Lucky 13! Happy Anniversary to us

My most vivid memory of my wedding is the vows. Not the actual words we said, but what happened during the vows.  Ken and I had talked over the wording a few times, and mostly decided to stick with the traditional version of "love, honor, and cherish..." One thing I am absolutely positive we did not discuss was memorizing the vows. Ken was too worried about being nervous that day. And to be honest, I was too.  However, when it came time for the vows, the priest stepped back. In conversations later, he said it was so that we could be the focus of that moment, instead of him being in the way.

BUT...Ken's nervousness took over at that moment and he started reciting our vows...from memory. I was shocked!  And worried!! I didn't think we were going to memorize them!!  Somehow they came to me and I managed to pledge something to Ken.  I can't imagine the look I must have given him at that moment. I sure hoped it looked loving and not panicked!

That moment on our wedding day was a great bit of foreshadowing for how the rest of our marriage would go.  Things haven't always gone the way we've expected them to.  There have been many times where we didn't know what the other was thinking or why they did something. We have worried each other, put each other on the spot, and been extremely frustrated with one another.

But we have gone through all those moments with each other. At the end of the day he is mine and I am his. We made a commitment to each other that day and we have honored it every day since. We have created a life together. We have created three amazing children. We have grown and loved and yelled and ignored and there is no other man I want by my side for the rest of my life.

Happy anniversary, Ken! I am so happy to have had you by my side these last 13 years. Here's to many, many more!