Calvary Apostolic Tabernacle

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Our Wedding

Tyler&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;been&nbsp;together&nbsp;for&nbsp;a&nbsp;year&nbsp;and&nbsp;one&nbsp;month&nbsp;when&nbsp;he&nbsp;got&nbsp;down&nbsp;on&nbsp;one&nbsp;knee.&nbsp;My&nbsp;family&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;come&nbsp;for&nbsp;a&nbsp;Memorial&nbsp;Day&nbsp;Picnic&nbsp;hosted&nbsp;by&nbsp;his&nbsp;church&nbsp;at&nbsp;a&nbsp;nearby&nbsp;park.&nbsp;After&nbsp;most&nbsp;everyone&nbsp;had&nbsp;left&nbsp;the&nbsp;festivities&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;young&nbsp;adults&nbsp;were&nbsp;about&nbsp;to&nbsp;go&nbsp;out&nbsp;for&nbsp;ice&nbsp;cream,&nbsp;we&nbsp;got&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;car&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;said&nbsp;he&nbsp;wanted&nbsp;to&nbsp;take&nbsp;me&nbsp;somewhere.&nbsp;A&nbsp;park.&nbsp; I&nbsp;said,&nbsp;"But&nbsp;we're&nbsp;at&nbsp;a&nbsp;park?" He&nbsp;then&nbsp;began&nbsp;to&nbsp;tell&nbsp;me&nbsp;how&nbsp;this&nbsp;park&nbsp;was&nbsp;special&nbsp;and&nbsp;he&nbsp;spent&nbsp;a&nbsp;lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;time&nbsp;here&nbsp;in&nbsp;his&nbsp;childhood&nbsp;and&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp;wanting&nbsp;to&nbsp;show&nbsp;me.&nbsp;I&nbsp;went&nbsp;along&nbsp;with&nbsp;it&nbsp;but&nbsp;I&nbsp;could&nbsp;tell&nbsp;since&nbsp;we&nbsp;had&nbsp;departed&nbsp;from&nbsp;everyone&nbsp;else,&nbsp;his&nbsp;nerves&nbsp;were&nbsp;very&nbsp;apparent&nbsp;so&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;a&nbsp;guess&nbsp;of&nbsp;what&nbsp;this&nbsp;might&nbsp;be&nbsp;about.&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;is&nbsp;outgoing&nbsp;and&nbsp;confident,&nbsp;but&nbsp;suddenly&nbsp;he&nbsp;was&nbsp;quiet&nbsp;and&nbsp;stumbling&nbsp;over&nbsp;his&nbsp;words.&nbsp; When&nbsp;we&nbsp;got&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;park,&nbsp;it&nbsp;started&nbsp;out&nbsp;great,&nbsp;because&nbsp;we&nbsp;had&nbsp;to&nbsp;cross&nbsp;the&nbsp;road&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;parking&nbsp;lot&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;only&nbsp;opening&nbsp;we&nbsp;could&nbsp;see&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;fence&nbsp;had&nbsp;a&nbsp;pit&nbsp;of&nbsp;mud&nbsp;you'd&nbsp;have&nbsp;to&nbsp;step&nbsp;over.&nbsp;So&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;jumped&nbsp;over&nbsp;it&nbsp;successfully...&nbsp;But&nbsp;as&nbsp;hard&nbsp;as&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;tried,&nbsp;my&nbsp;foot&nbsp;sunk&nbsp;in&nbsp;all&nbsp;that&nbsp;mud&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;thought&nbsp;for&nbsp;sure&nbsp;my&nbsp;shoe&nbsp;is&nbsp;ruined&nbsp;now.&nbsp;We&nbsp;laughed&nbsp;nonstop.&nbsp;I&nbsp;tried&nbsp;to&nbsp;rub&nbsp;it&nbsp;off&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;grass&nbsp;with&nbsp;it&nbsp;still&nbsp;on,&nbsp;when&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;took&nbsp;my&nbsp;shoe&nbsp;and&nbsp;rubbed&nbsp;it&nbsp;all&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;grass&nbsp;and&nbsp;even&nbsp;on&nbsp;his&nbsp;pants,&nbsp;because&nbsp;he&nbsp;was&nbsp;more&nbsp;concerned&nbsp;about&nbsp;the&nbsp;sandals&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;just&nbsp;bought&nbsp;today&nbsp;than&nbsp;his&nbsp;own&nbsp;jeans.&nbsp;That's&nbsp;the&nbsp;kind&nbsp;of&nbsp;selfless&nbsp;partner&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp;every&nbsp;day.&nbsp;We&nbsp;then&nbsp;continued&nbsp;to&nbsp;walk&nbsp;down&nbsp;just&nbsp;several&nbsp;feet&nbsp;where&nbsp;there&nbsp;was&nbsp;a&nbsp;little&nbsp;bridge&nbsp;over&nbsp;the&nbsp;mud.&nbsp;We&nbsp;laughed&nbsp;harder&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;felt&nbsp;so&nbsp;guilty&nbsp;he'd&nbsp;made&nbsp;me&nbsp;try&nbsp;to&nbsp;step&nbsp;over&nbsp;it&nbsp;in&nbsp;my&nbsp;new&nbsp;shoes. We&nbsp;walked&nbsp;around&nbsp;the&nbsp;whole&nbsp;path&nbsp;twice,&nbsp;by&nbsp;a&nbsp;lake,&nbsp;a&nbsp;bridge,&nbsp;a&nbsp;hill,&nbsp;and&nbsp;through&nbsp;the&nbsp;trees,&nbsp;talking&nbsp;about&nbsp;childhood&nbsp;stories,&nbsp;what&nbsp;we&nbsp;were&nbsp;like&nbsp;in&nbsp;school,&nbsp;and&nbsp;about&nbsp;how&nbsp;one&nbsp;day&nbsp;we'll&nbsp;have&nbsp;to&nbsp;come&nbsp;for&nbsp;walks&nbsp;when&nbsp;we're&nbsp;married,&nbsp;and&nbsp;eventually&nbsp;bring&nbsp;our&nbsp;kids&nbsp;here&nbsp;to&nbsp;play&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;playground.&nbsp;As&nbsp;my&nbsp;sunglasses&nbsp;kept&nbsp;falling&nbsp;off&nbsp;my&nbsp;too-small-face,&nbsp;we&nbsp;laughed&nbsp;and&nbsp;joked&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;went&nbsp;back&nbsp;to&nbsp;his&nbsp;normal&nbsp;talkative&nbsp;self.&nbsp;Which&nbsp;convinced&nbsp;me&nbsp;that&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;wrong&nbsp;and&nbsp;there&nbsp;wouldn't&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;proposal&nbsp;today&nbsp;after&nbsp;all.&nbsp; When&nbsp;we&nbsp;got&nbsp;back&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;entrance&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;big&nbsp;hill,&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;asked&nbsp;if&nbsp;I&nbsp;wanted&nbsp;to&nbsp;try&nbsp;and&nbsp;climb&nbsp;up&nbsp;there.&nbsp;I&nbsp;said&nbsp;sure,&nbsp;let's&nbsp;race&nbsp;up&nbsp;there.&nbsp;About&nbsp;a&nbsp;third&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;way&nbsp;up&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;out&nbsp;of&nbsp;breath&nbsp;and&nbsp;now&nbsp;just&nbsp;barely&nbsp;walking&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;was&nbsp;just&nbsp;a&nbsp;bit&nbsp;ahead&nbsp;of&nbsp;me&nbsp;and&nbsp;stopped.&nbsp;I'm&nbsp;pretty&nbsp;sure&nbsp;he&nbsp;let&nbsp;me&nbsp;win.&nbsp; We&nbsp;looked&nbsp;out&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;big&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;sky,&nbsp;and&nbsp;all&nbsp;the&nbsp;trees&nbsp;and&nbsp;it&nbsp;was&nbsp;just&nbsp;a&nbsp;perfect&nbsp;setting.&nbsp;He&nbsp;turned&nbsp;to&nbsp;me&nbsp;and&nbsp;started&nbsp;saying&nbsp;lovely&nbsp;things,&nbsp;and&nbsp;how&nbsp;he&nbsp;couldn't&nbsp;imagine&nbsp;his&nbsp;life&nbsp;without&nbsp;me,&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;thought&nbsp;to&nbsp;myself&nbsp;is&nbsp;this&nbsp;it?&nbsp;Or&nbsp;is&nbsp;it&nbsp;just&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;just&nbsp;being&nbsp;his&nbsp;usual&nbsp;wonderful&nbsp;self? Until&nbsp;of&nbsp;course&nbsp;he&nbsp;reached&nbsp;for&nbsp;his&nbsp;back&nbsp;pocket,&nbsp;got&nbsp;on&nbsp;one&nbsp;knee,&nbsp;and&nbsp;asked,&nbsp;"Would&nbsp;you&nbsp;make&nbsp;me&nbsp;the&nbsp;happiest&nbsp;man&nbsp;alive&nbsp;and&nbsp;be&nbsp;my&nbsp;wife?"&nbsp; I&nbsp;took&nbsp;out&nbsp;the&nbsp;ring&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;box,&nbsp;and&nbsp;said&nbsp;"Wow.&nbsp;Yes!" I&nbsp;gave&nbsp;the&nbsp;ring&nbsp;to&nbsp;him&nbsp;to&nbsp;put&nbsp;on&nbsp;my&nbsp;finger&nbsp;and&nbsp;fell&nbsp;down&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;knees&nbsp;with&nbsp;him,&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;tears&nbsp;just&nbsp;started&nbsp;coming.&nbsp;We&nbsp;sat&nbsp;there&nbsp;on&nbsp;our&nbsp;knees&nbsp;for&nbsp;a&nbsp;good&nbsp;while&nbsp;just&nbsp;hugging&nbsp;as&nbsp;I&nbsp;cried&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;being&nbsp;so&nbsp;relieved&nbsp;it&nbsp;was&nbsp;done&nbsp;and&nbsp;I'd&nbsp;said&nbsp;yes.&nbsp; Eventually&nbsp;we&nbsp;stood&nbsp;up&nbsp;and&nbsp;took&nbsp;a&nbsp;few&nbsp;pictures&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;studied&nbsp;how&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;my&nbsp;ring&nbsp;was.&nbsp;(Said&nbsp;sandals&nbsp;pictured&nbsp;above,&nbsp;don't&nbsp;they&nbsp;look&nbsp;clean?)&nbsp;We&nbsp;walked&nbsp;back&nbsp;down&nbsp;the&nbsp;hill&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;started&nbsp;tearing&nbsp;up&nbsp;again&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;thought&nbsp;of&nbsp;going&nbsp;back&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;family&nbsp;to&nbsp;tell&nbsp;them.&nbsp;It&nbsp;was&nbsp;an&nbsp;amazing&nbsp;and&nbsp;unforgettable&nbsp;day&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;can't&nbsp;wait&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;next&nbsp;amazing&nbsp;and&nbsp;unforgettable&nbsp;day&nbsp;where&nbsp;Tyler&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;get&nbsp;to&nbsp;promise&nbsp;to&nbsp;have&nbsp;those&nbsp;kind&nbsp;of&nbsp;days&nbsp;forever.

Kallista & Tyler

Kallista & Tyler

Photos

Kallista and Tyler