Sixteen Years (3/3/2017)

February 10, 2018

Sixteen Years (3/3/2017)

Sixteen.

We celebrate sixteen years of marriage today. It seems only fitting to write out some of my fondest memories of our beginnings.

January 2000

On the eve of our wedding day, the groomsmen and Sergio traveled to Tulsa, OK to pick up their tuxedos. Tulsa was about a 2 hour drive from Tyro, KS, where our wedding was held. The groomsmen arrived, Sergio did not. It was the time before cell phones and we were all clueless as to what happened to him. I sat in the sanctuary waiting for him to show up.

To be honest, I thought he had changed his mind and I was a bit mortified in front of everyone in attendance. The minister, Dave Bycroft, asked if we should go ahead and eat, but I couldn't and didn't want to begin without Sergio. So, we all waited for over 2 hours for him to show up.

It came as no surprise that Sergio picked up a homeless man and gave him a ride. He didn't know the Tulsa area and didn't realize how long out of the way it would take him. I was relieved to see him. Although I was a bit upset over his actions, I knew this was who he was. He loves others well, and this draws my heart to love him deeper.

Taken the night of our rehearsal. I am smiling while expressing my frustration over his tardiness.

We were married the next day, March 3rd, 2001. It was a simple and lovely wedding. Sergio paid for the entire wedding, even my dress. Out of respect for others, I will not share online the conditions surrounding this decision. It was out of Sergio's love, generosity, and protective spirit that he took on this responsibility. This is who he is. This is what he still does.

And our wedding turned out beautifully.

I knew I was marrying the right man.

March 3, 2001

March 3, 2003

The day after our wedding, we were to fly out to Colorado from Tulsa. Instead of staying in Tulsa, we decided to stay together in our new home located in Joplin, MO. The next morning, we woke up late which caused a mad rush of trying to get to our flight in time. While in the shower, I realized that I had not packed for our honeymoon. I hollered out to Sergio if he wouldn't mind throwing clothes in the suitcase for me. He told me that he would "handle it" and not to worry. So, I didn't.

It wasn't until we arrived to our hotel in Denver, CO that I realized what he had done. My 20 year old husband did NOT pack any outdoor, appropriate clothes for me. Instead, he emptied the one drawer in our bedroom that only consisted of undergarments. Nothing else! I had to wear the same pair of jeans for a week and we took turns wearing his hoodies. I have no cute pictures from our honeymoon, but we have a ton of fun memories from our first week of marriage. This is probably my favorite memory of our first year together.

One of our only honeymoon pictures. 2001

We were married in our youth, not knowing what the following years would hold. I assume our story is like most. We have experienced great joy, great sadness and grief, great depths of forgiveness, and our love remained present through it all.

We have hurts.

We have pain.

We have hope.

And we have each other.

Today I am grateful for the man I married. I have watched him grow into the good man he is today.

Sergio graduated with his MBA from Lipscomb University in December 2015.

Sergio was awarded the 2014 YMCA Volunteer of the Year in Nashville, TN.
Side note: He was working full-time, being a good dad and husband, and also working on his MBA during this time.