Happy Anniversary!

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I am so excited that today we celebrate our 8 year anniversary! 8 years ago I married my best friend and now look at us: 2 daughters, a dog, a house, a picket fence, you know--the American dream :)
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So here are 8 interesting tidbits about us and our wedding day
(I got this idea from Kelly's blog).

1. Jason and I started dating when I was 15 and a junior in high school. Jason was a senior. We attended our proms, homecomings, snowball dances together.

My senior prom (Jason was a freshman at UC).
This picture was taken for the 1995 yearbook.
Notice my hair in a french twist and yes, that was a dress completely covered in sequins.

2. Jason proposed to me at my sorority formal. It was during a candlelight ceremony. For those in a sorority you probably know what these are but if you weren't here is the idea. All of the girls stand around in a circle and a candle is passed around. The first time the candle goes around, it is for lavaleer (when a guy in a fraternity gives his letters to a girl in the sorority). The girl who blows out the candle is the one that got lavaleered. If no one got lavaleered, then the candle goes around again but this time for engagement. So whoever blows out the candle got engaged. It is a very exciting time. Well, I was not engaged so I just was watching to see who was. The candle came to me and Liz, one of my best friends, took me to the middle of the circle. I was not sure what to expect. Then Jason, in front of 150 girls and their dates, proposed on one knee. I have no idea what he said, but I said yes!!

3. Jason and I got married on the most beautiful day. It was 80 degrees with a slight breeze. We both wanted to get married outside but I was nervous about the weather. If I only would have known!

Our wedding party.
Ok, so I could only find one picture of our wedding that wasn't permanently in an album
or permanently in a picture frame (the next pic). This picture was laminated and has been in my wallet for 8 years, so sorry about the blurriness. I know I have our wedding proofs "somewhere" in this house.

4. We got married at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in the small town I grew up in (Terrace Park, OH...outside of Cincinnati). This was also the church my parents got married in, both of our girls were baptized and Jason was baptized.

5. The reception was at Terrace Park Country Club. It was a day reception and was a lot of fun. We had 200 guests and felt so lucky to have so many friends and family there!


6. Our honeymoon was in Cancun. It was a perfect place to celebrate our new lives together. We stayed at an all inclusive resort, the Grand Oasis, which I highly recommend! How can you go wrong when drinks are included and there is a swim-up bar?

Here we are in Cancun. Don't we look tan? Oh the days when I could pull my hair back!

7. Since being married, we have lived in New Albany, IN (across the river from Louisville), Fort Wayne, Indiana and now Fishers, IN. Our first house was here in Fishers.

8. And the best fact: that I married my soul mate! That term is thrown around a lot but Jason truly is my soul mate. He has been my best friend since I was 14 years old and I knew that he was the one from the moment we started dating. It always seemed natural and comfortable. I feel truly blessed to have a husband who is a perfect match for me, is a wonderful provider, loves our family completely, is an amazing father, a supportive best friend and just loves me for me. What more could you ask for from a husband? I feel very lucky and blessed to have Jason and our two wonderful girls to wake up to every single day

We had agreed to just do cards this year but Jason surprised me and got me a laptop. I was really wanting one to help with blogging and e-mailing. He must really love me, given he thinks that blogging is taking too much time :)

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From our wedding program:

From this day forward our souls will be united, our heart embraced.
No longer will we feel with one heart, but with that of two.
May we overcome life's obstacles,
Hand in hand, heart to heart, soul to soul.

May our love become strength when we feel weak,
Happiness when we feel sad, completeness when we feel alone.
May our love be a desire to others, an inspiration to ourselves.
May today be a constant reminder of the friendship
we have built and the love we share.