June 21st, 2002

Andrew and I met 10 years ago when I moved from Minnesota to Georgia.
It's hard to believe it's been that long.
We were best friends, inseparable, from the second time we met. (The first time we met he ignored me, but I'm persistent and hooked him the second time!)
This is a picture from our first summer camp.
Seconds before this was taken, Andrew had grabbed my hand for the first time.
A couple years later we decided to make it official.
Andrew proposed and two weeks later, we were at the courthouse saying, "I do."
Yup, two weeks.
And no, I wasn't pregnant, although everyone else was convinced that was the reason for the rushed wedding.
We picked our date based on how fast my parents could make it in to town.

In 14 days I picked out a dress, made a cake, and put together travel arrangements for family coming from both ends of the country.

My dress was a tea length dress from Banana Republic. I still love this dress.
Obviously I didn't see any issues with photographing a white dress on a white door.

I went to have my hair and makeup done and then drove myself to the courthouse.
I got there way before everyone else did and was convinced that nobody would show up. I looked like a bride that was left at the alter, err, courthouse.But everyone did show up.
We packed the courthouse out.Andrew and I giggled through the whole ceremony.
It was short and sweet. Just like our engagement.My poor Mom missed her first flight and then had her second flight get hit by lightening. It was a rough morning for her!Awwww, look how little Uncle Baby Shiggins was!!After the wedding we all drove over to High Falls to take pictures.
It would have been gorgeous is the waterfall hadn't been all dammed up.I love the pictures of MawMaw from our wedding. She was so proud.All the siblings.Then we ate at Andrew's favorite restaurant, Buckners!
I still can't believe I let him talk me into having our wedding dinner at an all you can eat fried chicken place.The day before the wedding, my friend Hannah came over to help me make my cake.
Oh yeah, who needs a fancy wedding cake when you can make a Funfetti one yourself?!?We ended up running out of frosting on one side and the cake totally started melting when we were doing pictures!It took us five minutes to figure out how to do the whole interlocking arms thing for our toast!A few weeks later we flew up to Minnesota for a wedding party at my parents house with all my friends and family from back home.And that was our wedding.
Nothing fancy, just us binding together for the rest of our lives.
It's crazy to think of how far we've come in just 7 years.

My oh my, do I love my husband.

Every year we celebrate our little homemade wedding.

In 2003 we went tubing up in Helen and then stayed at a really crappy hotel!In 2004 we went to Daytona Beach with our friends the O'Prys.In 2005 we stayed at an amazing hotel in Atlanta and Andrew took me to see all the touristy things I've never gotten to do.In 2006 we went back to Daytona Beach for a week.In 2007 we spent another night in Atlanta and ate at my favorite Japanese Steakhouse.And in 2008 we took our newly adopted answered prayer out for her first ice cream cone.This year will be another quiet anniversary at home.
We went to the beach a couple weeks ago to celebrate.

Truth be told, there is nothing I'd rather do then spend tonight laughing with the man of my dreams. No matter where we are.Our marriage is one of the truest ones I've ever seen. We are each other's best friends.

And if I had it to do all over again, it would be exactly the same as it was 7 years ago.