Labor Of Love

I know that I posted the other day about how our wedding was the biggest DIY project I've ever taken on, but there was definitely more to it then that. 

If anyone knows anything about me, it's that I have a strong and deep love for my family. That's why I felt like our wedding day was a giant labor of love from our entire family. 

My cousin's helped me find my dress at their bridal consignment boutique, my niece and sister did my hair and make up, a co-worker and her brother did our catering, the women in Matthew's family brought a variety of desserts for our dessert table, our good friend Tim performed our ceremony, Matthew's cousin Jason was his best man and my niece, Kirra was our flower girl.

Without both of our families, our wedding would not be possible. 

And what a beautiful wedding it was! 

my favorite picture with my flower girl, Kirra

Matthew with his best man, Jason

Matthew escorting his parents down the aisle

first kiss as husband and wife!

 After our ceremony, Matthew & I and our amazing photographer, Heidi,  were driven down to the bridge not far from my Aunt's house where we had our ceremony, before coming back to enjoy the reception. 

signing our marriage certificate

showing Luna a little bit of love

my Maid of Honor, Brandy Jeanne and me

our wedding party

"To family."

planning our last great adventure, our honeymoon to Yosemite

Matthew with his father, Bruce

 

Jason and Chris playing music

We played nice, no cake smearing for us

Jason's best man toast

Tossing my bouquet

first dance

Our day was absolutely perfect! So full of love, family and friends. Now that Matthew is gone, these are the memories, along with the pictures, that will last me the rest of my life. Which is something that always makes me smile.

 I hope they make you smile, too!

Photography from Heidi Hoffman Photography. If anyone is looking for a wedding photographer, Heidi is AWESOME!!! Half the time I barely realized she was there and she got the most amazing shots!

Who Knew?

Ten years ago today, my life was changed forever just by opening my front door... 

 

On the other side of that door was my best friend, returned home from boot camp. This beautiful, blond haired, blue eyed boy who had stood with me through thick and thin for four years before. I had missed him so much while he was gone to boot camp, and especially worried because it was four days after September 11th and the whole country had been thrown into chaos. But he was my best friend and he was home!!!

 

photo taken September 15, 2001

 

 I had no idea what opening that door would lead to. It was like seeing him for the first time in a completely different way. We were practically inseparable the whole time he was on leave, but tip-toed around taking the next step. The night before he flew back to Virginia he kissed me for the first time on the front porch of my parents house, and from that moment on, my heart was completely and unconditionally his. 

 

Virginia Beach, VA - January 2002

 

We have survived over two years of a long distance relationship, then another nine months apart while he went to school in Wyoming, then another move to a completely new town where I only knew him and another good friend from high school. We've survived through personal triumphs and hard decisions, marriages of friends and family, deaths of family members and births of others, tons of car troubles and fixes, and of course, the most dreaded question, "When are you two gonna get married?" 

 

October 11, 2008

 

And we've weathered it together. He's kept me grounded when I start dreaming too big and I've pushed him to go for it when he starts reasoning himself out of something he really wants. It's never mattered to either of us that we're not married. We're happy, we're in love and that's all that matters. 

 

October 2010

  

  In February of this year, after over two months of trying to find an answer to his stomach problems, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. While this has completely rocked our world, and sent us down a completely different path then what we'd planned, there have been some things that have not changed. We still love each other, more then ever. And while we can't see that far into the future, and we're never sure of how much time we will have together, I don't have a single regret of how we've spent the past ten years together. Because every day, from that day ten years ago to this one, I've known with everything that I am that I am truly loved and respected by my best friend, and a girl really can't ask for more then that.

Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?

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I don't think any American will forget where they were when the heard about the attacks of September 11th, 2001. 

 I remember when I was growing up hearing adults talk about where they were when Kennedy was assassinated or where they watched the first Moon Walk. It seemed to surreal to me, that these huge historical moments that I merely read about in history books, that people I knew were there, they experienced the same things that the rest of the country was experiencing. 


I never understood until that day, ten years ago.

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The September 11th attacks had such a huge ripple effect across the country. Every life that was lost, was mourned. Every brave police officer, firemen and rescue worker that responded, was cheered and seen as national heroes. Every survivor of the attacks that were pulled from the rubble was seen as a symbol of hope and strength. 

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 The country became more unified then I ever remember. Flags flew with pride & worn with pride, adorning houses and vehicles everywhere you looked. Men and women swarmed to recruiting offices to serve our country. Our already enlisted soldiers were more resolved in their decision to serve. People donated blood, money, equipment, medical supplies. Everyone just wanted to help, to contribute, to feel like there was something that they could do instead of feeling helpless.

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Sadly, ten years later that attitude seems to have wavered. The economy is awful, the sentiment towards the wars we're waging is souring, the faith in our government is fading. 


I feel like we are forgetting.  

We're forgetting the sacrifices that all the people that perished in the attacks and their families have made. We're forgetting about our heroes that emerged in the days after the September 11th attacks. We're forgetting to honor the men and women that have died in the last ten years of war. We're forgetting to recognizing the sacrifices that our current military members and their families endure to protect the freedom we enjoy. We're forgetting how great this country can be. 

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I think that on the 10th anniversary, that "We Remember", not only the lives that were sacrificed and lost in the terrible attacks, but that we remember what a great country we have and what it is to be Proud Americans. Because that is something I truly will "Never Forget".