Celebrating Wedded Bliss

I may embarrass my husband today.  It won’t be the first time, and he’s pretty thick-skinned.  He can take it.  I'm going to share some pictures that perhaps should remain private, but on this special date, I'm pulling out the stops.  (To see the incriminating photos, you'll have to visit my actual blog)  

Eighteen years ago today we committed to spending the rest of our lives together.  To this day neither  of us can figure out how we got so lucky.  It’s one of those, “I can’t believe you love me as much as I love you” things.  So that’s the part where I embarrass him with all of this gushy, lovey-dovey stuff.  Now for the part where I embarrass myself:

For those of you who read Ty’s blog (www.LifeAsTySeesIt.com), you know that he regularly refers to me as “My Lovely Bride.”   This nickname came later on in our relationship; most certainly not on our wedding night …

We were married in the U.S. Naval Academy chapel—not in the big one upstairs followed by a mad dash under an arch of crossed swords.  Ours was a more intimate ceremony with family in a smaller chapel downstairs near John Paul Jones’ crypt.   

The flight for our Caribbean honeymoon didn’t leave until the next day, but we wanted to get away by ourselves, so we reserved the VIP suite at the Naval Academy’s visiting officers’ quarters.  We checked into our room late in the day.  I noticed a certain twinkle in my new husband’s eyes as his gaze fell on the Victoria’s Secret bag in my hand.  “Is there something in there that I’ll like?” he asked.  I smiled mischievously and replied, “You’ll find out later.”

As the sun was setting I pulled out the Victoria's Secret bag and told him that I needed a few minutes to get ready for bed.  I asked him to run down to the car and retrieve something that I had left there.  Ty had an extra spring in his step as he headed out the door.  The reaction when he returned is one I will never forget.  He took one look at his new wife lying on the bed and his legs literally went out from under him.  He dropped to his knees in a fit of laughter that left him unable to speak for several minutes.

The photo here shows  you the transformation that I underwent in the few minutes he was gone.  Perhaps he had envisioned something other than his new bride enjoying Readers’ Digest in a pair of Navy sweats with her hair in curlers and cold cream on her face.   I don’t know. 

When he finally regained his senses, I took his hands in mine and said, “Sweetheart, today I promise you one thing:  Life with me will never be boring.”  (Could I have been psychic way back then?) 

That day set the tone for the next 18 years, with Ty doing his part to bring laughter and joy into our marriage on a daily basis.  The photo here is not of his reaction that night, but some time later when the roles were reversed and he was making me laugh with his crazy, wind-blown hair on a sailboat, acting as if he'd been electrocuted.  You can see how little he has  changed over the years -- at least personality-wise. 

Life is full of changes, and ours have certainly changed in ways we never imagined back in 1996.  Ty married an active duty naval officer, not a medium, yet he has been my greatest supporter and my source of strength throughout all of these unexpected twists and turns in our lives.  Even our love for each other has changed:  it has grown stronger and deeper with time.  Sure, like all couples, we each have our little “things” that cause the other to stretch and grow, but that’s one of the reasons God draws us to our partners.  They are our greatest teachers. 

So today we are spending our anniversary in Oregon.  We’ve lost track of how many states we’ve traveled across on this summer’s tour.  Some days I don’t know where I am, until I take my husband’s hands like I did eighteen years ago today, look into his eyes, and I find myself once again in the state of “Cherishdom.” 

Sorry about embarrassing you, Ty, but sometimes I can’t help myself.   Thank you for the best 18 years of my life.  There's no one with whom I would rather share this wonderful journey.