17th Wedding Anniversary

Today, June 1, 2008, is my 17th wedding anniversary to my Knight in Shining Armor, Karl! Here we are all those years ago at the tender age of 21!  Yikes!  Don'tcha' love my dress with the big, poofy sleeves?  It looks kind of like the Little Mermaid's dress when she got married--which was about the same time!

But our story of "us" began many years before!  The first time I saw Karl (chasing my best friend on the playground in the 1st grade!!) I was in love!  I mean....who wouldn't fall in love with this face.....

Too cute huh?!?  :o)  I mean who doesn't love a man in uniform!?!?  Ah, Yes....I was in love...but this was just the beginning of what was yet to come.

I continued to be awe-struck over this boy.  He was a true gentlemen even all those years ago! His Mama taught him right!  He was always so kind....and he put up with me and my bashful, batting eyes.  :o)  Here is a picture of him I think in the 5th grade. There was a bit of a mishap with a girlfriend of mine and it was accidentally ripped.  Nothing a little bit of tape can't fix though!  

Karl was also sweet and sent me little "love-notes".  I saved this one.  It was given about the same time as the above picture.

     

When I was in the 6th grade though, my family had to move away.  I stayed somewhat in contact with Karl through a mutual friend of ours.  He always remained in the back of my mind and I even continued to write in my diary that I was in love with him---I had even named my diary "Karl" so that I could "write" to him.  :o)

The years past and four years later the youthful days of childhood came to a stop.  At the end of my sophomore year in high-school and at the age of 16 I was pregnant.  My parents were incredible and stood beside me with strength and love, supporting me with a decision that some people believed I was too young to make.  To keep my beautiful baby.  So, a month before I turned 17, I was a mother to Katherine (Katie) Mary Alice.  Oh how I loved her!  It was then that I realized that the decisions I made in my life, not only would affect me, but would affect my darling girl.  This is when I began to search out God and ask (or better....plead, beg!) for direction!  You hear what others say about young, unwed mothers...and the picture is never painted too peachy.

It was when I began searching and asking the Lord for help, that He came through in  FULL FORCE! The only way that a MIGHTY God can!!  My Sr. year the Lord sent an amazing and godly friend who was on-fire-for-Christ!  Her name was Frankie.  Frankie loved me unconditionally and was a true testimony to the love of God.  She made me believe that I did deserve all the happiness in life, the love of an awesome man, a story-book romance, and a house one day filled with children!  There was a knight in shining armor out there for me...and he would come into my life and sweep me off of my feet and love my darling girl as his own.  It was during this time that I began to think of my first love, Karl.  I dreamed of the simpler times.  The love notes and hand-holding at the skating rink!  I remembered his family, who was awesome, and I not only wanted that for myself, but for my beautiful little girl.  It was during one restless night that I could not sleep, that I poured my heart out to the Lord and out of desperation to somehow "make things right" I handed my life over to Jesus.  And I asked one request of Him.  Could He please send me a husband and a father for Katie, like what I remembered Karl to be like.  Karl was the complete package I dreamed of.  If I could have someone who was just like Karl....

So I began my new life in Christ.  Totally trusting that He only had good things in store for me. During my Sr. year in high-school, I got word (from a mutual friend) that Karl was also on-fire-for-Christ!  He was also walking and trusting in the Lord for his future too.  I told my friend Frankie what I had heard about him, and she encouraged (okay badgered!) me into calling him! This was TOTALLY out of my character to do!  But I felt the Holy Spirit leading me....and so I did.  Our conversation was short...but he seemed genuinely happy to hear from me.  :o)  We got off the phone and I had no idea that the Lord began working on Karl then.  Two days later he called me as he was passing through town on a ski trip. And six days later I got a postcard from him while he was on his ski trip.  :o)  This began our "courtship".  After we graduated from High School, Karl went to Wyoming to work for the summer.  We sent each other letters all summer long.  In the fall I began college in my hometown and Karl began college in his hometown.  We started writing about meeting again at some point.  Karl decided to come and visit me and Katie.  On October 14, 1988, Karl came to visit us.  He has said that the first moment he laid eyes on Katie he was taken by her!  Totally in love!  As any father is when he first lays eyes on his child!  I LOVE this picture...it was taken that first weekend he came to visit us.

The next two pictures were also taken that weekend.  Karl was so good and sweet to Katie.  He played and played with her!  She loved him too!!

On Karl's trip back home after that first weekend, he said he knew that the Lord had just introduced him to his wife and child.  When he came home, his mom asked, "You're going to marry her aren't you?".  :o)  Karl has said that he stayed in prayer, seeking direction from the Lord and the following morning he heard a song on the radio by Paul Overstreet called "Love Helps Those".  The last bit of the song just floored him and he knew it was the Lord speaking to him.  It went like this: 

A little helpless baby child was born into this world
She didn't have a daddy and her mother was just a girl
But there came a young man willing to give both of them a home
The girl he married the child he cherished as though she was his own

We of course, continued to see each other and write letters to each other (which we both saved!).  Karl moved to my hometown his sophomore year of college to go to college and to be close to Katie and I.  :o)  And finally came the day that we were to wed!  We were two young college students, with a child already and no money.  But we trusted in the Lord because He had been so faithful. I love this next picture.  It's of us kissing on our wedding day and if you look closely you can see my little Katie in the middle of us!  For years she has called it "our wedding".  :o)

Now it is 17 yrs later and our love for each other continues to grow more and more. We've not been without trials and challenges.  As long as our focus has been on the Lord, He has continued to keep our marriage strong.  In those early years we talked about having more babies and we also dreamed of adopting a child one day--Karleigh Mei has always been planned!  The Lord continues to breathe on us His awesome grace and mercy and our story is not yet over!  For this I am so eternally grateful! I cannot wait to see who and what He has in store for us and our sweet, incredible family!

I love you more than life, my Karl!! We've got a "Groovy Kind of Love"!!!