When I was a little girl, I dreamed about getting married. I dreamed the typical "two and half kids, white picket fence," with a wraparound porch on my two-story farmhouse alongside a creek with acreage for the dog and kids to run. Sitting on that porch with my husband, glass of lemonade (my tastes have refined a little bit and now it would be wine) in hand while we talk about our days; retirement in a place where our grandchildren could come visit.
I was the teenage girl with a 3-ring binder filled and overflowing with everything I wanted for my wedding - flowers, dresses, place settings, venues, photo ops...the whole thing. I even had honeymoon destinations tucked away in the back. I could have rivaled Monica Gellar in my obsession with my future wedding (Friends always had relatable topics, am I right?!)!
Here is a little snapshot into what my wedding was supposed to have looked like (according to my 15-yr old self):
I was obsessed with the blue and yellow themes that were wildly popular in the 90s, heavy on the sunflowers. Pages and pages of floral arrangements, bridal and bridesmaid dresses, place settings, invitation samples (I even paid for a subscription to the bridal magazine, The Knot, so many of those pages in my binder were ripped straight out of the magazines, but the sample invitations...I sent away for those...), and all the trimmings.
And then, life happened. My teenage dream of a wedding never became a reality. As a young(ish) single Mama, I didn't know if I'd ever meet my future husband because now I came with "baggage" in the form of my adorable little boy. All of a sudden, I wasn't desperate to meet just any man...I wanted to meet the right man. After a series of failed relationships and then the birth of my son, I became very selective about who I introduced him to and allowed to spend time with him.
In late April 2006, I signed up for a MySpace account at the insistence of my sisters, in an attempt to stay in better contact with our out-of-town family. After two solid weeks of creepers messaging me, I was pretty well over it - but then this guy sent me a message, and it wasn't as annoying as the rest. He had a nice smile, seemed genuine, and lived nearby. We ended up messaging back and forth for several weeks, going from MySpace messages to Gmail chat to texting and then phone conversations, until we finally decided to meet in person.
Shannon and I met in person for the first time at Starbucks in Marysville, WA (he was on his way to Yakima for a summer with the Ahtanum fire crew, and I was one my way home from class). We sat outside in the spring sunshine, him with his White Chocolate Mocha and me with my Mocha Valencia Frappuccino (because there is no flavor combo as good as orange and chocolate, and mixed with coffee...you'll never convince me otherwise). We talked for over an hour, and by the time I left there, I knew I'd found someone special (or that he'd found me). When we parted ways, he held me in his arms and placed his hand on the back of my neck, gently pulling me in for a hug like I've never experienced before. I was hooked.
Fast forward a little bit, we made it through our first summer (it was rocky, I won't lie), and now that he was back from the summer away, we had the opportunity to spend more time together. It didn't take me long to realize that I was falling in love with him. Unfortunately, because I was ALWAYS the first one to say those three little words in my past relationships, I decided that I had to wait for him to say them first. I already knew I was emotionally attached, but I didn't want him to feel like he HAD to return my feelings...so I waited. And not quite six months after we met, on the night of my 10th high school reunion, the wait was over. In front of several people that I'd graduated with, he told me he loved me for the first time.
The following October, we were engaged. The next year, August was particularly dry...except for the day of August 9, 2008...the day I was getting married. I woke up to pouring down rain, gray skies, and tears that would not stop falling. I was devastated that it was raining on my wedding day...and no amount of placation in the form of "it's good luck to have rain on your wedding day" was going to convince me that it was okay. As it turned out though, at the end of the day, I was married to my best friend in the world, and no amount of rain could change that. (Plus, it did stop raining, and it was a perfect day...just a little damp is all.)
And now, here we are. Today is our 15th wedding anniversary, and I can hardly believe how fast the years have flown by. Three kids, three dogs, two cats, two homes, seven vehicles, and more love and laughter than I ever dreamed I would have. We've made it through tough times: times where the money wasn't there, where our patience with each other ran thin, where we disagreed on parenting and discipline styles, and most recently through the loss of Shannon's dad (who was one of my biggest cheerleaders from the day I met him). But with every hurdle that blocks our way, we've figured out that as long as we're doing it together, we can do and handle anything life throws at us.
On this day, August 9, 2023, the 15th anniversary of the day we said "I do," I am taking some time to reflect back on the past 17 years together. It hasn't always been easy, but I know in my heart that this is the man God designed just for me, the one to whom my heart and soul belongs, and I am so grateful for this journey we are on.
Shannon, you are the love of my life, a faithful husband and father, my peace when I am anxious, my lover and confidante, and my future is bright with you in it. Thank you for everything you do for us, and everything you are to me. I loved you then, I love you now, and I'll love you for all of our tomorrows. You are my person, and I love you and the life we've built together.
