engagement anniversary
Today is our one year engagement anniversary. It is so hard to believe that one year has passed since that special early morning rise to have my man get down on one knee in cold Moument Valley and propose to me. We have managed even to get married before a year as lasped which is success on our part for organising such a cool event in minimal time! A lot of people thought it was the wedding of a life time but I'm sure its just the love we have for each other shining through that made it so. A year has passed so fast as we have been caught up in wedding planning madness. And sometimes we have felt swept away in it all with not much time for the simple stuff that means more than getting all the boxes ticked off. But we are both so happy to be married to each other, it does make everything deeper and because we are so happy about where we are there is no greater happiness to us than that. I really hope we have more time like this morning where we got up early before work and had a champagne brekky together to celebrate - berries with vanilla bean fruche, toasted crossiants with philly and salmon and some juice ( I love that time of year when Arano brings out there tangelo tainted one nom) to add to our dwindling champagne glasses (no tops ups before work haha!). The champagne was from the picnic we never had around the photography wedding sess. I can't remember a happier day than a year ago when you proposed to me in Monument Valley (apart from the wedding, but that was more of a blur). We had an amazing day that day in between the buttes. It was all about climbing the Rain God Mesa and I love yous bouncing celestially around the valley. Calling my parents and his grandparents (who knew it was coming!), taking silhoutte kissy pictures in Arches National Park and sharing a delicious dinner and wine to celebrate our engagement in Red Cliffs Lodge (which was sandwiched between two of the most immense cliffs I had ever seen in my life).
I will leave you with my speech that I said at our wedding:
Once apon a time...isn’t that how all the good stories begin?
I will never forget the time our eyes first met. We crossed paths at the old Warehouse in Hawera and Adrian was in his security uniform waiting to work at 6. There was something magical in-between that look, it seemed to reflect so much, like a premonition of our future together: of all the amazing adventures we have been on and of all the love we have shared.
Adrian would often come and see me in the cd bar. In those days it was in a small building and the cd bar was in its own separate area. I eventually started to cotton on -----that it might not be a mistake! It must have been destiny that Adrian had not heard that I was going out with someone else, despite mentioning it clearly one day in work as I didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. His selective listening, combined with his procrastinating in asking me out gave us both perfect timing. This was the start of much procrastination to come... He asked me out on the 12th of December 2002 as I was once again a single lady and we embarked on our first date at Dairylands not long after.
It must have been love, as on our third date he got to meet the parents and my father was astounded by his height and measured him up against the doorframe much to both me and my mother’s horror! Adrian shockingly was not scared off by my crazy family, but he also contributed to the craziness, with his yelling at the sports which still freaks out my poor mother (it freaks out everyone, truth be told). I have never met Adrian’s parents but believe that they produced the most amazing boy soulmate ever. I know Adrian’s parents look down in approval at our soulmate love, which is something Adrian knows they also shared with each other.
I would also like to thank Adrian’s grandparents who give Adrian and I so much love, support and poffeterges over the years! And thank you to my parents who have shared so many amazing memories with us, and to my Dad who danced on his tippy toes when he found out I was engaged. He is secretly an old romantic at heart.
In the early days of our relationship I remember Adrian picking me up and carrying me over rocks at the beaches down in Taranaki. I remember resisting him at first, his carrying me over the rocks, his absolute niceness. But nearly 10 years later and he’s carried me miles and carried me over so much, over so many real rocks. We make the most of any and every situation. The good times are the best because of you. The support and love we provide for each other through the bad times has pulled us through and will continue to.
We have had so much fun over the years. I remember colouring in the world, and each other, making unique gingerbread, breaking lolly necklaces on the floors of dairies, building Lego Christmas sets together and dressing up for an American Halloween.... Adrian has never been ashamed of our love. He has a lot of love to give. I love how we are both so young at heart. You are my best friend ever. All my years have been injected with fun and mischief. Every moment is magical together. And I have hope for many more playground misadventures to come!
We are so different but we share essentially the same values. We belong together and complete each other. One essential thing we share is a love of good food - most of our memories come from cooking dinners together and trying different culinary delights! So, I hope, this is a tasty feed for you all tonight!
Speaking of food...It may have taken almost 9 years but there were many numerous burger ring proposals before the real deal. I must say that it was nice to finally get a ring that we won’t eat. I hope I can keep sharing amazing moments. Everything we do will be better because the other is there. I hope in the future namely we will be happy. I’m sure one is expected to say “I want a big house, 4 kids and a Aston martin” but if I could just have the moments I have already experienced with you for the rest of my life I will be very lucky indeed. I think our love has always been great and transcended even higher - to best friends who know each other, inside and out. and if I could live all my days with my best friend then I’ve lived the greatest and most fulfilled life ever. Plus, I don’t think you’ll ever let us drive around in an average car. Recently I’ve been trying to talk you out of even thinking about a Dodge Challenger...hmmm.
I believe our love is like my new ring and I hope it will go on forever and ever. I hope it will never end. And that every day will be like the first day we met. Your eyes are where I want to grow old in.
Thank you to everyone, those that have travelled far and wide to be with us and celebrate our love. I think love is the best excuse for a celebration. We are so happy to share with you this day of happiness.
Thank you to our bridal party for their help in this day. Thank you to my bridesmaids for their friendship over the years. It’s so special to see the bonds in life that are unbroken even through distance and lack of time. Kelly I have been friends with since I was in High School, and Cat since Uni. We’ve all had some amazing, wacky times and memories together and hopefully tonight can be another one to add to the list. I also thank friends and family for putting up with not hearing boo out of me because of wedding planning, but hopefully tonight makes up for that. Thank you for the friends who have given us home cooked meals when we’ve been living off takeaways as of late, and those that have been so supportive and lovely to check on me while we have been planning. Your words of encouragement kept us sane! I also want to thank Adrian’s Uncle for his Mcing skills and encouraging me to do a speech, though maybe you are regretting it now.......I have blabbed on long enough. It was so hard coming up with a speech to do justice to our amazing love on this special day. On quantity alone hopefully I have achieved this success!
Let us raise our glasses in toast for the specialness of love which brings people together. Love from family, friends, and soul mates. Those in attendance and those that can’t be with us.
Cheers!