Wednesday's Walk - My Wedding Ring - The LONG story...

So... My wedding ring has a story. A LONG story.

I'm sure you can't believe that. Nothing around here has "a story"... does it?

Ok. Everything has a story. You know us pretty well by now.

The ring that I was given on the day we were engaged was perfect. I LOVED it. Princess cut center stone with princess cut channeled set diamonds down each side.

Jeremy got my ring from an estate jeweler and had it shipped to his mom in Iowa. Then, he and a friend went to pick it up from her the week before we got engaged. Very creative. And exactly the ring I wanted.

But, it didn't have a band with it. Just the engagement ring.

That was fine but we now had to find wedding bands for both of us. and we did. find them. You see, my mom and my husband had, er have, a thing for pawn shops. There was a pawn shop in the town my parents lived in and we didn't have a whole lot of money at the time... so my wedding band is from a pawn shop. As is Jeremy's wedding band.

Again, you know us pretty well and I'm sure you are not surprised at this information.

We were happily wed with my engagement ring and our pawn shop wedding bands.

I have had big dreams of at some point, getting a new wedding band to match my ring. One with princess cut channeled diamonds.

I think I remember saying something like, "Maybe for our ten year anniversary I can get a new band. Ok, Jeremy?"

"We'll see..."

Now, we are about to hit that milestone and after 3 kids, a house, cars, a broken air conditioning unit, and who knows how many other wild expenses you can't even begin to know when you first get married... that new band is not happening any time soon.

But I am fine with that. I love my plain band and I'm not sure I would want anything different.

There was a day, about 2 years into our marriage, that I thought I'd be sweet and get Jeremy a new ring. His is very plain and the gold is quite thin.

I went to the jewelry store, picked one out, spent the money and surprised him with a new ring.

He "liked" it but to this day, he wears his plain one. Why? Because it spins. It spins really well. Like Raymond on that episode where he looses his ring because he was spinning it? It spins like that. Again, you are not surprised.

He has said, "Jen. Keep time. See how long I can get it to spin."

Not long after I attempted to replace Jeremy's band, I took my ring to a local jewelry store to be cleaned.

They did not do it right and somehow, they cleaned off the gold that was holding in my channeled diamonds. I noticed a few days later that my ring didn't look right and so I took it to a different store and was told that I was about to loose the diamonds.

The whole ring needed to be remade. This was ok because I had just had Elayna and my ring didn't fit well anyway. They remade my ring, exactly like before only a little bigger, and that is the ring I wear today.

I love my ring. Both my rings. I don't care where they came from or how I got them... I love my rings. I love our rings. They are us. They tell a story that is SO us.

Why am I telling you all about my ring?

Because I have a problem. Remember, my ring was remade in the midst of my 4 years of giving birth to 3 babies?

Well, now I've lost the baby weight and I'm back very close to what I weighed when we got married.

What is the problem with that? My ring is too big! It slips right off my finger, especially if I'm cold or my hands are wet. Not sure what we are going to do about it yet but I'm sure Jeremy has a plan.

Because you know us well enough to know that he has a plan. The ring story must continue...

What things in your life have a story? Link up your memories right here! I can't wait to read your walks down memory lane.

Wednesday's Walk - Love Letters

On our wedding day, I gave Jeremy a gift. It was a book called "Letters to my Love". I tried to find the book online but couldn't. This book is small and full of scripture, love quotes and beautifully worded letters.

"Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death..." is written across the first page.

I had someone give this book to Jeremy for me before he saw me at the wedding.

In the back of the book I wrote, "A year ago today I met you. Thank you for being the godly man I've always dreamed of and giving me the pleasure of loving you. While you are reading this, picture me getting ready to be your wife. Picture my smile because it is the day I've been waiting for and praying for..."

"This is my beloved, and this is my friend..." Song of Solomon 5:16

One of the sweet letters reads, "I want to protect what we share. And when I pray for you - for us - I place our love gently, safely in God's hands."

Another page says, "There is no greater feeling of togetherness than the one we find with someone who shares our hopes for the future and our, as yet unrealized, dreams."

Another letter says, "It doesn't seem to matter what we do. We can just be together. And that's the best part of being in love with you."

In our 9 years of marriage, we have come across some hard times. The long days and nights with 3 children under 3, very little time alone together and the high tension moments of dividing up kid duty when both of us were so tired. The times when accidents happened, money was tight, things were said unkindly and feelings were trampled.

But, through those times, we have grown closer together. We have bonded and are creating the "oneness" that God intended marriage to have.

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." Song of Solomon 6:3

We are learning what that means. We are learning how to really apply I Corinthians 13 to our relationship, our marriage, our family and our hearts.

Marriage takes work and time. It takes a lifetime...

"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made: Our times are in His hand who saith, "A whole I planned," Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!" - Robert Browning

The very last letter says, "When we have been in love for many years, I hope we will spend Saturday mornings sitting in the sunshine, holding hands when we go for a walk, lying barefoot in the grass when night falls listening to the crickets sing and watching the stars twinkle in the deep, blue sky... knowing we have a love that will last forever."

I am so very blessed to tell you that we did all of those things just this summer. Saturdays in the sun, holding hands, and even lying barefoot in the grass watching the stars. (Even if I was less than impressed with the comets that he was so excited to see...) We do have a love that will last forever and I am so thankful for him and for the God who led us to each other.

Happy Anniversary, Babe!

Now on to the giveaway! Jeremy and I had the priveledge of attending a lunch for pastors put on by World Vision. World Vision is partnering with Max Lucado and together, they are doing a special "Make a Difference" tour this fall. They are coming to Dayton and they might be coming to a city near you too! At that lunch, I got my hands on some GREAT giveaways and the wonderful people from World Vision said that I could give away one of Max Lucado's new books to one of my blog readers!

The book is "Out Live Your Life" and you can win one here!

How?

Link up a Wednesday's Walk (grab the button, write about any memory (new or old) and come back to link up), comment on this post, follow here/twitter... leave a comment for each thing you did!

I'll be drawing a winner using Random.org on Saturday so you have until then to enter.



So, get that Wednesday's Walk post done and hurry back to link up!

Another piece of the story of us...

Our wedding day was full of fun and mishaps and love and tears and beauty. It was sunny, 75 degrees and gorgeous.

I loved my dress. And, I loved my veil.

I wore the veil that my mom wore for her wedding. Hand-made and beautiful.

My bouquet was made just like my mom's.

My poor, sad (joyful on the inside) dad walking me down the isle... and, me about to cry, happy tears of course...

Our wedding pictures were simple and perfect.

 

We rode in Jason's Ford Mustang to the reception. I'm so thankful we did that...

And, balloons were released in honor of our wedding day.

My aunt and my sister worked to get my veil off for the reception. It was so heavy and everyone pulled on it when they tried to hug me. But, I'm so glad that I wore it.

And, that is another piece of the story of us.