Twelve years ago, my sister stood up at our wedding reception and smiled as she handed the microphone to my new brother-in-law, Jared.  He stood up from his chair.  He took a deep breath and then he exhaled.  Jared scanned the room as a cousin hooted and cheered him on.  He said, “I would like to thank everyone for coming to my birthday party.”  Our wedding is still the best wedding I have ever been to and I would not have changed a thing.  If you would like to travel back in time, please click on our blog post from Anniversary Eleven.  You can view our love story here:

Our Love Story, Part Two: The First Date

Our Love Story, Part Three: The Breakup

Our Love Story, Part Four: The First Date, Round Two

Amber + Jason Eleven Year Anniversary

Amber + Jason Twelve Year Anniversary

Amber + Jason Fourteenth Year Anniversary

Life has changed quite drastically from the life we knew when we got married in 2006.  As newlyweds, we could do anything spur of the moment.  We could decide at 10 p.m. to leave for the mountains the next morning for a snowboarding adventure.  We could go to the restroom without any visitors wanting to join us.  My favorite was that there never were any complaints about what we were having for dinner!

Over the years, we have added three beautiful children, another stubborn dog, and two cats into our lives.  We have lived in three homes together.  (We are not moving again!)  We decided to bite the uncool bullet and bought a minivan.  We have had one ambulance trip and too many peanut and egg allergy scares.  We have had countless trips to the cabin, spent hours in the pool teaching our children how to swim, and still, today bicker about the proper way our children should swing a bat.  The only time we argue is when our children are sick.  There is nothing we can do, so we take it out on each other.  (Jason would love to take our children to the doctor on the first cough, and I would prefer to have their bodies fight the germs off.)

Jason, I appreciate you.  No matter how often I tell you, I cannot say it enough.  I struggle through harvest every fall and the planting season in the spring.  I have such a hard time during your busy seasons because I love being around you.  You know I have a hard time sleeping in a bed without you by my side.  Some of my favorites dates are when we stay home and end up drinking one too many drinks together.  You were with me throughout my dad’s Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis, and you held me close as I wept as he got worse, and then again after he passed away.  There are times when I want to argue and you do not wish to participate.  I love you even though you constantly leave your whiskers in the sink.  And I think you secretly enjoy bugging me by not hanging up your deer head and having it sit on the floor like a dog.  I am so grateful that we have grown together over the years, and I look forward to many more anniversaries in our future!  I love you Farmer J!

Pictures were captured by the talented Lindsey King Photography and Katie Williams.