When you choose (God chooses) the person you will spend the rest of your life with, and you go through the smitten phase, the “I’m the Queen of America” stage (aka when he proposed...yes I said this out loud 🤣), to the googly eyed wedding planning phase, to OMG I am walking down the aisle...to the point where you say the vows you’ve poured over and worked on for months. When you are gazing into the eyes of the person you are vowing to spend the rest of your life with...as you recite the words “in sickness and in health”... you merrily say the words not even applying much thought to the magnitude those words might have. When you get married in your 20s you think, the “sickness” part may apply when we are old and gray, but certainly not any time soon. This was my mindset as we moved through this glorious stages of our relationship. Our wedding was seven years ago...and boy was it spectacular. I was a perfectionist, sentimental, detailed planner when it came to my wedding. I wanted it to be the best day ever. I had every detail you can think of planned...and planned with sentimental value. Once the week arrived, I gave all my plans to my awesome tribe and I basked in the glow of my wedding week. It was fabulous. A week of festivities with family in from around the country...the morning was spent getting ready at the Driskill Hotel, the wedding was at Villa St. Clair and it was perfect for our wedding bash. The decor was spot on sapphire and persimmon were our colors... lilies, goldfish swimming in vases, oranges stacked high with persimmon tulips and blue hydrangeas. The ceremony was the perfect amount of time sprinkled with personal touches, Michigan stones, peonies and a bitter & sweet portion of the ceremony involving wine and chocolate. I thought of everything. The food was divine.... Mac and cheese bites in a spoon, roasted shrimp with avocado crema or horseradish red sauce. A mashed potato bar in martini glasses. White orchids were tenderly placed upon my three tier French vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and fresh whipped cream. Evan’s chocolate-peanut butter cake adorned the old school Denver Broncos logo on top.
We had an open bar and a perfect playlist. We danced the night away...without a care in the world. We were starting the best days of our lives.
Fast forward three years and we welcomed our first daughter into the world: Halen Rae Carol.
Fast forward two years and we welcome a second daughter: Henley Charlevoix.
We had built a life, we had our family, we were enjoying the adventure...the beautiful chaos. On our 6th anniversary, we celebrated while I was bald...undergoing the worst of the worst chemotherapy treatment drugs you can imagine.
On our wedding day, we never saw that coming. We never saw that brutal of a blow to hit our marriage. Evan has been a tireless, dedicated, loving, protective caregiver this entire time. My rock. He went to every single chemo infusion with me. He wiped my tears, he held my convulsing body as I wept trying to understand my diagnosis of breast cancer. He held ice on my feet to prevent neuropathy. He took me on dates after my infusion to help me feel loved and “normal” in the most abnormal thing one can face. Love of my life, thank you. Thank you amidst one of the most difficult challenges for any couple to face-you never skipped a beat. I never had to worry about your loyalty and commitment to me, to our family. I have dealt with a great deal of guilt bringing this disease...this hurricane into our family. But you have taken that and you fill my heart with laughter, peace and hope. Your relationship with our daughters blows me away, you are so much more than a provider. You are the prince daddy, the wrestler, the tea time buddy, the ballet dance partner, the bathroom aide, the “daddy kiss my owie”, the dance in the kitchen to George Strait just because, the “let’s go on adventures” and the “Wiatrek bus driver”. You have exceeded my expectations for being a husband and a father. I love you more today than the day I said, “I do.” I am so proud of us, our commitment and steadfast love for each other even during such a trial as this. We have gained a new lens on life that most may never see. We don’t take life for granted. We embrace the smallest of joyful moments. Thank you for letting me be me...especially after cancer. Thank you for loving my broken, scarred body and never missing a beat when it came to these huge physical changes. Thank you for telling me I am beautiful when I felt anything but.
Every morning when I see you my heart jumps because I am living the rest of my life with my absolute best friend, my soulmate, the mighty Mac to my cheese. Cheers to us. Sweet seven year anniversary. We’ve been to hell and back and we’re proving no matter what life throws at you, your marriage and life can come out on top. P.S. the only seven year itch I have, is to hold your hand. I love you babe. Forever, I promise.