We did... and still would!

On December 28, 1991, I married the man of my dreams and it was one of the best days of my life. Twenty-one years later, I would do it all over again.

 This wonderful life we built together started with, "I do".

I can't wait to see what is in store for us in the future! Happy anniversary to the love of my life, Steve!

10 Years in Fergus Falls

Our family moved to Fergus Fall from Marshall, MN on August 23, 2002 - 10 years ago today.  It was a huge change for us as we had lived in Marshall for 11 years.  Marshall was where Steve & I began our married life together in 1991.  First in a two bedroom apartment on Saratoga Street where we lived for 6 years.  Next, we bought a tiny, sweet little 3 bedroom house on Hill Street, where over the next 5 years our  family expanded to 4. Marshall was the town Steve & I got our first jobs after graduating from Northern State University (Steve at Tholen Auto Sales as a salesman and me at The Manifest Group as an Account Executive).  There were a lot of growing pains, milestones and changes during those years in Marshall.  We developed a wonderful network of friends, who still mean the world to us.  However, after the girls were born in 1997 and 2000, the dynamics shifted and we began to crave living closer to our extended family, who lived 4+ hours away.

When the opportunity came up for Steve to become a counselor at the Fergus Falls High School, we took the leap of faith and moved our family.  We were lucky to have been able to sell our home in Marshall and buy a new for our family in Fergus Falls within 4 very short and hectic weeks.  Abby was 5 years old and we had 1 week to get her enrolled in Kindergarten and we chose Our Lady of Victory School, which was one of the best choices we made for our family.  Angelique was 1 month from 2 years old when we moved, and she doesn't even remember her home town of Marshall!

Now Abby is starting her Sophomore year at Kennedy Secondary School; Angelique is in her last year at OLV as a 6th grader; Steve is teaching Psychology at M-State; I am still employed at USBank where I continue to telecommute from home. There have been so many blessings, changes, ups and downs, twists and turns in our lives since moving to Fergus Falls 10 years ago, but one thing I know for certain - we are exactly where we are supposed to be!


*Interesting fact:  Since we have been married, we have lived in three different locations, but our home on Park Street is the place we have lived the longest of all.

Kauai Part 1

We thought our vacation to celebrate our 20 anniversary together was wonderful, AMAZING and so very memorable. Sure there were things that didn't work out exactly as we had hoped, but overall it was the trip of a lifetime. I took over 1100 pics in Kauai, plus Steve made many short video clips. I also tried to keep a daily journal of the activities/events/moments, but I have to say, it is difficult to express and share how wonderful it was. The one thing I do know is that the visual snip-its from our vacation invoke feelings of bubbly laughter, warmth, relaxation and love for me.
We landed in Kauai in the late afternoon on Saturday, May 14th. The airport in Lihue was basically open air, so the heavy warm air was the first thing we noticed. Then the wonderful smells tickled my senses because there were beautiful flowers everywhere. On the tops of trees, on the shrubs, simply all over! Steve bought me a flower lei while were were waiting for our checked bag (I'll have to explain more later about our LEARNS on how to pack light). Having the lei wrapped around my neck made the flower fragrance almost too overpowering for me. The beauty of the landscape was surreal. It looked like a movie set and we were still at the airport!
I have always been captivated by flowers and I tried to photograph the amazing varieties. It is no surprise that Kauai is called the garden Isle. On the second day, we toured part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens called the McBryde gardens. The curator told us that during the month of May, there are more flowers blooming on Kauai than at any other time. I gave a silent prayer of thanks to God for leading us here for our anniversary vacation because there were so many other locations we were originally trying to go to. My heart literally swells when I look at the intricate beauty of a flower. I had originally told Steve that we didn't have to go to the botanical gardens together, he could just drop me off and do something else. Steve said, "I want to go with you. It makes me happy to see how excited you get about flowers." Really?? Made me fall even more in love with him.
Since were were staying on the south side of the island (Kiahuna Plantation Resort Condominiums in Po'ipu), we were able to take in every sunset. Some sunsets were more spectacular than others because it depended upon the cloud cover. We also were able to experience the full moon and enjoyed the impact of it on the tide. The beach was ever changing and we made a point to walk the beach together every evening. Nothing is more romantic to us than the sound, smell, feel and beauty of walking along the beautiful beach barefoot, listening to the waves crash, while holding hands with each other.

(Tip: If you click on the collage, it will open up larger to enable better viewing of the photos.)

19 years & counting

I feel so very blessed to have had the foresight to pick this man to date when I was a senior in high school and 18 years old. Today we are celebrating the 19th anniversary of our wedding and I love him more than ever. He is kind, generous, giving, loving, hilarious, insightful, strong, intelligent, comforting and so much more.
The first song we danced to on our wedding night was (Everything I do) I do it for you by Brian Adams and the lyrics still resonate with me.

Look into my eyes - you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

Look into your heart - you will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless you're there
All the time - all the way

Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for

I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you

Ya know it's true Everything I do - I do it for you.

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

18th anniversary recap

We got dressed up to go out for supper at the Italian restaurant in downtown Alexandria called Bella's on Broadway. I got to break out my new peep-toed, snakeskin, slingback pumps... MEOW!
The atmosphere was very romantic and the food did not disappoint.
We shared crab cakes with roasted red peppers and pineapple salsa for an appetizer. I tried the grilled pear salad with balsamic dressing topped with candied walnuts & goat cheese and for an entree chicken Marsala with portabella mushrooms served with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes... heavenly! Steve had cranberry salad with creamy poppy seed dressing & feta cheese and for an entree pesce parmigiano also served with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes.
The pièce de résistance was the decadent chocolate cake we had for dessert... incredible!
When we got home later that evening, we were greeted by messages and pictures from Kippy, which really touched my heart.
It was a very memorable anniversary!

Then & now...

Our wedding day, December 28, 1991.

I have loved this man for 23 years and today we are celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary. If interested, you can read the story about how I met Steve my senior year at a basketball game 60 miles from my home town here.

We have always done something special to celebrate our wedding. Sometimes it has been very simple and other times it has been more elaborate. Sometimes we celebrate the occasion with other friends or family members, but mostly we choose to dress up and splurge on supper.
On our 10th anniversary, I added another annual tradition.
I made an anniversary scrapbook and included a picture of us each year with some highlights of what happened to us during that year.
Since 2001, I have added one page a year and along with the highlights from the year, I started including exactly what we did to celebrate our anniversary.
There are always ups and downs in life, but the constant for the past 18 years, is the value Steve & I have for one another and in our marriage.
I am thankful that as an 18 year old, I knew not to let this guy get away! I love you, Honey!!

"He was just seventeen...

and you know what I mean..." Steve was just 17 when I first met him on a wintry night in Edgeley, ND in 1986. Since it is our 17 year anniversary, I thought I would share the story of how I met Steve.

My best friend, Tami, had wanted me to go with her to the Edgeley Sr High vs. Alumni basketball exhibition game on December 26, 1986. She wanted to tell-off her ex-boyfriend, who was playing in the game. I think it was more of a situation where she wanted the "Ex" to realize what he was giving up. I went along for moral support, plus I was excited to be able to go some where different... Edgeley is about 45 miles from Oakes, where Tami and I were H.S. seniors at the time.

The game was in progress when we got there and we met some guys that Tami knew in the hallway. I hadn't met any of them before, but I definitely noticed the tall dark-haired guy. They (Paul, Kevin, Cory & Steve) asked if we wanted to go drive around with them. Being the rebels we were at the time, Tami and I said, "Sure."

I strategically positioned myself in the back seat between Steve and Cory, but made sure I was closer to Steve. I complained about being too cold and continued to snuggle closer and closer to Steve. Eventually, Steve got the hint and put his arm around me. JOY!! The driving-around-thing ended up in Nortonville at Steve's house. Of course, his mom wasn't home, so that made it the perfect place for a party of sorts. Um... is this the part where I confess to under-age drinking?? No? Ok, I won't say anything about that. I will admit to making-out with Steve and oh, how I liked his kisses. Sigh...

I called Steve the next day {'cause I was the pursuer} which initiated a relationship which blossomed into true love by the time we both graduated from High School. Steve recalls the night we first met a little differently than I do... He said he noticed me right away in the hallway, but since he saw I was wearing a letterman's jacket that said "Randy" on it, he thought I had a boyfriend. He said that was why he was reluctant to make the first move in the vehicle. The jacket I was wearing was my older brother, Randy's jacket. Ha!

We spent our first year of college apart because he went to NDSU and I went to NSU. Despite nervous parents, Steve transferred to NSU our sophomore year. Steve proposed on Christmas Eve 1990 and we got married on December 28, 1991.... that leads us to 17 happily married years! I am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man. He is amazing in so many ways. I am so glad I snagged him on that wintry night on December 26, 1986!

I was 23 and Steve was 22 on our wedding day, December 28, 1991. The trees were frosted and so beautiful! We originally wanted to get married on the anniversary of the night we met, but since the 26th was a Thursday, we moved the wedding day to a Saturday to be a little more convenient to our families and friends. I always tell Steve, "I'm glad I picked you!" and that hasn't changed in the 23 years since we met.... Happy Anniversary, Honey!