About a month ago I decided I should really finish our wedding album scrapbook. I imagined it would make a touching gift for my husband on our anniversary. I pictured us looking through it and reminiscing about our wedding day. The anticipation of memories generally far surpasses the real thing.
A month has come and gone and so has our anniversary. I didn't finish the album, justifying my procrastination by realizing I was the only one who really cared if the wedding album was finished or not. We celebrated on Thursday last week with a quick trip to the coast and dinner at Mo's. It was perfect and wonderful to be together. Yesterday we both began to feel quite yucky in the afternoon. We planned on doing some shopping, but instead came home and napped. Last week the girls had the flu (don't tell me you forgot that story already) and it seems as though both my husband and I got the sickness just in time for our anniversary.
In the midst of stomach cramps and various unsavory symptoms, my groom groaned, "I imagined this day going differently." Ah, yes.
So did I. Words from our marriage vows played through my head as we spent an agonizing, sleepless night wrestling with the flu, "For better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health...". It is so hard to be sympathetic when you need sympathy yourself. Neither of us feels much improved this morning, but life goes on.
An anniversary commemerates a day. Just a day. An important, expensive one, where 500+ people witnessed our romantic candlelit wedding. But the real significance is what has occurred in the time since. I love my husband more today than I could have imagined 7 years ago. We married quickly and hardly knew each other beyond our twitterpated passion (more chapters of The Road to the Country coming soon). Now my husband has impressed me each step of the way as we grow and change together. I made the best decision of my life when I said "I do" and became his wife.
I was looking through the yet-to-be-completed wedding album this morning and thought I would share a few pages with you.
In the years since our wedding, three of our grandparents have passed away; my Great-Grandma Friesen, Grandpa Harv, and Grandma Peters. Also, children have grown up. My sister-in-law Julianna, our little flower girl, has easily grown 2 feet, passing my 5'10". And then there are the children who have come since -- Emma doesn't like looking at the wedding album because she isn't in it. It's lovely to remember the day, it was beautiful and special, but who we are now, whose lives we touch and are touched by, and who we love is the most important part as I remember when.....
10 comments:
so sorry you got the illness, we seemed to have avoided it! love the music with your album
That is such a touching post. Having just watched my wedding video last week from 6 years ago. I too share your joy in reflection.
Finish your album. I believe it took me about seven years to getting around to going through the rest of the pictures and putting them in an album, but I am glad that I did. We were given a wedding album for the first fifteen years of marriage. Several anniversaries ago I worked on putting it together for the years we had been married and we shared it on our special date. Surprisingly Eric liked it and we had fun reminiscing at what God had done in our lives to that point. Marriage is a journey that takes a lot of work and has many pleasures along the way. It is worth taking the time to celebrate the milestones! I hope you are feeling better soon! Jenni Birch
Thank you for sharing your wedding album! I can't wait to read the rest of your story!
I'm sorry that you guys haven't been feeling well.
I was lucky - my mother-in-law and my sister both made me wedding albums as gifts. I think maybe they knew I'd never get around to it.
I love the Alan Jackson song, btw. I've never made it through that song without crying. Everytime I get to the part "old ones die, new are born" I lose it. Thanks for the afternoon catharsis! ;)
How stinky to get the flu on your anniversary! I'm sorry! I hope you feel better soon!
The album looks great and it seems like you've completed a lot already - you're much farther along than I am with mine! =)
Loved looking through your wedding album. Weddings never get old. Great song for the background too!
Nice touch. Glad you're feeling a bit better!
I'm so sorry you guys have been sick. I loved seeing more of your wedding photos, though. Your dress was beautiful! Happy Anniversary!
Wow- good job! It looks great so far! I told myself I was going to do ours this winter... and the winter is becoming spring and I still haven't gotten the pictures printed yet.
Three things:
I am so sorry you got sick, good thing you didn't take a long drive or take a bubble bath to celebrate and experience a de ja vu! Oh for the memories.
You said twitterpated! What a great word picture!
I love how you summed up the difference between 'the day' and what has happened since. I couldn't have said it better myself and I feel so blessed to feel the same way about my husband.
It was good to walk though those memories again...good times! I hope you are feeling better soon. What is it with sickness lately. After having strep throat twice in a month, I came down with something yesterday. Feel flu-ish but so far everything has stayed down. My ears are plugged though. I need to keep reminding myself to count my blessings and focus on how God is teaching me to lean on him when I have zero energy to be a mom. Big hugs your way.
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