Wisconsin Wedding Weekend

Our good friends Paul & Jess got married in Wisconsin this weekend. Since Matt was in the wedding we flew up Thursday night for all the wedding festivities.

We sat for over an hour on the tamarack in Raleigh before we finally got into Chicago O'hare (can I say again how much I dislike that airport?) to grab a rental car and then head to Burlington, Wisconsin. Friday we had the rehearsal and then a BBQ dinner with lots of yummy food and plenty of drinks and fun. A bunch of us then took Paul out for a few drinks to help him sleep.

Saturday was full of wedding festivities. Pictures, the wedding, a cocktail hour out at Paul's family's farm and then the reception. I have to admit it was one of the most fun weddings I have been to in a long time. I have never seen so many people dance at a reception. And let me say those Wisconsin people sure like their polka.

This am we left at 5 am to drive to the airport and catch an early flight home. I have to say for once I am exhausted.

I remember when we first met Paul over 7 years ago. Over the years we all have moved away, then back together then away again (Paul and Jess are now in Arizona and we are in North Carolina). Over the years Paul has helped us decorate for Christmas, gone to dinners, camped, introduced Matt & I to our love for boating, had many late night game nights, been my kid's "uncle" away from home and even lived with us for a brief amount of time. I remember when he introduced us to Jess for the first time and just how nervous they were. Jess couldn't be marrying a better man.

Congrats guys. We hope to make it to Arizona soon!

The cute couple.
Why does Matt seem to like this pose?
Paul and Jess "wowed" us with their dancing. They had been taking dance lessons and their instructor choreographed their wedding dance for them.

The other cute couple... us!!
Paul & I.

Showing off my new dress in the room. DH actually found the dress for me and my boobs even fit in it!

Happy Anniversary

On April 4, 1998 Matt and I pledged ourselves to each other in front of almost 250 family and friends.

Matt and I in beginning of August 2002. (Val, remember taking this picture?)

One of my favorite songs is an old Steven Curtis Chapman one called "I Will Be Here". It was sung at our wedding (no mom I won't make any comments about what else was sung, haha) and sometimes I think it should be our theme song.

We have been through alot in the years we have been together –– moving three times, thinking our son was going to be partially deaf and then having seizures, the loss of Matt's mom, a miscarriage, the death of our daughter, amongst others –– but somehow, 9 years later, we are still together. And no matter how many times I want to strangle him, I know I am blessed to be married to such a wonderful man.

I Will Be Here

Tomorrow mornin' if you wake up
And the sun does not appear
I...I will be here

If in the dark we lose sight of love
Hold my hand and have no fear
'Cause I...I will be here

I will be here...
When you feel like bein' quiet
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen
And I will be here
When the laughter turns to cryin'
Through the winnin' and losin' and tryin'
We'll be together
'Cause I will be here

Tomorrow mornin' if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I...I'll be here

Just as sure as seasons are made for change
Our lifetimes are made for years
I...I will be here

I will be here....
You can cry on my shoulder
When the mirror tells us we're older
I will hold you

And I will be here
To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here

I will be true
To the promise I have made
To you and to the
One who gave you to me

I...I will be here

And just as sure as seasons are made for change
Our lifetimes are made for years
'Cause I...
I will be here....
We'll be together

'Cause I will be here

I won't scare you with pictures from our really early days. They really are that scary, plus I am too lazy to dig out the scanner, but I will share some from the last 5 years. I know some say the longer people are married they start to look alike... I am happy to say that you must have to be together for much longer before that actually is a true statement.

Happy anniversary baby!! Here is to many many more.

Matt and I at the top of the Eiffel Tower in April 2006. How romantic, right? He even kissed me up there!

Matt and I in Vegas, September 2004.

At my brothers wedding in May, 2005.

This was taken at our very first house in July 2002, the day the moving truck came to move us to Decatur, Illinois.

At Versailles gardens in France, April 2006.

Posing for a picture at the Polynesian in Walt Disney World, September 2005.

At the National Championship Football game in January, 2003. (Keep in mind I am pregnant here)

Tubing on the lake off our boat in June, 2006.

New Years Eve December 2006. Obviously Matt was not the designated driver.

Wanting to Renew My Vows

That's it! I'm going to talk to DH about renewing our wedding vows just so I can do this at my reception!

Wedding Memories

I was looking back through some pictures I have in my online photo album and I found pictures of the kids from Matt's sister and my brother's weddings. (no they did not marry each other, separate weddings) It is amazing how much they have changed over the past 5 years. It made me think of Matt's and my own wedding. The cake, the reception, the wedding cameras we sat on each table, the dancing, the things that went perfect, the things that went not so perfect. It was an awesome day. One I will never forget. But with just graduating from college 10 days prior to the wedding, and then getting ready to move to Illinois 4 weeks later, I sure wish the Internet would have been like what it is today. There are so many amazing places that could have been a one-stop-shop for all my wedding issues. Boy would that have helped. Someplace like The Knot.

The definitive destination for wedding supplies, The Knot Wedding Shop has top-quality wedding supplies and novelty items ranging from wedding cameras and ring pillows to personalized attendant gifts, cake toppers, and more! Many of these collections are the only ones available today that can be personalized with the couple's names and wedding date. As the largest retailer of wedding supplies on the Internet, The Knot Wedding Shop is stocked with over 1000 hard-to-find wedding supplies at the best prices around. The Knot Wedding Shop offers brides 24-hour accessibility and quick turnaround delivery for all those last-minute orders before the big day.

I know it is silly, but having kids of my own, I often wonder what their future will be like. What their wedding day will be like. Maybe if I am lucky someplace like The Knot will be available in 30 years when they start getting married.