Twenty-Three Years

 

Twenty-three years ago, during a heatwave, these two crazy kids got married. in a church with no air conditioning There is no way we could have known what lay ahead for us (though getting arried in August in a church with no air conditioning should have given us a clue!) but isn't that true of all great adventures?! In twenty-three years we have had a lot of adventures; some good. Some not so good. All helped us to become the people we are today (with our two girls being our most incredible adventure of them all)! In the words of the Indigo Girls, "if we ever leave a legacy, it's that we loved each other well." And indeed, my love, that we have. xoxox 

22

 

"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22

Everything will be alright if your keep me next to you 
You don't know about me, but I bet you want to 

Everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like wer're 22"

-Taylor Swift, 22

Picture taken when I was just about twenty-two years old. 

And today, we celebrated our twenty-second wedding anniversary. We enjoyed time around the house, soaking in this little family we have created and the life we made and just feeling so, so grateful. Here's to the next twenty-two! xo

Twenty-One Years Of Promises

 

I have no ring for your finger
I have no banquet table to lay 
I have no bed of feathers

Whatever promises I made
I can't promise you fair sky above

Can't promise you kind road below

But I'll walk beside you, love

Any way the wind blows 

I don't need gold, don't need silver

Just bread when I'm hngry

Fire when I'm cold 

Don't need a ring for my finger 

Just need a steady hand to hold

Don't promise me fair sky above 

Don't promise me kind road below

Just walk beside me, love 

Any way the wind blows 

I don't know where this road will end 

But I'll walk it with you, hand in hand 

I can't promise you fair sky above

Can't promise you kind road below 

But I'll walk beside you, love 

Any way the wind blows 

Do you let me walk with you? 
I do

I do

I do

And keep on walking, come what will? 
I will

I will 

We will. 

-Promises from Hadestown

Happy twenty-first annivesary, David! Had this song been out when we got married I have no doubt we would have used it as our wedding vows or our first dance song or both. Thank you for walking beside me these past twenty-one years. Here's to the next twenty-one! xo 

Twenty Years!

 

"They're About To Say I Do..."

 

"Three little letters, two little words. 
It's the simplest part of the day, but there's nothing simple about the thing that will remain unsaid. 
"I do" means, I do know that I could be hurt, but I am ready to be healed with you. 

It means I do want to try, even when the fear of failure holds me back and I do not know the future but I am ready to be surprised along the way. 

And "I do" means I do want your love, 
and I do give you mine, 
and nothing we do will ever be the same, 

because you and I will be doing it all together."
-The Good Witch (season three finale) 

I have loved that piece from The Good Witch ever since I first heard it. And had it been out before our wedding I am sure we would have had it read during the ceremony. 

These nineteen years have passed quickly by. And while they have not all been perfect, they have all been ours. We have navigated the rough waters and come out stronger in the end and for that I am grateful. We have created two of the most incredible souls together and stand in awe of the young women they have become. We have laughed together, cried together, watched dreams be achieved together and mourned as other dreams never came to fruition. In short, we have live and loved so fully and so completely even when there were days that we might not have liked each other so much. 

Here's to nineteen years, my love. Let's make our twentieth year our most wonderful yet! xo

They're About To Say "I Do"

"Three little letters, two little words. 

It's the simplest part of the day, but there's nothing simple about the things that will remain unsaid. 

"I do" means, I do know that I could be hurt, but I am ready to be healed with you. 

It means I do want to try, even when the fear of failure holds me back and I do not know the future, but I am ready to be surprised along the way. 

And "I do" means I do want your love, 

and I do give you mine,

 and nothing we do will ever be the same, 

because you and I will be doing it all together." 

-The Good Witch (series three finale)

Here's to eighteen years full of more life than we ever could have imagined on that very hot day back in 2002. There's been an abundance of love and laughter and just enough tears and heartache to remind us that anything doing is worth going all in for. xo

Meanwhile, back in Massachusetts....

With the girls away, David and I had a rare week to ourselves! He took the entire week off from work (well, except when he had to head to Northeastern to teach that is) which gave us plenty of time to remember what life was like pre-girls. The highlight of our week was out trip into Boston on Friday. We walked around our beloved city, window shopped, had a delicious lunch and then picked up some Boston Cream Pie from Flour Bakery to bring home for (an early anniversary) dessert. It was a perfect ending to our staycation! xo 

Saturday Evening's Balloon Glow

We ended our seventeenth wedding anniversary at the Saturday evening balloon glow portion of the Hudson Balloon Festival. We were sad that only three balloons were inflated (and that they were never all aglow at the same time) but it was absolutely enchanting nonetheless! Here's to another seventeen years (and beyond)! xo

{This Moment} Seventeen Years On The Seventeenth

{This Moment} A weekend ritual. A single photo -no words- capturing a moment from the week our wedding. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. xo 

An Early Anniversary Celebration

Continuing backwards through all the pictures I have been a slacker in sharing, next up is our last date night/early anniversary celebration meal! 

Dave's beer....

Our waffles.

I adore fall bikini prep. It's a good twelve weeks that doesn't involve any major holidays or birthdays. However, the downside of fall prep is that it starts before our wedding anniversary and it also means that I can't enjoy all the yummy goodness at the Greek Festival. With prep starting a week before our seventeenth wedding anniversary we decided to have one final (yummy) date night. The waffles at The Lost Shoe are some of the best around and I am glad that I got to have one more before kick-off arrived! xo

Sweet Sixteen

Sixteen years ago, during a record breaking heatwave, two crazy kids promised to love each other "as we are now and for what we will become together." And gracious, that becoming has been quite an adventure! We've packed an awful lot in to the last sixteen years. From our first apartment to our sweet old farmhouse. From infertility to life as a family of four. From grief and despair that was too much to bear to being stronger as a couple than we were before. It truly has been a wild ride! And while the days or weeks or months (or, in one particular case, a certain year) haven't always been easy there's no one I'd rather be traveling through life with than this guy! Thank you, David, for always living our vows. For truly being "faithful, patient, and honest, through laughter and tears".  And for "following me and supporting me all the days of  our life". And so, as we toast with rice cakes and almond butter, (or a protein shake for me and a beer for him) because that's how we roll when your anniversary falls during competition prep season, I say with absolute certainty that I'd do it all again.  Happy sweet sixteen to us! xo 

"They're About To Say 'I Do' "

"Three little letters, two little words. 

It's the simplest part of the day, but there's nothing simple about the things that will remain unsaid. 

"I do" means, I do know that I could be hurt, but I am ready to be healed with you. 

It means I do want to try, even when the fear of failure holds me back and I do not know the future, but I am ready to be surprised along the way. 

And "I do" means I do want your love, 

and I do give you mine,

 and nothing we do will ever be the same, 

because you and I will be doing it all together." 

-The Good Witch (series three finale)

Here's to the past fifteen years of "I do" and to a lifetime more! I love you, David, and I always will!  xo

Thirteen Years

These thirteen years have passed quickly by. On one hand it seems like just yesterday that we were dressed up and making vows to each other about our life together, and yet, on the other, it feels like a lifetime ago. Friends have come and gone (though a cherished few have stayed), a house has been bought (and is almost done being renovated) and two sweet babies were born who helped to make the little family of ours that started on that very hot August day all the more complete. And while there have been some bumps along the way (some much bigger than others) we've continued to hold true to the words we spoke together on that magical day all those years ago.

Our celebration this year was a quiet one. Dinner at home and then ice cream out. Truly a perfect way to end a perfectly lovely year. With any luck we'll be just as blessed and just as lucky over the course of the next year as we have been over the last thirteen. xo

Twelve Years

August 17th. A gorgeous night out celebrating twelve incredible years. Here's to a lifetime more! xo

Be sure to check back later tonight for pictures from our adventure this morning. 

Throwback Thursday::August 17, 2002

(Almost) Twelve years ago, on an incredibly hot Saturday, David and I said our "I dos" before our family and dearest friends. We had no way of knowing what the future would hold, but twelve years in I can say that every moment was completely worth it (yes, even the rough ones)! Thank you, David, for being the love of my life, my soul mate and my best friend. In the words of the Indigo Girls-"And if we ever leave a legacy it's that we loved each other well." My thoughts exactly, my love.  xoxo

{This Moment} On Our Eleventh Anniversary

This Moment} - A Soule Mama Friday ritual. A single photo- no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments section for all to find and see. We wish you a lovely weekend!

As Long As We Got Love

Remember how it used to be, 

It was only you and me, 

We didn't worry much about anything,

And not a dollar to my name,

But you loved me just the same,

Yeah it felt like I had everything. 

Holdin' my hand, walk down the beach,

I would pretend that you were my queen,

Even though our castle is only in the sand.

Girl, we've got something that keeps reminding us,

We don't need nothing, as long as we got love, 

Believe it, I mean it, I know we'll always have enough as long as we got love.

Blink your eyes and here we are, 

Got a dog and bought a car, 

Little footsteps down the hall, 

Life's responsibilities sometimes makes it hard to see,

The million things about you I adore.

But the castles are now more than just sand, 

So let the rain fall 'cause we're gonna stand.

Girl, we've got something that keeps reminding us, 

We don't need nothing, as long as we got love, 

Believe it, I mean it, I know we'll always have enough

as long as we got love.

At the end of the day, the city's asleep, I'm wide awake with the girls of my dreams,

And all that we've got is the only thing I'll ever need,

Boy, we've got something that keeps reminding us, 

We don't need nothing... 

Girl, we've got something that keeps reminding us, 

We don't need nothing as long as we got love,

Believe it, I mean it, I know we'll always have enough,

As long as we got love. 

-Lyrics from "As Long As We've Got Love" by Javier Colon 

(who happened to have been our RA when we were at the University of Hartford!)

Eleven years ago today, on a day significantly hotter than this, we stood before our family and friends and said "I do". It's amazing to look back and see all that's happened over these years. We've created quite a life (and a sweet family) for ourselves all because of two simple words and a whole lot of love! I can't wait to see what the next year holds, what adventures we'll have and what we'll add to this amazing love story of ours! xoxox