It all started over 9 years ago when I had a bonfire at my house and invited all the youth from our church. Aaron came and we had our first real conversation ever and talked for nearly 4 hours! Though we had gone to the same church for nearly 6 years we had never really talked. I had no idea what to think and that night when he left I just wanted to hug him. The following weekend we had a youth church picnic where Aaron asked me to go for a walk so that we could talk. He then proceeded to tell me that he wanted me to know that he really liked me, was interested in starting a relationship and that he was going to marry me. WHAT?! I thought he was crazy....5 years later I married him and 9 years after that day we have been married for 4 years and now have the MOST precious baby boy!
It is incredible the things that we have been through together, how we have learned to love each other, grown together, loved, fought, began a life together and began a family.
We dated for 5 years and the first 3-4 were the worst as we learned how to be in a relationship and how to trust each other and we fought A LOT. Now, I started about 99.9% of the fights but I am so thankful to God for giving Aaron the strength and wisdom to not get sick of me and leave. But God is good and he taught me a lot over the next year or two and brought us to a place to be ready to get married.
Aaron was actually going to a discipleship training school in Cyprus for 5 months and was leaving January of 2005, well the night before he left we spent some time praying over him and his brother who was also going and that night the Lord released Aaron to propose to me, which he did to the complete shock and awe of me and his family. A LONG LONG 5 months later Aaron came home and we got married October 15th. We spent a lot of time praying about our wedding date and God proved himself faithful (as always) when our wedding day arrived beautiful, clear and warm for October! Especially considering how tomorrow the high is 44 degrees.
It was a bit windy but the neatest thing happened during our ceremony because of the wind. The whole ceremony my veil was whipping all over and even as I read my vows Aaron held me veil still for me. Well at the end of the ceremony when it was time for us to kiss (I had kept my veil over my face because I wanted Aaron to lift it) and right as he reached for my veil this gentle breeze came and ever so slowly and gently lifted my veil over my face and settled down as if someone had smoothed it. Aaron and I looked at each other and he had the most gentle look on his face (a look I had not seen again until the first time he looked at his son after he was born) and smiled and I felt as if it was the hand of God lifting my veil and saying "Aaron- here is your bride".
Our wedding was so wonderful and to this day I cannot believe how blessed we were by everyone and the generosity of everyone who came and helped and cooked it is overwhelming!
Now four years later we have learned (and are continuing to learn) how to function as a married couple and now with a baby we continue to learn so much more!
I am just so very blessed to have Aaron as my husband, he is so strong and secure and knows exactly who he is. He is so misunderstood by a lot of people but that does not deter him and his strength comes straight from God and his trust in him. We do not always get it right, but we said from the beginning that we are willing to work for it and to love each other no matter what.
Here are Aaron's vows to me:
"to the one I love,
These vows that we make to one another are to be etched on our hearts from this day forth. I pray they mirror back to us brighter than any raging flood or tangling web that we will encounter. I also pray that the Lord gives us the strength to sustain the stretching and shaping of us into what he desires us to be. May we never put our snap-shot of understanding above the one who joined us together.
I vow to be a constant force empowered by God to uphold the honor of this treasure that he has placed before me.
I vow to bless instead of curse in the face of wickedness.
I vow to surrender my heart to you and no other.
I vow to you and to God that I will with all my strength guard and protect his daughter first and now my wife.
Last but not least I to be willing to be made willing."
And these are my vows to Aaron:
"Aaron,
I love you. The only reason I stand here today in full confidence knowing what love is, is because of God's love for us. His love that I see in your eyes every time you look at me. Over the last five years I have learned that I can't be envious or proud. I've learned not to be rude or self seeking. I've learned not to become easily angered. Learned not to delight in evil, but I rejoice with God's truth. I stand here int he blessing of God's love, the love I see in your eyes and the testimony of love from our family and friends. I know we are going to face joy and we will also face sorrow. But I also know that pure, true and holy love always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. That is my vow to you today, to love you with the same pure, true and holy love that God shows me everyday."
With that said, here are some pictures of that awesome day...
All ready to go, getting ready to walk down the aisle...
Here we go....
My amazing and wonderful Grandfather doing the communion for us...
Unbelievably happy....
Vows....
After a long road...HUSBAND AND WIFE!
With all that said- I love you so much Aaron and I love how we have grown and brought a son into this world and I look forward to many more years with you!
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