And I Thought I Loved You Then...

Ten years ago, I married the most amazing man who has shown me the true meaning of love and who has stood beside me through some really difficult times.

He has loved my children as his own and has supported them without complaint.

He works hard to make sure that we are not only provided for, but that our dreams become a realization.

So, on this day I thought I would take this opportunity to remind us of what our vows were that day

 (we wrote our own vows...)

Trey to me (and my children):
I pledge to you, Alicia, and also to those gathered who also love you, I will be your husband, friend and partner; I will always be loyal in my mind, in my heart and in my actions. As I love and honor you, so must I love those who are heart of your heart, and flesh of your flesh. Travis, Andrew and Isabella, I vow fairness, support and kindness. I will be your teacher, your coach and your friend. I want you to know that I love your mother with a gentleness she has taught me and a sincerity grown out of respect. The respect I have for her, I hope, you will also show as we grow together as a family. I vow to extend my embrace to cover all who are part of this woman whom I love.

With this ring, I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in time of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you and to always hold you in the highest regard. These things I give to you today and all the days of our life.

{Gasp...let me catch my breath and calm my heart}

And my vows to Trey:
I come this day and pledge my love to one who is believer, healer and soulmate. Who has reached to me from the crowd and offered a hand without condition. Who has accepted my burdens and encircled me with love and gentleness. Trey, I will always love you for choosing a gift once opened and making it new. To love once is bittersweet, to love again, so deeply, is to be rescued from endless darkness and pulled back into the sunlight. You gave me trust when my heart would not return it, patience when I gave you fury, softness when I thought my wounds would not heal. I pledge to you a love I did not know was mine to give, a commitment that I will always be at your side, and a thankfulness that God has brought us together.

With this ring, I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you and to always hold you in the highest regard. These things I give to you today and all the days of our life.

It has definitely been a marriage of peaks and valleys and we have surely tested the promise of

 loving each other when life seems easy and when it seems hard.

Over the past ten years, we have...

• celebrated the birth of our beautiful daughter, Paige
• mourned from the deaths of several of our loved one's and even some friends
• survived some major health issues
• bought and redone our home and backyard
• taken many wonderful trips inside and outside of the country
• survived starting a business and growing that business, which has been impacted by all of the market crashes
• survived two teenage drivers (one that managed to hit 3 very expensive cars)
• survived being Sandia High School Football Booster Club President and Treasurer (I think we are still recovering)
• celebrated our oldest's high school graduation (and have another graduating this year)
• mourned the loss of our beloved dog, BlackJack, and numerous other pets (some not so mourned)
• shared in the celebration of many of our close friends who have gotten married and had children
• watched our beautiful daughters turn into beautiful young women
• sent a son off to college
• survived (surviving) the life that comes with having a recovering heroin addict in our family
• made many new friends that have added so much joy to our lives!

These, obviously, are just the things off the top of my head. And if they sound all negative, they're not...there are a lot of blessings in our lives and a lot of love. The further down the path we get, I realize that you have to have the good with the bad and it is how you deal with the bad that determines the kind of marriage you will have.

We both work hard, but we also play hard and we love to have fun, laughter and a

 lot of joking around in our lives.

"We've come so far since that day, and I thought I loved you then."

Thanks to all our friends and family for their love and never-ending support through the years.

{alicia}