11 Years Ago Today...

I married my best friend. Charley and I celebrated our 11th anniversary with a movie, Indian Jones (not very good in both of our opinion) and dinner at The Melting Pot. Our tradition is to eat at a fondue style restaurant for our anniversary and talk about the last year and make goals and ways to work on our relationship the next year. It was fun as always and reminds me why Charley and I got married and how thankful I am for him. Below are pictures and stories of how we met, wedding stuff and a little bit more. The picture above was taken when Charley was 10 and I was 11 at Camp Wyldewood. I had the hugest crush on him at camp that summer but he liked my friend. She left early and he surprised me by coming and sitting by me at the closing ceremony and held my hand (he was the first guys hand I held). I don't think we even looked at each other or talked. When the ceremony was over he hugged me and left. I didn't see him again until Harding his freshman year, my sophomore, at Freshman orientation. I recognized his name on his name tag and introduced myself to him and he remembered me from camp. We started talking on the phone after that, tried to set our roomates up, then we started dating. After a rocky first year of several breakups, lots of fighting and one last major breakup, we decided we were meant to be and the 2 years we dated before we got married after the first were great. (yes we still argued and still do to this day). He asked me to marry him at the same place we held hands for the first time as kids and I said yes and on May 24, 1997 we said "I DO" and here we are 11 years later, with 2 sweet kiddos and a life I would never have imagined.
Our wedding day
Our wedding party
This picture is from our 10th anniversary last year. We took a trip to Hawaii to celebrate. It was great. Wish we could do it every year but you know how that goes.
And look at us know. A family of 4!!!!

Just a few notes about our marriage:
*Neither of us are perfect and I thank God daily that Charley loves me despite my imperfections. We fuss with each other, get really mad sometimes, and make bad choices mainly with our words to each other but we both are good at forgiving and I am so thankful God gave me a husband that forgives me and loves me all the same.
*He truly is my best friend. We talk several times a day when he is at work, just calling to check in is what he tells me and I love that knowing we are always thought about by him. At the end of the day he is the person I want by my side always.
*If he goes out of town, he cuts all of us heart notes and on mine he always says he is thankful I am his wife.
*We like so much of the same stuff. I don't think we always have but as we stay married longer it is truly like we become one in our hobbies,likes and dislikes.
*We love our kids so much and Charley is the best dad I would have every prayed for to have for our kids. I pray our girls will find husbands like their daddy.

I really love walking through life with Charley. I know all this may be cheesy and corny but I want to remember always at this anniversary right now what I am thankful for and blessed with. We don't know what this next year holds but I wouldn't want to face any part of it without Charley. I love you Charley!