Three Years

What were you doing three years ago today?

We were here:

Our reception took place three months {and a few days} after our wedding, and we spent the day shivering in the post-heavy-snow outdoors. A far cry from the actual wedding day temps:

And though the reception proved to be FAR more work than the wedding itself, we had a wonderful day celebrating with our family and friends.

We transformed the reception hall into the beach - as much as we could.

And we were blessed by the friends and family who gave up a Saturday to celebrate our wedding with us.

We showed pictures from our wedding day and played the recording that our amazing videographer worked so hard to put together for us:

Our wedding party traveled and sacrificed to be with us again, and we watched together, remembering the day three months before.

We prayed together and laid another stone in the altar of the Shaffer family.

We cut cake and toasted with coffee and set everyone free to enjoy ice cream sundaes.

We spent the afternoon, making the rounds and greeting everyone:

{It's always a mystery what I might be saying.}

It was a truly wonderful day that ended with a large pizza and coke {reward for three months of salads to get me back IN that dress} and the opening of generous gifts that we still appreciate and use every day!

We had no idea, that day, what would be ahead for us. The job changes, the house changes, the surgeries, the fun, the excitement, the dreams, the challenges. No idea.

It was a day of joy, and we still look back on it with much fondness. No parties today, no fifteen gallons of ice cream in the freezer, and no sitting in the salon chair being remade into a bride. But I still feel as loved and cherished and chosen by this man as I did on that day, and I celebrate that today.