June 14 is a very special day. On June 14, 2016 I married my best friend on his birthday. We were married at Navarre Beach in Florida with our parents and kids. Memphis was there, of course, as best dog.
I can’t believe we’ve been married a year. It seems a lot longer than that. That’s normal, right?
In a year we’ve created so many memories. We’ve had good days and bad days, we’ve had happy times and sad times, but the best thing about it is we’ve been through all of that together. We jokingly say we have a team name, “Team Hoe.” For those of you who haven’t heard the story, Hoe was a nickname of Sam’s in the military. Mostly because people couldn’t pronounce his last name, so it just got shortened.
We are a team. We work well together. Sam is my best friend. I can’t imagine life without him.
A few weeks ago Sam and I were talking about our anniversary. It old him that the official first anniversary gift is paper. He looked at me like I was speaking another language. It is real life, y’all! The traditional gift is paper. I suppose traditionally folks thought paper would be good, you know, keeping a budget and surviving that first year stuff. Ideas for that “paper anniversary” would be a journal, photographs, a notebook, tickets, a book, you get the idea.
I’m told the traditional gifts get better with time…cotton, leather, fruit and flowers, wood…but it isn’t about the gifts, traditional or non-traditional, it is about the memories (at least for us). Sam had a fellow solider who would always remark (in Iraq), “its all about the memories!”
Indeed it is.
Time certainly flies when you are having fun. I will more than likely bombard the blog with some of our wedding photos. #sorrynotsorry
We were married on the beach and it was simply amazing. Great weather, perfect temperature, and the best people ever (and dog) were there with us.
So, if you recall a previous post about anniversary dates being rough and challenges for some veterans…this is not that date or time. This is a happy celebration. This is us.
This time last year we were in Florida. I might be ready to go back. 🙂