For Better or For Worse!
Fourteen years ago today was a day I'll cherish and remember (hopefully) forever! It's the day I married my best friend. I remember it as if it were today. For those of you who don't know - we were married at 9:30 AM. Yep, that's right, in the morning (I must have been more of a morning person back then)! It was Easter weekend. Back then our church did Easter Lilies and in 1999 there just happen to be over 70 that we were allowed to use plus the decorations of fresh cut spring time flowers. Our flower lady did an amazing job - it was absolutely gorgeous!
We arrived at the church to do hair, make up and get dressed. Since we had a morning wedding, no pictures were going to be taken until after the wedding was over. So the first time Jon would see me was when I would walk down the aisle! We didn't have your usually wedding (obviously). I had a good friend of mine, along with her parents start off the wedding with praise songs. This was after Jon had seated the grandparents and parents. After the last song was over it was finally time to start the actual ceremony. We had decided to only have family stand up with us. I had my two sisters and he had his two brothers. However, we had one of each on each side of us. Our niece - Megan - was our flower girl and my cousin's son - Caleb - was our ring bearer. Just a side note, Megan is now a Junior in high school and Caleb - I have to look up to talk to him! Now it was my turn to walk down the aisle. I remember my Dad asking me - "are you sure you want to do this?" To which I responded "YES!" Jon was smiling from ear to ear - he couldn't stop! It absolutely made my day. We continued on with the ceremony as usual. Then just before the part when he says you may kiss the bride - we did another different thing. You see I had wanted a slide show during the reception, but since we had to have our reception in the church basement it was going to be difficult for everyone to see, SO we decided to do it upstairs. It's still one my favorite parts - I watch it every year on our anniversary (need to do that yet!). After the slide show was over we went back up on stage, he kissed the bride and the moment I had been waiting for......"Ladies and gentlemen I now give you MR. & MRS. JON GOEMAAT!!!!"
After ushering everyone out, we went downstairs to breakfast casserole, muffins, frozen fruit cups and ...cake! The plan after we were done was to drive my car around for just a bit and then come back for pictures. Well when we went outside to leave - a big, red tractor was waiting for us. This was a total surprise to us - our parents had done it for us. I think Jon was so excited about that silly tractor - he forgot about his new bride! Thank goodness for brother-in-laws - mine helped me up into that thing! We drove around a little bit and came back to start pictures. It was the end to a perfect day. I believe we were on our way to our honeymoon by early afternoon!!! Now who is the strange one?!?!
A lot has happened in the fourteen years we've been married - some joyous and happy - while others not so much. We have definitely had some mountain tops - our four boys, buying our first farm/place, good jobs, vacations, but with those mountains come valleys - a complete career change, complications from surgery, the loss of our son. It hasn't always been easy - it's something we have to work on every single day. The poor guy is doomed - I'm half Carson and half Ferguson (for those of you who don't know either side - we are VERY stubborn), but he loves me still. He isn't always so easy either, but he provides for his family, he works hard, he makes us laugh and he loves us. I didn't know what to expect fourteen years ago when I said, "I do", but one thing I know for sure - I wouldn't want to travel this journey with anyone else. I love this man and I can't wait to grow old with him!!
I wanted to share with you some pictures of us over the years, but my computer doesn't go back that far. Who am I kidding, I don't want you to see how we've "changed" over the years!
We arrived at the church to do hair, make up and get dressed. Since we had a morning wedding, no pictures were going to be taken until after the wedding was over. So the first time Jon would see me was when I would walk down the aisle! We didn't have your usually wedding (obviously). I had a good friend of mine, along with her parents start off the wedding with praise songs. This was after Jon had seated the grandparents and parents. After the last song was over it was finally time to start the actual ceremony. We had decided to only have family stand up with us. I had my two sisters and he had his two brothers. However, we had one of each on each side of us. Our niece - Megan - was our flower girl and my cousin's son - Caleb - was our ring bearer. Just a side note, Megan is now a Junior in high school and Caleb - I have to look up to talk to him! Now it was my turn to walk down the aisle. I remember my Dad asking me - "are you sure you want to do this?" To which I responded "YES!" Jon was smiling from ear to ear - he couldn't stop! It absolutely made my day. We continued on with the ceremony as usual. Then just before the part when he says you may kiss the bride - we did another different thing. You see I had wanted a slide show during the reception, but since we had to have our reception in the church basement it was going to be difficult for everyone to see, SO we decided to do it upstairs. It's still one my favorite parts - I watch it every year on our anniversary (need to do that yet!). After the slide show was over we went back up on stage, he kissed the bride and the moment I had been waiting for......"Ladies and gentlemen I now give you MR. & MRS. JON GOEMAAT!!!!"
After ushering everyone out, we went downstairs to breakfast casserole, muffins, frozen fruit cups and ...cake! The plan after we were done was to drive my car around for just a bit and then come back for pictures. Well when we went outside to leave - a big, red tractor was waiting for us. This was a total surprise to us - our parents had done it for us. I think Jon was so excited about that silly tractor - he forgot about his new bride! Thank goodness for brother-in-laws - mine helped me up into that thing! We drove around a little bit and came back to start pictures. It was the end to a perfect day. I believe we were on our way to our honeymoon by early afternoon!!! Now who is the strange one?!?!
A lot has happened in the fourteen years we've been married - some joyous and happy - while others not so much. We have definitely had some mountain tops - our four boys, buying our first farm/place, good jobs, vacations, but with those mountains come valleys - a complete career change, complications from surgery, the loss of our son. It hasn't always been easy - it's something we have to work on every single day. The poor guy is doomed - I'm half Carson and half Ferguson (for those of you who don't know either side - we are VERY stubborn), but he loves me still. He isn't always so easy either, but he provides for his family, he works hard, he makes us laugh and he loves us. I didn't know what to expect fourteen years ago when I said, "I do", but one thing I know for sure - I wouldn't want to travel this journey with anyone else. I love this man and I can't wait to grow old with him!!
I wanted to share with you some pictures of us over the years, but my computer doesn't go back that far. Who am I kidding, I don't want you to see how we've "changed" over the years!
Here we are in the beginning! (it was the only picture I had on my computer)
Here we are 14 years later!
Happy Anniversary!!!
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