My First and Only Love (Part Three)

Jaime came home the Sunday night before the wedding. I was so excited to go get my future husband that I don't have a clue what that sermon was about. (Sorry Bro. Grant!) I almost missed his big arrival--due to picking his friend up so he could welcome him home at the airport. Of course the rain didn’t help speed things up any. But I was situated with my sign waiting at the end of the stairs for him.

Seeing his big ole grin sprinting down those stairs is a sweet memory I’ll always have. He picked me up and hugged me so tight, I thought I might pass out! It was like no time or distance ever passed. We picked up right where we left off. Even 431 days and little communication couldn't change the kind of love we have. Then I for sure knew, everything was going to be alright! No one could wipe off the grins we had that night. 

He gave me my engagement ring on that Wednesday. He picked it out in Okinawa when he got back from deployment. So when he came home, he still had to have it sized along with picking out a wedding band. That Wednesday morning, we were going to have breakfast with his mom. We drove the back roads to get there. He was saying how much he loved me, he couldn’t wait to marry me, and all those sweet mushy, gushy things that you all don’t want to hear. He then proceeded to pulled over to pick wildflowers from the side of the road. He opened my door, got on one knee and “officially” proposed. This is why it's hilarious that I always wanted a short engagement! Just 3 more days until the wedding!

We had a short and fast rehearsal that Friday night, not a cloud in the sky. Showing promise for a clear wedding day outside in my parents front yard. All the bridesmaids stayed at the house for a sleep over. After Jaime sleeping in the floor of the living room with my brothers all week, he was forced out of the house to his buddies. I didn't think I'd sleep at all the night before but wedding planning will wear a girl out!

We had to borrow a golf cart to tote me around for pictures because of the rain. 

My wedding day felt so surreal. It was like an out of body experience. I wasn’t nervous. I got a lot of compliments because I was so chill even though it was raining pretty hard. In fact, it didn’t stop raining until an hour or so before the wedding! God cleared the sky for us that afternoon with just enough time to get the chairs out in the yard. 

Everyone says that the sun was behind the clouds the whole ceremony until the preacher said “You may now kiss your bride.” You can tell in the pictures that it is brighter when we kissed. Kind of magical.

The love doesn’t stop there! Our wedding day was wonderful and perfect to us. But everyday since that day just keeps getting better and better. I never thought you could love someone this much especially after being separated as much as we have been due to military obligations. I wouldn’t change a thing about our love story. The separation and trials we went through dating and as newlyweds only made us stronger and brought us closer together. 

I love you more than anything Jaime Ryan. You are my favorite person in the world.

My First and Only Love (Part Two)

Getting ready for my cousin's wedding--nice laundry room picture. ha!

He said "I knew you'd come back to me." Not in a snarky or smug kind of way. You can tell in his letters, he knew we were meant to be. He believed in long before I did. We rekindled what we had through letters while he was going through heck at boot camp. It was kind of romantic. Of course, we still have all the letters to and from each other.

My cute wedding date. Fresh out of boot camp.

Flowers that were waiting for me at the table.

I flew home to Kentucky after he graduated boot camp to go to my cousin's wedding. But that was just an excuse to see Jaime. (I think my parents knew that.) It was the first time I've ever seen him in those sharp dress blues. After the wedding, we didn’t stay for the reception because Jaime said we had to be somewhere. I was so confused, he didn't mention anything before the ceremony; plus receptions were/are my favorite part of weddings! Little did I know that Jaime had made reservations at Outback (can you tell it's his favorite restaurant?) for us. There was a vase filled with roses and yellow flowers on the table they set us at. I was so surprised! 

My promise ring and his Marine Corps ring.

Jaime was so nervous acting and I couldn’t figure out why. I know you’re probably thinking: HE PROPOSED! Nope, nothing happened. After dinner we went to our favorite restaurant Saul Good’s for dessert. Went home and watched a movie. After the movie, he started saying how he loved me and wanted me to wait for him. As he was saying sweet romantic things, he slipped a ring into my hand. My heart stopped because I thought it was an engagement ring. I wasn't quite ready for that. Plus I did not want a long engagement--which is hilarious when you find out how long technically we were engaged for. Anyways, I still had a year and half of college left and his future was unknown. Scary for a 19 year old. Luckily, he just gave me a promise ring that night. But it meant a lot to both of us. I always had a little piece of Jaime with me and some days that just what I needed to make it through. I didn’t want to leave to go back to college that next day not knowing when I would see him again.

The day he came home for two weeks.

Shooting clay pigeons on my grandparents farm.

I finished my Freshman spring semester while Jaime had gone to MCT(training) and MOS school(learning his job in the Marine Corps). Jaime found out he was being stationed in Okinawa, Japan for TWO years. It didn’t really hit how hard that was going to be until much later. He got to come home to Kentucky for two weeks before he had to report in Okinawa. Those were some of the best weeks together. 

Dinner with the family.

I tried to fit in his bags to go with him to Okinawa.

We spent every single day together. I had got hired at a slaughter house (maybe that should be another story) while he was home and had to go to work the very day he left for Okinawa. So we said our goodbyes in my driveway. As we both pulled up to the stop sign, he parked his truck and jumped out and gave me one last kiss. Bittersweet memory. 

Thank the Lord for Skype

We had no idea when the next time we would see each other. In the middle of my sophomore fall semester, Jaime got the orders to deploy to Afganistan in February. My heart sunk. He was training a lot before he left and we didn’t get to talk much. Skype was our best friend but the time difference made everything more difficult. Looking back I am so thankful he was deployed while I was in school. I really focused on my studies that spring and tried hard not dwell on the fact my best friend was in Afghanistan fighting for our country. That may sound a little dramatic...but that's what was happening. Although this deployment was nothing compared to his last one. I wish they were all as safe as this one was.

Afghanistan 2012

Communication where he was was little to none. We got maybe 10 texts a piece to each other almost daily and I got 2 phone calls (if I was lucky) a month while he was there. That made for a long 7 months. 

Graduation Day with my parents.

The last week of class, through text messages, we decided we were getting married that September when he got home from deployment. Of course, that wasn’t a traditional proposal. That’s not how I dreamed I’d “get engaged.” Every time I had to tell that story, I got the worst looks and judgements. They were valid to ask questions, they wouldn’t have if the didn’t love me and want the best for me. The day he came home I hadn’t physically seen him for 431 days! Trust me, I had plenty of time to think about this huge commitment I was getting ready to make. I had some doubts. I prayed a lot. I didn’t want to do the wrong thing. I think it’s healthy to question yourself. This is a lifetime commitment to one person. Till death do you part. But I knew. I just knew. God gave me a peace that this was the man I’d love through good and bad for the rest of my life. I graduated in May 2012 with my Associates in Medical Office Administration. 

One of my first days on the job.

Found THE dress with my mom.

I got a job at an insurance agency a month after graduation as the receptionist. I had 3 and a half months to get this together before Jaime came home for the wedding. Thankfully mom and my family helped so much! I couldn’t have done it without them. The communication was horrible in Afghanistan so I made most of the decisions on my own. Jaime got back to Okinawa the end of July and wasn't allowed to go on leave till September...

The day he got to Okinawa! First Skype in almost 9 months.

Part 3 Coming Soon!

My First and Only Love (Part One)

Our First Picture Together

It all started when my cousin, Chelsea gave Jaime my number “on accident”. Jaime had asked for my cousin, Chase’s number, but knew I had a major crush on him. Well done Chels, well done! So technically she set up the call that ended up being the beginning of our love story. I really never thought anything would come of that innocent crush and accidental phone call. After he accidentally called me; we talked in the halls during school, a few messages via Facebook and eventually he took me on our first date (my first date ever) on December 27th, 2009.

I actually ended up picking him up because he had an old 1980 Chevy and the heat didn’t work. As soon as he got in my car, the conversation just flowed and never stopped. We bonded over the fact I had Jack Johnson on my iPod. He was shocked and impressed that he was a favorite musician of mine. He’s still a favorite of ours on road trips. I’ve always dreamed about my first date but I didn’t know what to expect. I remembered my dad telling me how he could hardly eat when he took girls out on dates due to nervousness. So I didn’t know if I would get that nervous, but not with Jaime. I have never been so comfortable with someone I barely knew. He made me feel like I was his equal, as though I had always been his friend. That’s just how Jaime is. He is a lover of all people and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. We went to see a movie: Sherlock Holmes (We have it on DVD now just because it reminds us of where it all started). And then he took me to Outback for dinner. As a senior in high school, I was impressed with his taste of restaurants. I could only remember going there a few times prior. That was my last first date I’d ever have and it was perfect.

Waiting for me after school.

There were lots of late night phone calls, learning as much as we could about each other. I remember my face hurting when we hung up because I smiled almost the entire time.

Eating lunch after church at Grandmother's.

We officially became a couple January 24th, 2010. He asked me to be his girlfriend in his truck on a Sunday night when he took me home from church.

Our first Valentines came shortly thereafter and we definitely didn’t use the “L” word yet. It was hard to find things that didn’t say "I love you". So he got me a big monkey that said “I am loved”! (Good work babe!) I made him a Fried Chicken dinner and put together a basket with his favorite snacks. He will tell you to this day what a great dinner it was. I was a nervous wreck fixing that meal! My green beans and mashed potatoes were cold by the time all the chicken was fried. But he woofed it down and let me know what a good job I did. He’s such a sweetheart! We drove to get a movie at Block Buster and he got pulled over for speeding that night. What a great way to end our first Valentine’s day! But it’s a fun memory!

Supporting me at my tennis matches.

High School Graduation 2010

Out to lunch and still giggly every time Jaime said  "I love you."

Fast forward to May, a couple days before our high school graduation day. He told me he loved me in my driveway inside his truck. I couldn’t have said it back fast enough. I cried and hugged him. That memory is so vivid; it feels like it happened yesterday. I still get emotional and teary eyed when I think about it.
                                    
                                  

We fell hard for each other that summer. He was always at the house if he didn’t have to work. He helped us pick corn and sell it at the Farmer’s Market. He took the boys and I to drive-ins (I refer to my 3 younger brothers as ‘the boys’) and to watch the fireworks for the 4th of July. He connected with each brother in one way or the other; which meant a lot to me and my parents. He would go to church with us every chance he got. The week I went to church camp, he worked on the farm with dad and spent most of his time with him even though I wasn’t there. On family night, he rode up with Dad and surprised me! I was so excited to see him. It had been a long 3 days! Ha! If only we knew how many days we’d spend apart in the future.

The night before I left for college.

He always said he knew he was going to marry me. I thought he was crazy. I loved him but I was looking forward to the guys at college. I know that sounds bad. I grew up in a town where just about everybody that was a good Christian guy was my cousin (except Jaime) and I was ready to see what other fish were in the sea. I left for Pensacola Christian College in September of 2010. I met a guy and broke up with Jaime in October. Jaime started dating another girl, nothing serious. The longer I was with this guy from college, the more I realized how much I missed Jaime and how special he made me feel. This guy was even shocked that Jaime and I broke up in the first place. There was nothing wrong between Jaime and I. I wasn’t comfortable and couldn't be myself completely with this guy so we ended it. Jaime had recently left for Boot Camp the end of that November so I wrote him a letter to let him know. We had not talked at all since I broke up with him. I had no idea if he hated my guts or if he even still cared about me...

Check back soon for Part Two!