Twenty Years.....

Twenty years ago today, July 23, Jeff and I were married. It's hard to believe that it's been twenty years. They surely haven't all been fun and easy but I can honestly say that there is no one on this earth I would rather "do life" with than Jeff.

I could wax all poetic and romantic and gush on and on about how wonderful Jeff is---because he is. But I thought it would be fun to share 20 things about our dating/courtship/wedding instead.

1. Jeff and I first became friends in college when we both auditioned for and were chosen to travel to Australia on a musical missions team.
2. I remember coming back to my dorm from practice one day and saying to my roommate "That Jeff VeStrand is going to make a great husband some day!"
3. During Parent's Weekend at Cedarville that year, my parents came to hear our team do a small concert before we left. My dad leaned over to my mom and said "I don't know who that guy is (it was Jeff!) but he has "something" for Jennifer. I can tell."
4. Even though I was dating someone else at the time of our missions trip, I distinctly recall thinking "I can't wait to spend six weeks with Jeff VeStrand!"
5. Just about a week into the trip, Jeff and I were billeted at the same home. We stayed up late that night talking and praying together. We agreed we wanted to pursue a dating relationship.
6. Jeff and I tried our best to keep our "romance" a secret from the team, but that didn't last very long at all.
7. Our first "date" was to Stanwell Beach, courtesy of our billets, Leigh and Erin, who drove us there and allowed us some time alone. (It looks just like I remember!)
   
8. Our first kiss was in a McDonald's parking lot in Sydney, Australia, in the backseat of Leigh and Erin's car. I still have the french fry container from that night!
9. We arrived back in the states in early August, 1987. Three weeks later, I traveled to New York to meet Jeff's family. His parents took us out to dinner and asked us what our wedding plans were.
10. Three weeks after that, when my parents took me back to Cedarville for my junior year, we all went out to dinner and Jeff asked my dad's permission to marry me. He agreed but not without quite a bit of questioning!
11. Before we were officially engaged, I had purchased my wedding dress, and reserved the church, the photographer, and the reception site.
12. I wore my mom's engagement ring while I tried on wedding gowns so people wouldn't realize I wasn't "officially engaged"!
13. We got engaged on Christmas Eve, 1987.
    
14. My ring was exactly what I hoped for--an oval-shaped diamond with some diamonds on the band. I still love it twenty years later!
15. We sang two duets in our own wedding. We were also the first couple in my home church to face the audience during the ceremony. We started a trend!
    
16. We had all traditional music in our wedding--Canon in D, The Wedding March, etc. (In my humble opinion, ALL weddings should include traditional wedding music.)
    
17. Our reception was at the Reading Country Club in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was so much fun!
18. When we left the reception for our honeymoon, I left my cosmetic bag and we had to go back to pick it up. The funny thing is: my mom had done the exact same thing when she and my dad got married and left their wedding reception!
19. We honeymooned in New England--Boston, Newport, Martha's Vineyard. It was a great start to our married life!
20. Jeff, I love you more than you will ever know. You are the BEST thing that has ever happened to me. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart.