Long ago and far away

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Wed It seems that way. Sometimes. Other times it seems like it was just yesterday. I still remember waiting for Allen to get back from basic training. I remember cutting out dozens of floral napkins with pinking shears for the reception. I remember him getting off the plane, tan and fit. I remember standing in the girls’ room of the Catholic school gym we rented for the wedding dance, ripping off layers of under slips to help counter the stifling heat of that July evening. I remember being insanely happy.

I remember him leaving for Germany to get settled and find an apartment. I remember leaving a plane and entering a world that was different from mine in every way imaginable. Then trying to learn to be a wife and a citizen of a new country all at once.

I remember morning sickness and breakfast in bed before he left for work. All too closely followed by spotting and cramping and mad dashes to the ER. I remember being relieved that everything was ok. For a while.

I remember my first birthday as a married woman, expecting a baby. I remember my first contractions after the party at our friends’ that very night. Way too soon. I remember Terbutaline, palpatations, and monitors for weeks and weeks. And finally it being time.

I remember my water breaking, the night after the muffler fell off. I remember a loooong ride to the hospital hoping not to get stopped for the aforementioned muffler. Please, please, not this night. I remember another stifling July evening – exactly one year after that first one – ripping off more layers of suffocating clothes, this time in exchange for a hospital gown.

C_2 I remember Allen checking me in and hassling with the receptionist while I tried not to push. I remember the nurse paging him from the admin office at 2am. I remember him sliding right off his feet on newly polished hallway floors, racing back to the delivery room to see the most beautiful baby in the world.

I remember time standing still.

It must have begun to tick again however. In retrospect it doesn’t seem like all that much time for a childhood to be completed. Today my baby is 21 and my marriage is 22. For real. Exactly one year to the day from our wedding Colin was born. We could not have had a better gift.

Anniv_flowers I love you both! Looking fwd to celebrating "our" big day. : )

16 thoughts on “Long ago and far away”

  1. God bless you both and Colin on your special day! We are all blessed to have had the privilege of knowing you and your family through this blog. It is easy to see that your marriage is indeed a great gift from God. May God bless you abundantly on this day and always!!

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  2. Congratulations on your marriage and children! My husband I also had our first child on our first wedding anniversary. Well, technically just before midnight, so we missed it by a few minutes! A wonderful anniversary gift indeed!

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  4. Awww….happy anniversary, and happy birthday Colin! If you have a wedding video, I suggest you watch it together. Then the baby video. 😉 We watched ours this past week on our anniversary and it truly is like watching two other very young people. Could that have been us? the memories are wonderful though. Enjoy!

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  10. That’s so special that you and your husband share your anniversary with your son’s birthday. I hope it was a wonderful day for your family. July 6th is my anniversary too, though my husband and I are celebrating six years now. We are also an AF family, currently living in Germany. : -)

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  13. This post is beautiful and made me teary eyed. Happy Anniversary! I hope you had a special day.
    I stop by frequently and am always refreshed by the visit. Thank you.

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  16. We are in the same boat with a first anniversary baby! How neat to learn of others who have been given such a beautiful first anniversary gift from the Lord. 🙂

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