Today is our 10th wedding anniversary! You think 10 years is long...just wait until you hear how long we have been together all together.....wait for it....wait for it..... 16 years!
I never thought I would marry the man that I met when I was in high school. Okay, not at high school, but I was going to high school when I met him. He was 18 and I was 16. I had had a couple of relationships before him and I didn't get treated good in any of them. When I met him, I thought he was too good to be true. I thought he would date me for a couple of months and leave or do something dumb like the others did. I kept waiting and waiting, but nothing happened. He was sticking around no matter what!
16 Years Ago...
I saw him one night while my mom, my best friend and I were out at a bowling alley. He was bowling with his mom and dad and a couple of his friends. I told my mom that I thought he was cute and she is not a shy person, so she went and told him and got his number and she gave him mine. His mom chimed in saying he already has a girlfriend. I thought there was no way he was going to call me now since he was already in a relationship. I got home that night and was laying in my room with my best friend (having a sleepover ;) ) and the phone rang, my mom brought me the phone and it was him. We talked for a little bit and set up our first date. Come to find out he was still dating her when we went on our first date....and that's when it all started.
I could only see him on the weekends because I still lived with my mom in Utica and he lived with his mom in Seward and worked in Lincoln. We later moved to Marquette (over by Grand Island) and he stayed in Seward and Lincoln. He was going to school at UNL and working so I still only saw him on the weekends. That was about a 2 hour drive for him. Finally, it happened..the snow storm that changed it all. I was staying with him one weekend at his parent's house and there had been giant snow storm that weekend. My car was trapped and was not leaving, therefore, I was not leaving either! I called into work the rest of the week and eventually quit. We both said I might as well move in and that's what happened. We got an apartment in Lincoln with some friends and lived together ever since.
10 Years Ago...
That day feels like it was yesterday! I was so nervous! I had my sister in law as my maid of honor and my best friend at the time as one of my bridesmaids. Dan had his best friend as his best man and soon to be brother in law as his groom's man. We didn't want a big wedding party. We only wanted the people closest to us to share our big day!
We had a family meal/brunch that morning of the wedding. Then it was time for hair and makeup. Dan's aunt (which is a hair stylist) did my hair and makeup, as well as my wedding party and the mothers. I am not one to let someone else be in charge, so I was panicking all morning wondering if everyone had their respectable flowers on, if everyone was dressed in the appropriate attire. If everyone was there that was supposed to be by that time. I think it would have went a lot smoother if I hadn't been worrying so much ;)
Anyway, we had planned for a photographer of course, so he was there. I didn't want Dan to see me in my dress before the wedding, but we wanted individual pictures, so about an hour before the wedding we set it up that the photographer would take mine and my bridesmaids pictures by ourselves (without the guys), which surprisingly worked out great! Then it was the guys' turn.
You don't realize how much stuff can go wrong until that day! Everyday up until that day, you think... oh nothing will go wrong, I have been planning this for a year or two....wrong! If I have any luck at all it is bad luck! My personal attendant didn't show up (I guess she had more important issues at the time), so I had to ask Dan's aunt to do my hair and make up. My older brother (of 3) was having his first daughter that day... he didn't know he was until about an hour before the wedding started, he was supposed to be one of my ushers. So, a family friend of ours, he's just like my little brother, had to step in for him. My youngest brother was the ring barrier. I had asked my real dad to walk me down the isle and his daughter was going to be my flower girl, but that didn't happen because he called me about a week before the wedding letting me know that he wasn't going to make it....because he had a bad tooth..really? So, I didn't have a flower girl and my dad that has been in my life since I was months old walked me down the isle!
The ceremony was beautiful! We walked outside to our awaiting horse and carriage and took a stroll through the little town of Seward. Stopped in a park and took more pictures. Headed over to the reception and had a blast!
We left the reception and stayed the night in a hotel by the airport in Lincoln to catch our honeymoon flight to Vegas baby! Since then we have been to Vegas 6 times. I really don't know what made us go to Vegas. Dan had been there one time and I had never been there, I think he thought I would like it. I did like it. We stayed at Bellagio. Very beautiful!
To Dan....
We have had some rough times, some trying times, some happy times, some sad times, some exciting times, but most of all wonderful times. We have had our ups and downs, our bad days and good days. What kind of relationship would it be if you only had good days or only had bad days, you have to have both to even out a relationship. We have had our shares of arguments, tears, pleasures, challenges, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I love you! Here is to another 90 years! That's if I live that long ;)
Picture on the left taken by
