This is the first day he really flirted with me, though at the time I wouldn't let myself see it as flirting so as not to get my hopes up. Ah, the naivete. ;o)
We both attended second year at WOLBI, and that's when we became more than friends. In September we had the DTR (determine the relationship) talk and I found out that yes, he really had been flirting with me since th summer. Hehe. I told him I wasn't ready for a relationship because when I entered one, it was with the intention of marriage. He agreed on that point and said he would wait as long as I needed. Well, I only needed a month to figure out for myself that my feelings were real and that I could totally see myself spending the rest of my life with him. On October 16, 2001 we started dating. This picture is from Christmas break following that, when he took his first plane ride ever to spend a weekend in Chatham, IL with me and my family. This is also the first time he met my dad, who happens to be literally a foot taller than Isaac! AND this was the first time we'd been dating and not at WOLBI, which has a no physical contact rule, so we held hands for the first time one day as we went for a walk in the cold. He warmed up my hands. =oD
Ah, the WOLBI Valentine's Day banquet. The year before I had gone with my roommate, Carrie, who later became my maid of honor. That was a ton of fun, but this year was even better because for the first time in my life I had a guy for V-Day! He gave me a single rose--my favorite. =o)
The last day before summer break (the break between spring quarter and summer ministry) we had a cupcake fight. I started it, and all votes were that I won. What do you think? ;o)
WOLBI graduation was in August of '02. It was really sad because there is no third year there so a lot of our friends we knew we'd never see again. However, we were still going strong, so that was cause for smiles.
After WOLBI graduation, I moved in with my family in a new town (they had moved to Jacksonville while I was in NY for 2nd year) and proceeded to have the worst few months of my life (for various reasons), not the least of which was that I was used to having quick access to my best friend and boyfriend, but the year after WOLBI he was on WOL's Impact Team. The Impact Team is basically around 10 guys who, for a year, travel around singing and doing other ministries. They are very busy guys. I didn't see him much, but we talked on the phone and emailed as much as possible. We used to go through a 600 minute phone card about every 1 1/2 weeks. Anyway, I went up to his family's house in CT on December 26th and we had our own special Christmas on the 27th. Everything that day was perfect and it all culminated in his marriage proposal after dinner that night. =oD We made dinner ourselves and got all dressed up. He wrote me this wonderful letter (well, actually, he wrote it to Santa, but he let me read it ;o) ) that was so incredible it made me cry several times and when I finished reading it he got on his knee, told me he loved me for the first time (we had agreed not to say those words until we had the definite commitment to back it up), gave me my first kiss (he said he's glad I got better at that because I wasn't so great the first few times. He was more than happy to be my teacher, though. ;o) ), and gave me the beautiful ring on my finger. This pic is from the next morning. I realized we hadn't gotten one the night before. =o)
This is one of my favorite engagement pictures. All our pics turned out great, which was quite impressive considering they were taken in my family's very small backyard, by Seth (I would set it, he would snap the picture), with my mom's SLR camera from the early 1980s. We paid him in gum. Which, I think, was much less than he deserved considering the pics ended up so great and he got bit by fire ants all over his shins while acting as photographer!
Of course I have to have a few wedding pics in here! Most of you have seen them already and know many of the stories, so I won't say too much about them. Basically it was my inexpensive dream wedding (my actual dream wedding would have cost WAY too much). I loved it. I just wish more people had come! I had thought I'd bawl my eyes out, seeing as how I cry so easily, and even just practicing our vows I was tearing up. But that day I could not stop smiling, as you can see from the pic. Funny thing was, Isaac almost never cries, and he was tearing up! We switched for that day or something. =o) The 2nd pic is of us entering the reception. This has always been one of my favorites.
Summer 2004 found us working up in NY at the Family Campground again. We both worked in the office/bookstore and lived in the only place possibly smaller than our apartment at WOL FL. And this one was across from the infant nursery so every morning we awoke to screaming babies. BUT we still had a fantastic summer of ministry and fun, and we even got to climb the tallest mountain in the Adirondacks one day. (I couldn't walk right for a week afterward!) The theme for the end-of-the-summer staff banquet was Hillbilly Hoedown, so we all dressed in our redneck best. As you can see, I was "pregnant" and had another baby. I'd have had more if I could've found any. It was SO much fun!
Since the day we got back from our honeymoon until April of this year, we worked for WOL Florida in Gospel Productions. Basically we sold tickets to the same productions which had caused us to meet in the first place. I think that's pretty cool, really. Anyway, this pic was taken during one of the last Christmas shows in 2004. Working together in the same small office was... indescribable. I miss it SO MUCH. You have no idea. That's the worst thing about not working at WOL anymore. I used to have him 24/7.
For our 1 year anniversary we were in CT after spending Christmas with his family. He surprised me by having rented us a nice hotel room with a hot tub *in* the room! As if that wasn't enough, we took a limo ride to dinner (at the Hard Rock Cafe)! We would have done something great this year, but we're going on that family cruise in a week (!!!) and we're going to use that as a special anniversary thing. We've found a place that lets you ride horses on the beach (!!!!!!). Anyway, this was a pic of us outside the restaurant and in front of the limo.
Any of you who received a Christmas card from me have seen this picture. =o) We took this at my friend Carrie's wedding in late September of this year. The reason this picture is significant is because till that weekend, Isaac had never met any of my old friends from Lincoln, the town I lived most of my teen years in. There was this whole big chunk of my past that he didn't really know about because he'd never been there. I knew all about his past because his family has lived in the same place for just about ever and I'd been to his house a zillion times. It was weird to me that there had been that much of my life without him. So, finally, with this picture, he got to know more about where I come from.
Shortly before this picture was taken on Christmas Eve, I made a voice post. =o) Our lives have changed a lot from the first picture to this one, but our friendship has continued to deepen and our love grows each day. There's not a day that goes by that I don't thank God so very much for Isaac and for our fantastic marriage. We were absolutely made for each other. And I am so grateful!
The following was written in the sand the last night of our honeymoon in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and seems a fitting end to this picture post. Don't you agree?
Well, probably most of you didn't make it through all that, but that's okay. It was fun just writing it down and reminiscing. =o) Now, I'm off to put my two roses (one for each year, he said =o) ) into a vase and get dressed up for dinner at our favorite Japanese steakhouse. Good night, everyone!
We met at Word of Life's Sights & Sounds of Christmas. We were both students at WOL's Bible Institute, though he attended in New York and I in Florida. That's why it took us till nearly 3 months into the school year to meet. He came down with a group of about 50 other NY students to help us put on this massive production--hence the makeup. At the time, the first scene took place in the Victorian era--hence the costumes. He and I hit it off immediately because we have practically the exact same sense of humor. He had a girlfriend whom he'd been dating for over 2 years and besides, he was too short for me, so romantic notions never even entered our heads.
WOL puts on another big production around Easter time, called The Passion Play. Again, he came down to help and we were both in it. Between Christmas and Easter we had kept in contact via email and occasional instant messaging. He and his girlfriend sort of broke up during that time for reasons complete apart from me, and things were officially over between them by June. Because he didn't have a girlfriend anymore we were free to get to know each other further, and truly we became best friends. It wasn't easy, since both of us were still into the platonic thing and we were at Bible college so of course no one believed us when we said we were just friends. That was *really* annoying. Anyway. This pic is of the night they were heading back to NY. Like I said, we'd become best friends, so obviously we didn't want him to leave. A friend walked by and laughed at us pouting in the costume wardrobe and took a picture. This is it. =o)
Summertime came and I went up to NY to do my summer ministry at WOL's teen camp, WOL Island. Isaac was 10 miles down the road at their Family Campground. We got together during the summer every few weeks and sent notes back and forth with Bible verses and encouragement for the other. During the summer, about a month in, is when I realized he was basically my dream guy. I was telling him what I wanted in my future husband and about 3/4 of the way through I realized he fit the profile exactly! After that things were very confusing on my end because I started to see him in another light. Here I was, having very more-than-friendly feelings about my best friend. Yeah. Awkward. Of course I didn't tell him because I'd never told any guy ever that I liked him. This pic was taken one of the times after that when I went to visit him at the FCG. We hung out all day since it was both our days off and snapped this picture at the end of the night. This is the first day he really flirted with me, though at the time I wouldn't let myself see it as flirting so as not to get my hopes up. Ah, the naivete. ;o)
We both attended second year at WOLBI, and that's when we became more than friends. In September we had the DTR (determine the relationship) talk and I found out that yes, he really had been flirting with me since th summer. Hehe. I told him I wasn't ready for a relationship because when I entered one, it was with the intention of marriage. He agreed on that point and said he would wait as long as I needed. Well, I only needed a month to figure out for myself that my feelings were real and that I could totally see myself spending the rest of my life with him. On October 16, 2001 we started dating. This picture is from Christmas break following that, when he took his first plane ride ever to spend a weekend in Chatham, IL with me and my family. This is also the first time he met my dad, who happens to be literally a foot taller than Isaac! AND this was the first time we'd been dating and not at WOLBI, which has a no physical contact rule, so we held hands for the first time one day as we went for a walk in the cold. He warmed up my hands. =oD
Ah, the WOLBI Valentine's Day banquet. The year before I had gone with my roommate, Carrie, who later became my maid of honor. That was a ton of fun, but this year was even better because for the first time in my life I had a guy for V-Day! He gave me a single rose--my favorite. =o)
The last day before summer break (the break between spring quarter and summer ministry) we had a cupcake fight. I started it, and all votes were that I won. What do you think? ;o)
WOLBI graduation was in August of '02. It was really sad because there is no third year there so a lot of our friends we knew we'd never see again. However, we were still going strong, so that was cause for smiles.
After WOLBI graduation, I moved in with my family in a new town (they had moved to Jacksonville while I was in NY for 2nd year) and proceeded to have the worst few months of my life (for various reasons), not the least of which was that I was used to having quick access to my best friend and boyfriend, but the year after WOLBI he was on WOL's Impact Team. The Impact Team is basically around 10 guys who, for a year, travel around singing and doing other ministries. They are very busy guys. I didn't see him much, but we talked on the phone and emailed as much as possible. We used to go through a 600 minute phone card about every 1 1/2 weeks. Anyway, I went up to his family's house in CT on December 26th and we had our own special Christmas on the 27th. Everything that day was perfect and it all culminated in his marriage proposal after dinner that night. =oD We made dinner ourselves and got all dressed up. He wrote me this wonderful letter (well, actually, he wrote it to Santa, but he let me read it ;o) ) that was so incredible it made me cry several times and when I finished reading it he got on his knee, told me he loved me for the first time (we had agreed not to say those words until we had the definite commitment to back it up), gave me my first kiss (he said he's glad I got better at that because I wasn't so great the first few times. He was more than happy to be my teacher, though. ;o) ), and gave me the beautiful ring on my finger. This pic is from the next morning. I realized we hadn't gotten one the night before. =o)
This is one of my favorite engagement pictures. All our pics turned out great, which was quite impressive considering they were taken in my family's very small backyard, by Seth (I would set it, he would snap the picture), with my mom's SLR camera from the early 1980s. We paid him in gum. Which, I think, was much less than he deserved considering the pics ended up so great and he got bit by fire ants all over his shins while acting as photographer!
Of course I have to have a few wedding pics in here! Most of you have seen them already and know many of the stories, so I won't say too much about them. Basically it was my inexpensive dream wedding (my actual dream wedding would have cost WAY too much). I loved it. I just wish more people had come! I had thought I'd bawl my eyes out, seeing as how I cry so easily, and even just practicing our vows I was tearing up. But that day I could not stop smiling, as you can see from the pic. Funny thing was, Isaac almost never cries, and he was tearing up! We switched for that day or something. =o) The 2nd pic is of us entering the reception. This has always been one of my favorites.
Summer 2004 found us working up in NY at the Family Campground again. We both worked in the office/bookstore and lived in the only place possibly smaller than our apartment at WOL FL. And this one was across from the infant nursery so every morning we awoke to screaming babies. BUT we still had a fantastic summer of ministry and fun, and we even got to climb the tallest mountain in the Adirondacks one day. (I couldn't walk right for a week afterward!) The theme for the end-of-the-summer staff banquet was Hillbilly Hoedown, so we all dressed in our redneck best. As you can see, I was "pregnant" and had another baby. I'd have had more if I could've found any. It was SO much fun!
Since the day we got back from our honeymoon until April of this year, we worked for WOL Florida in Gospel Productions. Basically we sold tickets to the same productions which had caused us to meet in the first place. I think that's pretty cool, really. Anyway, this pic was taken during one of the last Christmas shows in 2004. Working together in the same small office was... indescribable. I miss it SO MUCH. You have no idea. That's the worst thing about not working at WOL anymore. I used to have him 24/7.
For our 1 year anniversary we were in CT after spending Christmas with his family. He surprised me by having rented us a nice hotel room with a hot tub *in* the room! As if that wasn't enough, we took a limo ride to dinner (at the Hard Rock Cafe)! We would have done something great this year, but we're going on that family cruise in a week (!!!) and we're going to use that as a special anniversary thing. We've found a place that lets you ride horses on the beach (!!!!!!). Anyway, this was a pic of us outside the restaurant and in front of the limo.
Any of you who received a Christmas card from me have seen this picture. =o) We took this at my friend Carrie's wedding in late September of this year. The reason this picture is significant is because till that weekend, Isaac had never met any of my old friends from Lincoln, the town I lived most of my teen years in. There was this whole big chunk of my past that he didn't really know about because he'd never been there. I knew all about his past because his family has lived in the same place for just about ever and I'd been to his house a zillion times. It was weird to me that there had been that much of my life without him. So, finally, with this picture, he got to know more about where I come from.
Shortly before this picture was taken on Christmas Eve, I made a voice post. =o) Our lives have changed a lot from the first picture to this one, but our friendship has continued to deepen and our love grows each day. There's not a day that goes by that I don't thank God so very much for Isaac and for our fantastic marriage. We were absolutely made for each other. And I am so grateful!
The following was written in the sand the last night of our honeymoon in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and seems a fitting end to this picture post. Don't you agree?
Well, probably most of you didn't make it through all that, but that's okay. It was fun just writing it down and reminiscing. =o) Now, I'm off to put my two roses (one for each year, he said =o) ) into a vase and get dressed up for dinner at our favorite Japanese steakhouse. Good night, everyone!