19 years ago today!!
THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!
I'm asking you to share your life with me
Now and forever I guarantee
I'll always stay by your side
I promise my love to you
I'm willing and able and ready to
Whatever you need I am here for you
And I'll always be
From here to eternity
It's long but here goes the beginnings of our love story. I left A LOT out because I remember every detail and date and conversation. I will spare you all of that. This is the shortest I could make it.
I was introduced to Ryan by my roommate. We were going to different Universities in different cities 3 hours apart. She, grew up with him, states away. It had been years since they had seen each other, but were happy to be reconnected. When we met we were both seeing other people. We were looking for friends to hang out with over summer break.
Every day I would go to Ryan's apartment after work and a large group of us would go roller blading, hiking, watch movies, sit around and visit, whatever we could think of, really. We had some great adventures. About a month after I met him, (June) he was involved in a pretty terrible car accident where he was T- boned. I came to his place after work, like normal, and that's when I found out, that hours earlier, he had been in this wreck. I was stunned. Why hadn't he called and told me? And I scolded him for not doing so. Then I thought, why on earth would he have called me? He was blessed to walk away with a few bumps and bruises, but I know his life was spared that day.
Just two weeks to the day later (July), after hanging out and roller-blading thru the sprinklers I looked a blazing mess when dressed in his dry over-sized t-shirt and gym shorts and my own lace up Doc Martin boots, his socks to my knee and mascara running down my face, I too was involved in a car accident. I had fallen asleep on the freeway, not for long, but just long enough to not move out of the way and rear end a car ahead of me going slower than I was. The responding officer took one look at me and probably thought he needed to issue a sobriety test! He told me over and over how lucky I was to be alive, that "the person driving that car (pointing to mine) shouldn't be here anymore" A few broken bones and pride that was hurt, but I too was alive and well. I still, rarely if ever, drive at night.
Two weeks later (still July) Ryan left Utah for Washington to see his brother home from his mission, and then head to Mexico to work for a month. He was gone for just two days I was crying to my mom about how much I missed Ryan, that I loved him and was going to marry him. Her response "Don't you think you should go on a date first?" We talked on the phone every day while he was gone and early on I said "when you get home I think we should go on a date". He sent me a birthday present about a month later that knocked my socks off. It was so romantic. (August 23rd) All little things that he had learned about me with a little gift to identify each one. If I wasn't smitten before...now!! A week before he was to come back from Mexico, he called to let me know they needed him for an extra month. Now instead of coming back to Utah and starting fall semester he was staying in Mexico, flying directly back to Washington and would return to Utah in January for school. I was distraught!! I have been waiting for him for 6 weeks already and now not until January? A few more weeks passed with our phone calls back and forth and then this one "I had my mom change my flight. I am coming to Utah for 10 days before I go home to Washington" Later down the road I learned his conversation with his mother was something like "I need to go to Utah first, there is a girl there and I have got to see what she is thinking!
He flew in and brought me gifts from Mexico. We hung out with our group all weekend. We spent a little time alone and talked about marriage. Monday we had our first kiss and Tuesday we went out alone for the first time to a company dinner where he introduced me to all the guys he had worked with in Mexico as "his fiance". It was a whirlwind 10 days (end of September into October)!! He then went home to Washington until after Christmas. We spoke every day for hours! His poor dad had a collect phone number for the office and we used and abused that thing! I am sure we cost them hundreds of dollars in fees. Ryan officially proposed on December 31, 1999 with the cutest scavenger hunt for puzzle pieces that ended with a poem. I learned that the ring was under the seat of the car that I was sitting on while driving all around the county looking for my puzzle pieces! How had it been there all along, what a tease!! I still love how much he loves to tease and surprise me! We were married just 5 weeks later on February 5, 2000 for time and eternity in the Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple in American Fork, Utah. 19 years later we have had numerous adventures, lots of surprises and an amazing journey that I would still say is just beginning.
A few pictures of our years together with our beautiful boys!
My mom recently asked me if I could define her in one word. Or my dad? Myself? I thought a lot about this. As I was contemplating I thought about my Ryan. One word? Well, I need two. "Covenant Keeper". If that doesn't explain him, than nothing does. Ryan loves the Lord with all that he is. He serves, loves, gives, lives for Christ. And so that others will want to know Him because they know Ryan. 19 years ago Ryan and I made covenants to each other and with God to be with and support each other FOREVER. He has loved me more every day. He has served me more every day.
In the movie the Princess Bride the hero Wesley always tells her "As you wish." Anyone that knows me and Ryan will tell you that he doesn't just tell me that, he DOES THAT! If I can dream it, He does it! I mention it in passing, he see's that it happens. He is a great listener and surprises me daily with the little cues he picks up on even when I didn't know I left it for him to find. I truly am his Princess and I am so grateful that he treats me as such!
I love and adore that he is a man of honor, character, integrity, grit, charity, love, compassion, hard work, intelligence, I could go on and on. He is passing these traits onto his boys by example and DOING! An incredible man and father and an even better Eternal Companion. I love you Ryan!
Every little thing that you do
I'M AMAZED BY YOU!
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