Worth the Wait

I met Andrew when I was 14 and he was 15. We went to the homecoming dance together that year, and every other year too, I watched him play football and baseball, he watched my softball games. We went to proms, had date nights, and survived high school together. After high school Andrew joined the Army and I went off to college. I waited almost 5 months when he was off at basic, he was home a few years, popped the big question, and then deployed. 11 months later I watched him walk off the bus and back into my arms. 1 month after that, he watch my dad walk me down the isle and hand off his little girl to him. 

For 7 years I've been able to call him mine, maybe not always close to home, but nevertheless always mine. Sometimes those days apart felt like forever. I hated planning a wedding without him, I hated moving into our first home without him. Last weekend, October 19, 2013, made it all worth the wait. So many times throughout the last year I thought, "we should have eloped." "a courthouse wedding would be so much easier." Yes, it's true a courthouse wedding would have been easier, elopement would have been much less planning, and cheaper, but I had the best day I could have ever asked for. Great family, great friends, and finally my husband! 

I wanted to share some pictures with everyone. These are not our professional pictures, just pictures that everyone has been nice enough to share with me. Enjoy, because I know it was certainly the best day of my life!

Rehearsal was miserably cold but dinner was great. We are missing Kirstin here, she disappeared. 

Melvin decided he needed in on the action too.

So get this. This is my best friend. She has been studying abroad in London this semester. Well, she traveled to Paris and she put a lock on the lock bridge for Andrew and I. She gave me the keys so now we have to go back to Paris to throw our keys in the river! I couldn't have been happier that she was home to share our special day!

Love love love my sisters!

Best Friend!

Little Ashley :) my first college roommate. Love you!

The flowers were beautiful!

So was the cake! Until later, you'll see. 

Table Decorations.

The ceremony site.

These were the bouquets. Andrew's grandmother passed away just a few weeks ago, and I wanted to find a way to make her a special part of our big day. We know she was watching from the best seat in the house, but I took these pearls from a necklace and added them to my bouquet and to Kirstin's. We sure missed her there that day. 

The walk down the isle!

The vows!

The kiss!

The Turnboughs!

I love you!

Best/Most Beautiful Bridesmaids Ever!

I told you that you'd see later. Cake was pretty, but not all over my face.

First dance.

Yes, there was a photo booth. Those photos are for another day!

Basically my second family + my dad. I love this family like my own.

Hoover forever! 

This beauty caught the bouquet. She's next!! ;)

Tradition. Love you both!

The reason I am surviving nursing school.

So happy I got to see her! I missed you!

My best friend and our men :)

You would have been very safe, look at all these almost nurses! 

14 days

I'm sitting here wondering how in the blink of an eye Andrew left for training, came home, asked me to be his wife, deployed to Afghanistan, and came home again. Of course, if you asked me a 2 months ago I would have told you it's been the longest 9 months of my life. But now I can hardly believe that 2 weeks from today I will be walking down the isle and saying I do. It's crazy how fast and how slow this last year has been.

Andrew has now been home just a month, and 3 days to be exact. It is just as perfect today as it was the day he stepped off that bus here at home. Since then so much has happened. We lost Andrew's sweet grandmother and they had a very nice service for her up in Chicago. We will definitely miss her at the wedding but she'll be watching from the best seat of all. Andrew got to go to the home opener Chicago Bears game and obviously was beyond excited for that. Things haven't really settled down since he's been home. We decided Athena needed a friend, so she now has a little brother. He's a pure breed German Shepherd and only 12 weeks. He's super cute but such a whiner! We had a trip planned to Chicago, so 2 weeks later we headed back to Chicago for a nice long weekend trip. We had such a good time. We went to Wrigley Field and saw the Cubs WIN! (it doesn't matter, I know. but it's the first time we've seen them win in person)! I've been crazy busy with school and clinical. I have fallen in love with OB clinical but I am super excited for my journey to Children's Mercy in a few weeks!!

I really don't have much excitement to talk about but I will shortly! :) Here are a few pictures of our first month back together! :)

       

   

News Stories to Share

Two Kansas City News Stations covered their return home. Just a little glimpse of all the excitement.  I cant' really describe this day. It's so emotional in so many ways.

http://www.kctv5.com/story/23319147/smiles-tears-at-soldiers-homecoming-in-belton

http://www.kmbc.com/news/kansas-city/soldiers-return-home-after-tour-in-afghanistan/-/11664182/21749886/-/yc23yh/-/index.html

"You'll learn that there is no one more patient than army wife." or fiance.

Welcome Home Soldier

Yep, my soldier is home. It's been a long 10 months. BUT it's over! Hooray! Here are some pictures from our special day!

Here they come.

So close, but so far away!

His cheering squad.

Seriously, the best day of my life.

 I was very emotional and Andrew was dying to play ping pong.

 So in love with my fiance. 

It was 276 days that he spent overseas. I cannot begin to describe how proud of him I am or how proud I am to {almost} be his wife. Now that he is home we can finally get our lives started together, only 7 weeks until the wedding! Enjoy the pictures while I enjoy the fact that this is real life and he really is home!