14th Anniversary, Our Story, & A Giveaway!
  

14th Anniversary, Our Story, & A Giveaway!

Tomorrow is our 14th wedding anniversary! We got together with Ariana Del Mundo and her husband Alex for family photos in October and she got so many nice shots of Ken and I that I wanted to share them in their own post and save the family shots for another day.

Stay with me 'til the end of this post because I have some exciting giveaway news for you!



Ken and I met when we were 14 years old. Our church youth group would hold monthly dances for the youth aged 14-18 years old who lived within several cities. We were both so shy back then that we hardly talked to each other unless while we were dancing!




Back then my family didn't own a computer yet, so we exchanged mailing addresses and started to send each other "snail mail". We didn't exchange addresses until we'd known each other for 9 months (but we had only seen each other once or twice during each of those months) and we were still too shy to talk to each other, so our friends had to do the address-asking for us!


It's a good thing we met each other so early because we sure moved slowly! Eventually my family got a computer and we moved on from paper letters to email and chatting on ICQ (how many of you remember ICQ?!).  We got to know each other from a distance and were still pretty shy whenever we saw each other in person!


We went on several group dates with our friends when we were 16 and then single dates when we were 17. We became close friends and it was hard to imagine going 2 years without seeing him when he went on his mission (age 19 to 21) to Mexico City. I wrote to him every week while he was gone (but went on dates with a few other guys during those 2 years).


I remember being nervous to see him again when he got home from Mexico. It was less than a month after he got home until we were engaged and 4 months after that, we were married!

You know how it goes with time- sometimes it's hard to believe that was 14 years ago, and sometimes it seems like forever. It blows us away every time we stop and think about how old our kids are! We've been through many stages of life together and there's so much to come and so many questions about what our future holds and what's around the corner for us. With so many unknowns I'm just so glad that I know we get to be on this adventure together!


12 Days of Giveaways!


Our photographer, Ariana, is hosting 12 Days of Giveaways over on her Instagram in December! She's got a lot of great shops on board who will be giving away some great prizes (including gift certificates for Ariana's photography!). You can find all the details about the giveaways on her blog now (including the shops participating). Be sure to follow her on Instagram to see what she's giving away each day and enter for your chance to win!


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43 comments:

  1. What a beautiful story ♥ I love that even after 2 years apart you knew right away that you were meant to be together - true love trumps everything.

    Happy Anniversary!~

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    1. haha :) Love you my friend! (& thanks for helping me get that address!! ;)

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  3. Lovely story -sounds like you are very well suited

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  4. What a beautiful romantic story, loved reading it and congratulations on your anniversary. :-)

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  5. These pictures are breathtaking! I looooove them. You forgot the very beginning part where the big sister told her 12-year-old brother to check out the super cute girl she met at camp! ;)

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    1. Thank you! I was really happy with them and it's SO NICE to have recent ones of us! Is that last part really true? I don't think I'd ever heard about that!

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    2. Really? Oh yes! He had his eye on you from the start because of my nudging. And I take total credit for your relationship because of it. Ha ha! (Thankfully it's a good one! )

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  6. Happy Anniversary!!! :D Those pictures are lovely!! :D I love that genuine smile on both your faces!! It's wonderful!! :D

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  7. Happy Anniversary!! you two look so young it's hard to believe 14 years together!

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    1. Aw, well thank you Lynda! That's a lovely comment to read! :)

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  8. Congratulations! What a lovely story and I imagine many more chapters to go!

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  9. Beautiful story. Happy anniversary to you both. I have no idea what ICQ even was....

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  10. Such a sweet story! Love that you knew each other when you were young. Happy anniversary

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  11. oh my gosh these pictures of your two are absolutely beautiful!!! Your photographer did a fabulous job photographing you two <3

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  12. Happy Anniversary, what a nice story you two have. Funny, I haven't heard ICQ mentioned, in what seems like forever. lol

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    1. Thank you. Glad to know there's someone else here who knows what ICQ is! :) haha

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  13. Wow, 14 years together Happy Anniversary to you both!! :D Those are absolutely lovely photos of you guys. Definitely a moment to treasure. I'll be checking out Ariana's blog to learn more about her photography and the giveaway, thanks for the heads up! :)

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  14. Happy Anniversary to you both and may you have many more wonderful years together.

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  15. Congrats and Happy Anniversary! These are beautiful pictures and a you two are a beautiful couple! To many more wonderful years <3

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  16. Those are such nice pictures of you two! Happy Anniversary!

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  17. I can't believe you were so young when you met and really young when you got married. Usually people wait until their older and done school etc. it must have been tough going through all of those things and most with kids too. The best part is coming out the other side still close but knowing you've done so much but having most of the really hard things behind you.
    Congratulations to you both and many happy years ahead !

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    1. Yep, if we waited for school to be done we would be 14 years behind! ;)
      Thanks Debbie!

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  18. These photos are breathtaking, my friend!!! Your love story is so heartwarming. I love that you knew each other at such a young age. And look at you two now - 14 years together! Happy anniversary! So beautiful!

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  19. What a beautiful love story! Happy anniversary to you both!

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  20. So cute how you both were too shy to talk to each other! That’s how the best love stories begin ! lol

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  21. Hubby and I have been together 17 years, married for 10 of those so so I totally get what you mean that it can feel like forever and no time at all at the same time!. Lovely photos, and I hope you have a happy anniversary.

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  22. Happy Belated 14 years Anniversary!
    I must comment your eyes are incredible. I am sure all the time but those pictures really make them pop. Great pictures!

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  23. Such a beautiful story! It sounds like you both found your soul mate! Happy Anniversary!

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Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment- I love reading them! :)
~Heather Lynne

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