Readers today is my 13th Wedding Anniversary! Looking back it has surely been an adventure. You see readers I met my husband through a "blind date" by mutual friends. I remember when I first saw my husband, I saw him and he was everything I thought I did not want! LOL. He was short and even though I am short I thought my future husband would be tall! He, well, how do I put this lightly, he has a nose that doesn't quit! LOL I don't think I put that so lightly. And I remember always saying I would never like a Pinocchio! LOL. He has amazing green eyes but to be honest I never noticed them at first because of the height, the nose and he was dressed like some hoodlum off the street! How did I end up with this man and boy did I end up with him. That first night readers he was so funny and that is what I think really won my heart and my attention. He used the cheesiest pick up line I ever heard. He kept insisting that he had seen me before even with my constant insistance that we never had met before. Since that first night we were together. His silliness, his smile, and finally his eyes won me over and the truth is I was putty in the man's hands since day one. I even tell my daughters today that a man's looks, his bank roll, his suaveness can all fade away but a man who can make you laugh will make you laugh till the day you die.
We had a whirlwind romance. We were married just 4 months after we met and today we celebrate 13 years together. We were both so young and carefree when we got married. I still remember the day like it was just yesterday. I was working for the High School and decided that since I could not take vacation time yet but wanted to give myself a "honeymoon" I chose to get married the Saturday before Spring Break. Much to my dismay there was two flaws to this plan. One was that Saturday before Spring Break was the Calle Ocho concert series in Florida and everyone, almost everyone, went to Miami for the Concerts instead of coming to our wedding and even though I had a week off for Spring Break my new husband had started a new job about a month before the wedding so he had NO time off. We had a very small wedding. I would guesstimate about 50 people in attendance. I picked absolutely nothing for my wedding except for my headpiece and veil. This was us on our wedding day:
The dress was beautiful but it was borrowed from a friend. I did love that train though. I made me feel like a real princess since it was rather a long train. Right before leaving for the church for my wedding I am in my wedding dress and as you can see it was huge! I was walking out of my bedroom thinking I was headed straight to the church to become Mrs. Perez and had even done the look at my room, you know the look readers, the one where you look lovingly at your things and say your sorrowful goodbye when there is a knock at our front door. I wondered who the heck could this be? Whoever it is should know to go straight to the church but as my father opens the door he tells me to turn around and head back to my room. My groom was at the door. OK readers a small part of me thought he was there to call off the wedding and panic sinked in as I waited in my bedroom with my Maid of Honor. About 10 minutes past when my mom comes in to get us. She giggles and tells me he did not know how to tie his bow tie of his tux so he came to have my dad help him with it since he did not have his parents around to be with him. My very small court of bridesmaids and groomsmen (2 bridesmaids and 2 groomsmen 1 maid of honor and best man and my witnesses along with 2 flower girls) walk down the aisle and it is my turn. My daddy walks me down to my groom when I noticed that everyone but him is facing me. So weird! Apparently the Pastor told him to wait to see me until he asks the question: "And who gives this woman to this man".... or something like that. I could just imagine the thoughts running through his mind. I can just imagine him thinking back to his childhood and remembering the story of Jacob in Sunday School who wanted to marry Rachel but first got Leah because she was the oldest. Poor guy must have thought will it really be her under that veil after I say "I Do?" LOL. Once my father gave me away to him though all I could notice was the fear in his face and eyes. Truth be told readers the man did not look at my face until the end when the Pastor had us face the congregation and said "I now present you with Mr and Mrs Perez you may now kiss the bride." I wonder if he thought wow am I ready for this? Or if he mentally was planning his escape during the ceremony, had the exit strategy planned out, or maybe he was willing someone with his mind to speak now and not hold their peace but he was so nervous. At the reception was when his smile came back and I once again remembered why I was in love with this man that was now my husband. My husband that was something I could not get over hearing at first. Its weird to hear it when your entire life you have been single, living your life your way, doing what you wanted to do and now there was a husband you had to include into your life, your thought process, your decisions. We barely had any money and we received just enough at our wedding to get one night at a hotel down the street from my parents house but not even the honeymoon suite just a regular suite. That was our honeymoon. We spent one night together at the hotel then went to my parents house the next day to eat lunch and dinner with them before going home to our new apartment. I spent my Spring Break, honeymoon, alone in our apartment while my husband worked. But hey at least he would come home every night for dinner back then. Now a days I can not always guarantee the Army will let him come home in time for dinner.
This past year I wanted to renew our vows since even though we had a wedding we never had the wedding we wanted. I never got to dance with him or even my father. I never picked out a single thing in regards to the music, decor, the dress, the bridesmaid dresses, the food, the cake or even the flavors. I wanted to plan my own wedding. I actually wanted to renew my vows at our 10 year anniversary but we couldn't afford it than so I decided we should renew for our 11th year Anniversary but that did not happen since my husband enlisted into the Army.
Then for our 12th anniversary we were packing up everything and moving to Fort Bliss, TX 1,700 miles away from our family and friends. We have had a rollercoaster of a marriage. Before our one year anniversary we were parents. We have three kids all roughly 18-19 months apart from each other. We moved from apartment, to house to house while we rented. We packed up our lives once and moved away to South Texas where we lived for roughly two years apart from everyone. There my husband gave me such a wonderful gift. He bought us both a new set of wedding rings since I did not even pick out my original ones. We got them with crosses on them because we love that we were putting God in our marriage:
Aren't they beautiful?
I moved back home with my parents and my kids while my husband went to Basic Training and AIT and he was away from us for about 6- 7 months. This next picture was when he came home for what is called Christmas Exodus from AIT:
Oh that was such a great surprise we gave to our kids. We surprised them by putting daddy inside a large Christmas present box and had them open their "gift". It was just awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQsCVaO-UMg
Now we are here thirteen years later stronger than ever before. We have faced trials and tribulations, we have faced sorrows and joys, we have overcome so much even a deployment after a very short reunion together. This was our happiness when he returned from deployment.
And of course my joy as well LOL:
Point being that I am glad that I did not let my insecurities stop me from marrying the man who gave me a life that may be hard at times but one I would never trade for anything.
Our Pastor has been preaching on Ephesians lately. "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word" Ephesians 5:22-26. As our Pastor put it submitting to your husband readers is not a four letter word and truth be told as our Pastor stated if a husband loves his wife the way Christ loves the church, I mean Christ gave his life for us, than how hard can it really be to submit to a man who loves you as much as that? I hope you all have a wonderful day and that all of you find happiness, joy and love as I have in the man God had for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment