Marriage

I feel like people ask me all the time about marriage.  I must look like a wise old married lady.  Right?  Probably not, but friends and co-workers still ask.  How do you know if you've found the right person to marry?  Why and when should we make the leap to marriage?  Why did you get married?  The list goes on.

{still a little shocked and excited that we are actually married after so many years}

First of all, here is a little back story on MY marriage.  I met my husband when I was 15.  I couldn't even drive yet.  Crazy right?  We met my Junior year of high school (2000) through a mutual friend.  I wish I could say love at first sight, but I'd be lying.  We didn't really hit it off, my husband says he thought I was loud and obnoxious.  What, me?  I know, hard to believe.

{here is a hilarious picture from our junior year of high school}

We did become good friends though and even went on a date or two.  The timing wasn't right though and we drifted apart before the end of high school.  I moved away to Hawaii and went to college there while he stayed on the mainland for school.  When school started I sent him a letter and we started writing back and forth and talking on-line.  We were "pen pals" for over 2 years before we decided to give it a go.

{one of my trips to visit on the mainland}

{and another of a visit to Hawaii}

We dated long distance for the first 2 years of our relationship, making trips to see each other every few months, talking on the phone, and writing letters.  It was a challenge, and it was a lot different than the relationships my friends were having, but we were both willing to give it a try.  We were happy though and couldn't wait to be together.  When he finished college, he moved out to Hawaii. By this point in our lives, most of my friends from the mainland were getting married.  We decided we didn't want to get married.  What difference would it make?  We wanted to be together forever anyways.

{we look so young! another Hawaii visit}

Somewhere around 5 years in things started to change.  One day at the mall my husband joked about picking out a ring, and something clicked, I wanted "a ring".  I never thought I did, but suddenly I really wanted it.  We got married after 6 years of dating, living together and getting to know each other.  We had known each other 11 years!  Waiting so long to get married worked really well for us.  We knew each other inside and out and knew how to make things work.  So what changed and why did we finally get married?

{such bliss}

I started to think about our future.  We were always going to be together, sure, but what else?  Would we have a family?  A house?  Move around the country together?  Would I want to do those things without the commitment of marriage?  I wanted the dress, the party, and the memories of a wedding in my life.  I wanted it all.  If we never got married, there would never be a wedding, that made me sad.  I'm not the kind of girl that planned my wedding from childhood, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I always thought I would have that celebration of love and commitment.  Tradition and rituals run deep I guess.  The act of getting married won me over, I really wanted to experience it first hand and to have those memories.

{we smiled and laughed the entire day}

Am I glad we got married?  Absolutely.  We have fun together and compliment each others personalities.  Where I am silly and totally lack serious-ness, he is a complete realist.  I love sweets and eating, I think he could go the rest of his life without cake.  It just works.  We had the most amazing celebration with our closest friends and family and made unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime.  So much love and joy were spread in those few short hours, it was incredible.   It was the best day of our lives.  It's been 2 years since we got married, and now we have a little babe who makes our lives even fuller.  (The day we brought him home has moved into the top slot of best day of our lives, but our wedding is still a close second.)

  {these are the memories of our wedding: laughter, joy, and love}

People always ask if things feel different after you get married.  I never thought they would, but they do.  We are happier and more committed.  I didn't think that was possible, but we have grown as a couple and something is definitely different.  Maybe it was fulfilling a hidden longing to get married, or maybe just experiencing such an emotion filled day changes you as a couple.  It gives your relationship another layer of depth that you otherwise would be missing.  Our friends and family helped us celebrate and helped to make us a better couple and we can't express our thanks enough.  I am definitely a converted marriage enthusiast.