Five years and 8 months ago, I got an email from this cute guy in New Mexico.
We emailed back and forth for a couple of days, then we moved on to phone calls. A LOT of phone calls. We talked one day for 9 hours straight. Thank goodness for Verizon Friends and Family plan. Also, phone chargers. Also, the mute button (for bathroom breaks).
Five years and 6 months ago, he flew to Nebraska to see me. We went on our first official date (dinner downtown). We went to a Husker game with my brother and nephew and sat in the skybox.
The Huskers lost. He kissed me for the first time on a dock at Carter Lake. I cried when he left.
Five years and 5 months ago, I flew to New Mexico to see him. I met his mom. I met his friends. Went to a meeting. We watched a Husker game at his mom’s house with a big group of people. We drove around a lot. Spent lots of time at Starbucks. We drank pumpkin lattes. He worked and I read ‘A Moveable Feast’ by Ernest Hemmingway.
He told me he loved me in his mom’s backyard (on Husker game day of course).
Five years and 4 months ago, he flew to Nebraska. We drove to Kearney to meet some friends. We went to Lincoln to have dinner with my entire family. We went to the University of Nebraska School of Law and drove around and he showed me where all of his old classes were.
We also set off the alarm at the Law Library on East Campus (long, but funny story). We went to M’s Pub downtown for dinner. After dinner, he said ‘let’s walk around’, which I secretly thought it was crazy because it was 7 degrees outside (it was really 7 degrees….I am not exaggerating) and there was tons of snow on the ground. But I went with it. We walked to Gene Leahy park, which was just a couple of blocks away. It was beautiful, snowy and there were white twinkle lights everywhere on the bare trees.
We climbed to the top of the slides, he got down on one knee, held out a ring, and asked me to marry him. I said yes. (it also happened to be December 28, 2009, which was my parents 36th wedding anniversary).
We then walked to Marcus theaters, another few blocks away to catch a movie. Marcus theaters is one of those movie theaters where you sit at a table and can order food with the press of a button.
We were a bit early for the movie though so we went to the bar, ordered drinks, and I admired my ring. There’s an inscription on it that simply says ‘Proverbs 31:30’ ("Charm may be false, and beauty may be fleeting, but the woman who fears Jehovah will be praised").
The bartender gave us free drinks because we had just gotten engaged. We watched Sherlock Holmes. Well, I wasn’t really watching. I was looking at my ring. And I got up like 4 times during the movie to go to the bathroom just so I could see that ring in better light.
I will always have a special place in my heart for that Sherlock Holmes movie.
He flew back to New Mexico and I started planning my life. We were going to get married in Nebraska, but I would be moving to New Mexico. Do I move before or after the wedding? If I move before, how will that work? What do I do with all of my stuff that I’m NOT taking with me? What kind of wedding should we have? How large, how small? And WHERE? And WHEN? When would I quit my job? When would I start looking for a job in New Mexico?
The details slowly got worked out. We would get married in April. Outside. At my sister’s house in the country. It would be a small wedding. I would move to New Mexico BEFORE the wedding and get settled, because I didn’t want to worry about it afterwards.
I slowly started going through my apartment and marking things with a sticky note that I wanted to take with me. Everything else would be sold (which was a lot). I put in my notice at work and told them I would be leaving in March.
I bought a wedding dress (a $95 formal at Dillards). I made our invitations (from Target, but I dressed them up with ribbon and a custom logo that I paid a graphic designer on Etsy to do). I registered. We picked a caterer, who also handled the rentals (chairs, tables) for our wedding. We picked our colors (different shades of purple). We asked our wedding party if they would be our wedding party. My husband planned our honeymoon. We got dates figured out. I was moving in March, so I had to get most all of the wedding stuff done by then.
Five years and 2 months ago, in the midst of all of the wedding planning, moving planning, and chaos, we met in Colorado Springs to see some friends. It was a much needed break. We drove to Garden of the Gods, hung out, talked a lot, and then my husband got food poisoning for a couple of days. I took care of him and then got back on a plane to head home.
My sister and sister-in-law and friend threw me a Paris themed bridal shower. It was amazing!
I finished packing. My mom came and stayed with me for a week and I had an ‘indoor’ moving sale. I sold most of my stuff and made enough money to pay for my move and some more wedding stuff and even had some leftover. I rented a cargo van. Everything I was taking with me had to fit in that cargo van. The morning of my move, my dad and brother packed up the van (as I said more than one prayer hoping everything would fit). My mom and I packed up my car. I put my cats in the car. I said goodbye to my parents. My brother drove my cargo van and I drove my car and we made the first leg of our trip to Pueblo, Colorado. We stayed the night, and then the next morning we drove the rest of the way to Albuquerque. I was exhausted.
I arrived at my fiancé’s house (OUR house now). We unloaded the van, rested for a couple of hours, put my cats in the bedroom so they could get somewhat adjusted, and then went to Outback for dinner with more friends. The next morning, my brother left to drive the van back to Nebraska. And I slept with my two cats until about 2:00 p.m. It was an exhausting trip. I am still so thankful for my brother’s help during that trip. I couldn’t have done it without him!
I spent the next three weeks unpacking, finishing up wedding details, doing some work for my husband (who was in business for himself at the time), applying for jobs and getting settled in the house. I also spent loads of time driving back and forth between our house and my mother-in-law’s house (my husband was staying with her at the time). She threw a shower for me with my new New Mexico friends.
Five years and 4 days ago, I flew back to Nebraska. I had packed some last minute stuff for the wedding, plus everything needed for our honeymoon, because we were leaving for Hawaii 2 days after we got married.
Five years and 2 days ago, my fiancé flew back to Nebraska. We went to Kohl’s to pick out wedding ties for him and the 2 groomsman (fancy, huh?). Nothing was too matchy matchy. I refused to make people pay for fancy bridesmaids dresses and tux’s. I told my girls to get a purple dress that they could wear again. The guys had matching ties and we said to either wear a black or gray suit if they had it. If not? Than they could wear whatever. It all worked out and everyone looked great.
Five years ago today, April 24th, we got married.
The weather was perfect. My sister’s house was beautiful and blooming. Everything went smoothly. The food was good. The flowers were beautiful. The cake was perfect and simple and just what I wanted.
We had invited 50 people, and 45 showed up. The wedding was at 2:00, and we left around 4:30. Short and sweet. The next day the weather was awful….cold and rainy. We were lazy. We went to a movie (Clash of the Titans). We re-packed our suitcases and went to Fed Ex to send our wedding gifts back to New Mexico. The day after that we were off to Hawaii for a week. (funny side note….I checked my email ONE time on our second to last day in Hawaii and I got an email for an interview for my current job…funny! I interviewed as soon as I got back home and started work one week later….and five years later, I’m still at the same job.)
It has been five wonderful years. He is an amazing husband. He is spiritual. He makes me laugh every single day. He takes care of me. I feel incredibly safe and protected with him. We have so much fun together.
We’ve traveled a lot. In our five years as a married couple, we’ve been to Alaska, Hawaii, California, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona (the latter three multiple times). We’ve traveled all over New Mexico. We travel well together. I like structure and he likes spontaneity, so we’re a good match. A good balance. This year marks our first international trip together. I can’t wait!
We have been through layoffs, new jobs, new pets, and a new congregation. We almost moved to Texas, but ended up staying here (I think we are staying put, at least for a while). We started learning French together over two years ago.
He’s my best friend. My partner. My husband. I hope our next 5 years are as amazing as the first 5 have been!
