Memory Lane

Memories. They carry us. They define us. They change us. 

Today marks 2 years of marriage. Just two. Though, a lot can happen in two years. For us, 2 years has included 4 moves, 1 move to a new state, a few vacations, a dog, a new car, and the list goes on. 

Marriage can be hard. It can be a joy. It's real. It's in your face. It's fun. It's exciting. It's a challenge. Some days you want to be selfish. Some days all you want to do is love on your spouse. And if you let it, it can help you grow and mature in ways you never thought possible. 

But today, I want to push aside all of that and bring you back to early days. The smiles and giggles. The butterflies in your stomach. The hopeful wishing "if this is it". The memories from the beginning of us. Along with the engagement and the wedding day.

Here is a little walk down Aly + Andrews memory lane.

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The puppy love stage. 

This darling photo above... fuzzy, dark and totally taken with a flip phone, is the first picture of us. 

I remember it so vividly. We went out for Chinese food with my family and had just arrived back to my house in my car. I asked for a picture. He agreed. 

I think I stared at it all. night. long.

August 1, 2009 was our very first "date". We both thought we were just going to a music festival together. All of Andrews friends were busy and I was a last resort. I guess I was a pretty good last resort!!

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To the left is the journal entry from that night. 

I love to document, in prayer form, what goes on in my day. It makes me feel like God and I are sitting down for coffee and He is completely uninformed about my day. Though He knows every detail... I love the friendship feel of it all. 

I remember writing...

 "I got to see a glimpse into the life of the kind of man I could have a future with." 

Little did I know... He would become my husband! 

Above is the Jones Soda bottle that I had at Panera Bread with my dinner from that first date. The night was so special, I ripped off a piece of the Panera Bread bag that our shortbread cookies had been in,

 wrote a note on it for memories sake and put it in the bottle. 

I love unraveling it and thinking back to how it was all "meant to be".

Above is one of the most beautiful letters I have ever received. This was sent to me in a postal priority mailing box with my favorite snacks and the movie "Life Is Beautiful". This was his way of "asking me out" as we began our relationship long distance. I, in Colorado, and him, in Virginia. 

Can you hear my squeals? Feel my stomach butterflies? My roommate Jill rejoiced with me as I hung up the phone now the GIRLFRIEND of Andrew Nickerson. 

Our relationship was so easy. He was my best friend and I was his. We would fall asleep on the phone together...waking up 8 hours later to find that we never hung up. He treated me like I was the best thing that ever happened to him. I was pursued. I was cherished. I was adored. 

No other man on this earth made me feel the way he did. 

On October 20th, 2010, Andrew asked me to marry him. You can read the proposal story HERE.

Tea light candles covered the stairs with music echoing from within the Old Stone Church. 

I gladly said YES!

We were only engaged for a short 5 1/2 months. Before we were married on April 3rd, 2011.

On April 1st, just two days before our wedding day. I woke up to snow covering the earth.

 It was a funny little April Fools Joke... 

It ended up melting, but the day before the wedding we went out and bought all the girls rain boots & scarfs, as the ground was still a bit wet. I love the added pop of color. 

Our friends were such great sports, as it was a bit chilly outside the day of our wedding.

Our wedding day was a beautiful day that I will never, ever, forget.

I heard a quote recently though, that I absolutely adore. 

"I want a marriage more beautiful than my wedding day"

And this is true. I want my marriage with Andrew to be even better than our wedding day. And I am committed to spending a lifetime perfecting this relationship. 

I am so in love with my husband. Through thick and thin, there is no one else that

I would rather do life with. 

Thanks for walking down memory lane & celebrating our 2nd Anniversary with us!