It's hard to describe my feelings for Sweet Baby
(the mutual nickname that hubby and I call one another).
All I know is,
my heart still skips a beat when I look at him,
I admire him, respect him, trust him,
have fun with him,
and love him more now than I did 12 years ago.
----------------
Oh, No- Not E'en When First We Loved
Oh no -- not e'en when first we loved,
Wert thou as dear as now thou art;
Thy beauty then my senses moved,
But now thy virtues bind my heart.
What was but Passion's sigh before,
Has since been turned to Reason's vow;
And, though I then might love thee more,
Trust me, I love thee better now.
Wert thou as dear as now thou art;
Thy beauty then my senses moved,
But now thy virtues bind my heart.
What was but Passion's sigh before,
Has since been turned to Reason's vow;
And, though I then might love thee more,
Trust me, I love thee better now.
Although my heart in earlier youth
Might kindle with more wild desire,
Believe me, it has gained in truth
Much more than it has lost in fire.
The flame now warms my inmost core,
That then but sparkled o'er my brow;
And, though I seem'd to love thee more,
Yet, oh! I love thee better now.
Might kindle with more wild desire,
Believe me, it has gained in truth
Much more than it has lost in fire.
The flame now warms my inmost core,
That then but sparkled o'er my brow;
And, though I seem'd to love thee more,
Yet, oh! I love thee better now.
-Thomas Moore
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Our wedding day in a nutshell...
It was a sunny and beautiful winter day, which in and of itself was pretty miraculous since the weather was pretty intense for most of the month of January-more than average snow that year. So much so, that I remember worrying if we were actually going to have to postpone the whole thing. But, as it turns out, it was the most beautiful day that winter.
(Not kidding!)
We never got too wrapped up in "the day." But, at the same time, we knew that we wanted to do something that Jenna could take part in before we all started our lives together. So, we set out to plan for a smallish morning wedding which included a trip to David's Bridal where I picked up a dress for $99.00. I even got free alterations because there was a smudgy spot on the hem (which came out easily)-Score! I ended up making a vail for myself for twenty bucks.
Years later, I would say I had a nice dress. Not awesome, but nice- at least I'm not filled with dread over it! It had these tiny pearls sewn all over the top that gradually dispersed throughout.
An honest wedding critique would make mention of the Horrible Hair Incident of 2000-complete with over bleaching and breakage that required emergency corrective coloring a week before the big day. Even then, I still walked down the aisle with brassy, yellowy hair that was pulled into a high pony tail like Pebbles Flinstone, and pinned down with 50 noticeable bobby pins--a total nightmare. Thankfully, John didn't seem to mind or notice.
Probably the biggest and most ironic wedding day bummer was the photography/ lack of it. I have over 15K pics on my hardrive, but do not have any decent wedding shots. Poo! I saved myself a bunch of money by not hiring a serious professional, but boy do I regret it! Trust me, don't skimp on this, girls!!!
Better memories would include a surprise visit from my friend Jill who popped in to do all sorts of finishing touches like making a memory box, & punching out thousands of paper snowflakes. She did this "just because." I was so touched.
The day of, it was just my six year old and I for most of the morning; We were talking and sitting listening to quiet jazz while I curled her hair. At one point, my mom popped in, and sang, "O Happy Day" to us and headed to the church---> sweet, random memory. The best memories however, all involve John: his smile, his voice, his tears. We both cried during our vows, during communion, and when we sang "How Great Thou Art." Precious.
Our cake was a gift from friends. I wanted Johnny's favorite flavor combination, chocolate with raspberry filling. It was simply decorated with a thin, pink ribbon wrapped around the center of each tier.
We didn't give each other a full face cake-smash, but John did get a sneaky swipe of frosting on my nose.
Here's where it all went down...oh the memories!
Even though our wedding was on the modest side, we knew we couldn't compromise our honeymoon. We just knew we had to put life on pause and just be a couple for a few days. I would never encourage any bride to skip or postpone a honeymoon, even if it's a few days- you really need to do this. That special time is designed to bond, decompress, and dream and plan. We left church around 12:30, and were on the road by one.
In total, we drove for five hours and talked, prayed and laughed the entire time. We spent the next few days in a wonderful B &B in Arlington, Vermont. I spent a lot of time in Arlington as a kid, dreaming about the husband who would one day bring me there. And there I was! Plus, John loves the history of the NE so he was stoked. The place was beautiful, the area is historic, the antiques are plentiful, and the views: just lovely.
West Mountain Inn, honeymoon 2000
*Check them out! Our stay could not have been better. Seriously.
Romantic.
Ok-backstory.
The thing is, the story of George and Mary is one that we've always identified with: their courtship, their early years, all of it. Plus,we just love the movie (It's A Wonderful Life). When my dad gave me his blessing to marry Johnny, he told me that that I was marrying a man with an old soul, with integrity he could respect. I married George Bailey. Only better-because he's real.
"My beloved is mine, and I am his."
Song 6:3
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