Celebrating and Coming Home...

Tomorrow is a big day around the Shisler house, and NO not because it is April Fools Day although that is always fun.  Scott, my Love, and I will be celebrating our 14th Anniversary!  April 1, 1995 on a chilly spring day in Edina, Minnesota we promised before God, family and friends that we would love each other forever.  (and so on with the vows...)  And here we are, 14 years later, 3 moves, 3 wonderful children....so blessed.  Love him more today than I did that day and I never thought THAT was possible.  10 months of dating, 6 months of engagement to the day (ask him about his 6 month rule sometime) and a wonderful wedding day.  (Thanks Mom and Dad for that)   

Some of my favorite memories from that day are... that I woke up to snow, and some Fruity Pebbles in bed ,yes true.  Then a sweet card from my parents about getting married...climbing in bed with them that morning finding it hard to believe the DAY was finally here.   Yes I was 23 years old and climbed in bed with my Mom and Dad...still do on occasion even today.  I remember getting ready in the bathroom, doing my own hair and make up (before the day of fancy salon preparations) and my brother sitting in the bathroom talking to me while I was getting ready.  He even brought my Burger King Chicken strips and Sweet and sour for my pre wedding meal...great diet I had huh?  My Dad popped his head in the bathroom to tell me I looked beautiful.  

I remember being so calm and sure about the day.  And so excited.  We got to the church around 1:30 and finished getting ready with my dear girlfriends...and then my Dad came to get me.  Tears in his eyes but so careful not to show me as I had made him promise not to cry that day so that I wouldn't cry that day...or I knew I would be a mess.  He walked me down to the Prayer Chapel to meet Scott...what a moment.  He looked at me with this look of awe.  Like WOW I am marrying YOU.  What a great moment.  We saw each other early as we did pics before the wedding.  And there he was...my groom.  So excited about it all...fast forward to 4:30.  It was time.  My dear friend Julie and I stood back and watched as one after another bridesmaid went into the church...and there were 7 of them before Julie.  So that took forever it seemed.   I couldn't believe the day was here...I was marrying Scott!  It was one of those moments I will never forget, and I told Julie at that moment that this was one of those pictures I would always have in my memory(and I do).  There are few moments that stand still in time, that was one of them.  Then I looked over and my Dad and I locked eyes and with such confidence he took my hand.  We didn't cry, which for those of you who know either  one of us is a MIRACLE in and of itself.  But I remember the look on his face of faith in me, trust in who I was about to marry and pure joy as my Dad.  Pure honor to be walking me down that aisle. 

The doors opened and there stood my Love at the end of the aisle.  He was already crying, which I had only seen once in my life, when he proposed.   Scott was everything I had prayed for and more.  And he loved ME, he chose ME!   And he smiled at me and at my Dad and we walked...with over 450 people in the room all I could see was Scott, and my Mom (who was wearing cream like I was, just how I wanted it to be, my Mom and I and the flower girls, only ones in cream I LOVED that) and I remember feeling the strength of my Dad as we walked and I remember watching Scott's face as I walked down that aisle.  

The wedding was wonderful, just what I had dreamed.  Music and flowers, prayer, laughter and God was there...the sun peaked out of the clouds just as we said our vows and lit the unity candle.  I felt God was blessing our marriage at that very moment.  I remember Scott...crying through it all and I remember seeing his eyes and the gratefulness he had for that moment.  He had waited a long time for this moment...36 years old and he had found his bride.  He had been to a lot of weddings, stood up for a lot of friends, watched friends have children...and now it was HIS turn.  FINALLY...

(click on any of the pictures and they will enlarge, so you can see them up close )

This year, Drew is coming home from 5 days in DC on our anniversary so Scott will be driving to get him and we will celebrate with dinner out another night.  I am so grateful for a loving husband who protects, cares and adores me on this day.  And I am so grateful for Drew coming home, we have really missed him...a wonderful day of celebration at the Shisler house.

With a grateful heart,