Happy 20th Annivesary, JB!

Twenty years ago today JB and I were married in a small ceremony, in a small church, just outside of a small town in the country. He barely got to come home on leave so we could get married. I was 17 (just a month shy of 18) and he was 23. He wore his Class A Army uniform and I wore a white dress that I also graduated in just a little over a month before. It was a thrown together rushed wedding as JB had to get back to the Army.

My mom, dad, sister, her husband, my neighbor (who later became my step-father), my friend and her boyfriend, and some other family friends were there. I would say around 10 or so people came to the wedding. That was the first and only time my father got to meet John. My dad passed away 11 months later in a car accident of Father's Day. I am so glad we married when we did.

Was it the wedding I had always dreamed of? No. Not even close. I had a panic attack and about threw up all over John's shoes. I looked to my mom as to say help me! She kind of shrugged like what do I do? I figured JB was probably thinking what did I get myself into?

But that wasn't what he was thinking. As I was there dying of embarrassment and trying to gain composure while not throwing up all over poor JB, he started rubbing my hands and looking into my eyes. He was saying, "I am here! I will take care of you! I love you!" The look on his face told me that I was safe and all would be fine. That look told me he was the man of my dreams. It may not have been the wedding I had envisioned as a young girl, but he is the Prince that I have always dreamed of having.

The honeymoon was no picnic either. We spent it with his family and they didn't even know we were married. This year we were able to go on our honeymoon. Sure, it was 20 years later, but we went on a Cruise to Cozumel and the Caymen Islands. It was BEAUTIFUL! We had a marvelous time. I do not think we could have enjoyed it as much then as we did this year. Why? Because we are one more so now, than we were 20 years ago. I was in love with him then, but now it is a different love. I am not only deeply in love with him, but I love him. I cannot imagine every having lived this life without him in it, but even more by his side as his help meet. I Praise The Lord for sending JB my way. Neither of us were Christians at the time, but The Lord knew one day we would be and what a great team we would make.

Happy Anniversary, JB. I love you more and more each day! Thank you for being the man The Lord wants you to be and for being the husband He wants you to be. I will gladly spend the rest of ours lives trying to be the wife you deserve.

'Til next time...