When Two Become One

We have been inspired to start a blog since Rachel, Sam's sister, moved to England and started her own interesting and fun blog. Thus, we are following in her footsteps, not quite sure this blog will be as neat and exciting as posts from London, England, but we are at the mercy of the Air Force and that usual brings some note worthy stories to share. Oh and in September we will be joining Rachel and her husband Josh overseas as we will be stationed at Mildenhall Air Force Base, but at that point I plan to just copy Rachel's blog, inserting my own pictures to confuse and intrigue people.

              This is a picture of Rachel, Sam's sister, and I "Gaddafing" Sam. Rachel is in the pink scarf.  Check out her blog, its the only one I am subscribed too!

 Now when I say "we" have been inspired to start a blog it means, "I", as in Amanda, have been inspired to start this blog, but since two became one back in January the I automatically incorporates into a "we", plus my adventures are more entertaining and possible because of Sam, my husband. This word husband is new to me because, as one might be able to tell by the title of this blog, we are newly weds and loving it. What better place to start a blog about the adventures of newly weds than at the beginning?

 Sam and I's first picture ever as a couple. USAFA Colorado Springs, CO. October 2007.

Sam and I met in the summer of 2007 at my Sister Shauna's wedding. Shauna married Ben who became my brother-in-law and who happened to be good friends with Sam back in high school. I joked with the 2007 newly weds, Shauna and Ben, that I would meet a guy at their wedding. Unbenounced to me it really happened and I found my future husband at their wedding. Though, it wasn't the guy I was curious about from seeing some of Ben's soccer games, but that's another story that is unimportant now. Speed up 3.5 years later through a long distance relationship, between Missouri and Colorado and Missouri and Florida, normal college vs the Air Force Academy, Short visits, long months a part, a minor 12 hour break up that doesn't count because it wasn't "facebook" official, and many, many, many, many long phone calls, late nights, letters, and lots of text messages Sam and I were engaged on December 24th, 2010. Just so happens that Rachel and Josh also got engaged on Christmas Eve as well, I guess we just aspire to be like them in all aspects of our life.

My Sisters wedding. Can you find me and Sam? Our first unofficial picture together.

Sam's proposal. This is a book I made him on our one year anniversary, the story of how we met. He made a chapter two which was a pop up asking me to marry him. Hmm wonder what we will make into the next chapter?? Guess you have to wait and see!

We set the wedding date for January 14th, 2012. Why January? Why a winter wedding? What are you THINKING? Do you remember ice storms and snow?? Why not wait until Spring....oh yes and the list goes on and on of questions/statements people made in reference to our wedding date! But we picked it because it was exactly one month after I graduated from college and Sam graduated from pilot training. A perfect way to start a new year, by starting a new life together. January was a time when Sam and I's lives finally matched up, where we could be together all the time instead of living twelve hours a part only seeing each other every few months like the majority of our relationship. I will be honest, I never worried about the weather, as long as Sam and I were there and an officiant then that's all that mattered, but I did have a few back up plans, luckily they weren't needed as January 14th, 2012 turned out to be a beautiful day, a tad windy and chilly, but sunny and it is January so I counted it as yet another blessing. Having a year to plan the wedding wasn't as awful as I thought it would be, especially with Sam living in Florida/Oklahoma, it gave us plenty of time to get stuff together and when it got too overwhelming I was able to set the plans aside for a bit and pick them back up when they were fun again! I loved planning the wedding and even had wedding bell blues when it was all over, because there was nothing left to plan. I must say the year of preparation paid off, because the wedding day was magically, but flew by way to fast!

Beautiful Wedding!

The week of the wedding was a blast! Friends and family were coming to town early, and I tried to make it to where most of the last minute details were finished so that I could enjoy the week. Getting married really does make you feel loved and like a princess, people came to my trial hair and make up appointment, my final dress fitting, mani/pedi appointments...ahhh getting married is a blast. Lots of parties and showers in the months before the wedding, but there are more parties and luncheons the week of the wedding, and each event makes you feel so special, honored and loved. Special in the fact that your wedding is something people want to be involved in, are excited about and support. Honored in the sense that people are willing to take off work, travel many hours, give you too many presents, and help with anything you need just to be a part of your special day. You feel loved by all the people who want to throw you a shower or a luncheon and all the people who come to a shower and to the wedding. Basically, getting married was a very humbling experience and a true testimony of just how many people God has put into our lives and the support system he has blessed us with. This is something we will most likely be falling back onto again over the years to come in our marriage.

From one of our many special showers!

The wedding day pretty much went off without a hitch! All the planning paid off and it was a beautiful wedding ceremony if I do say so myself :). There were some minor bumps along the way, like showing up at the church and no one but all the guys, my photographer, and wedding coordinator were there, the panic and disappointment I felt when I thought I was going to have to dress by myself, but then my girls showed up and they all made it in time to see me before I headed off to see my groom for the first time. Sam and I's first look was wonderful, I was so nervous for him to see me, but as soon as he walked down the stairs my nerves when away and there we were, together again. It was just like the first time we would see each other after being a part for a few months, it never failed, I always got butterflies in my stomach, and here I was four plus years later, on my wedding day still having butterflies for my groom. Then, just like every time we were reunited the butterflies left and nothing else mattered around us, we were together and that's all we saw. This time it was more exciting because it was followed by a wedding, not another long goodbye. The picture taking was fun and then Sam and I had to part ways until the ceremony. Sam said he couldn't even see me walk down the aisle because he was on the ground and everyone was standing, but once we were standing together on stage I saw the tears in his eyes and heard nothing the pastor said, good thing we have it on video! The ceremony felt like it was over in like two seconds, a blink of an eye, but we were able to throw a private impromptu prayer into it and that is a moment I will cherish forever. After the ceremony ended, we walked away to "Danger Zone" from Top Gun and apparently our pianist was able to keep playing it after the song ended and people started clapping and singing along! I am glad people enjoyed that!

My amazing bridesmaids!

This is the moment following Sam and I's first look.

After the wedding we got to take lots and lots of fun pictures as a bridal party. Then we went to the hotel because we had about forty five minutes to spare, the boys socialized in the hall while us girls went into the room and rested. I decided to take a breather from the heavy dress so I stripped down, wore my friends jacket and had a pants-less encounter with Sam's Aunt Jill. After our brief hotel visit it was off to the reception for amazing food, fun, and lots and lots of dancing. Sam and I say we wish we could've been guests to our own wedding because it looked like a lot of fun, but we enjoyed trying to mingle and talk with everyone that we could! Thank you again to everyone who helped make our wedding day such a success and for coming to share in our special day!

The boys "Tebowing"-fun wedding party pictures!

Cute!!!

So glad everyone had a good time at the reception!

Stay "posted" for the next blog. After the wedding comes a tropical wonderland, followed by a month of wedded bliss to catch you all up to our current exciting life in awesome Altus. 

Until next time, keep it right into the Danger Zone......Amanda