15 Years

Fifteen years ago, I started down a new path in my life that I probably was not prepared for. No, I definitely was not prepared for it. That being said though, I am so glad that I ventured down that path because out of it has come many blessings and a life that I truly enjoy.

I was only 18 years old, standing at the alter of a small church next to the man I loved and 7 months pregnant. It was my wedding day and I was very nervous. I have never felt comfortable standing in front of people with all eyes on me. Especially when I knew that many of those eyes belonged to people who were judging me, convinced that I was making a huge mistake. After all, I was still in high school and here I was, moments away from becoming a wife and weeks away from becoming a mommy.

No, this was not how I pictured my wedding day. We were doing everything in complete reverse of what is considered "normal". I never planned to say my vows with a baby in my womb. I definitely hadn't planned on getting married before I could graduate high school. But I also didn't plan to meet and fall in love with my soul mate when I did. Life is funny that way though. It never goes as we plan.

As the Pastor read from 1 Corinthians, the sun finally broke through the dreary clouds that day and shone through the stained glass windows. I don't know how many people in that small sanctuary noticed it, but I sure did. All of my nerves were washed away at that moment and I knew then that, as long as we made Him a part of it, God would bless our marriage.

March 22, 1997 ~ Our Wedding Day

It hasn't been an easy road, but I knew it wouldn't be. We were young, we didn't have a plan and we were forced to grow up quickly. However, I wouldn't change it. I am more in love with my husband now than I was 15 years ago. Our relationship has endured some rough times, petty arguments and a myriad of other things that aren't even worth mentioning. Today, we are best friends and know one another better than we know ourselves. We laugh at things that most people wouldn't understand and we are there for each other no matter what. We have gone beyond finishing one another's sentences to saying the same sentence in unison.

I wanted to keep this as short as possible because I could easily write a novel about our life together. I have spent my entire adult life with one man. I am 33 years old and I have no idea what adult single life is like. I have no clue what it feels like to try and have children. While I didn't plan to have my children at a young age, I am very grateful I had them when I did. As the years passed, I ended up with PCOS which makes getting pregnant difficult, if at all. With that being said, we consider our children to be an early and unexpected blessing.

It's hard to believe how fast these 15 years have went by. We were married in March of '97, had our first son in May of '97 and I graduated high school in June of '97. Like I said, we did it backwards. And to everyone out there who said we wouldn't make it, all I can say is...we are still together, more in love than ever before and I think we have done a pretty good job raising our children. I don't know what the next 15 years will hold, but I look forward to spending each day with my husband and experiencing life with him by my side. I love you Joseph Don Olmsted! Always & Forever.

My newest tattoo

Joey's newest tattoo