Today is our 20th wedding anniversary! Wow!
I am so thankful to God that over 20 years ago He lead me to the man that would be my life partner. Looking back, I see God's handwriting and grace written all over my life.
Here is our story.
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My sophomore year in high school I began attending church with a close friend. It was at this church that I came to know the Lord Jesus as my personal savior. This just happened to be the same church that Bryan and his family went too. Bryan was raised in the church and became a christian as a young boy.
Bryan is 3 years older than I, so we knew of each other in the youth group but it wasn't until our college age years that we really began to get to know one another. My best friend and one of Bryans closest friends were brother and sister so we found ourselves together a lot when hanging out with them. We both began working with the junior high youth during these years and found ourselves at camp together each winter and summer, as camp counselors, and on mission trips to Mexico together. We even found ourselves in the same sign language class at college. But it was while leading the junior high students at our church that we really became close and began to fall in love.
On my 21st Birthday Bryan asked me to marry him. We were married one year and 2 weeks later on September 24th, 1993.
The front of our wedding invitation
Inside our wedding invite.
OUR WEDDING
We were married on a Friday evening at 7pm at our church in Bakersfield, California. 130 of our close friends and family attended. We each had 6 attendants including our best man and maid of honor. We also had a flower girl, 4 ushers, 2 candle lighters, 2 singers (friends), a scripture reader, and one guest book attendant in our wedding party. The ceremony wasn't long- only about 35 minutes. We took communion with our parents during the ceremony and had a time of prayer and scripture reading. We wrote our own vows. We included a lot of music in our ceremony and did not go with the tradional songs that you typically hear at a wedding.
watching me walk down the isle
husband and wife
The Reception
Our reception took place in a friends backyard around their pool. We had food catered in and set the driveway up as a dance floor complete with bubbles blowing over it. A friend was our DJ for the evening. He did an amazing job! We had clear lights strung from the trees, balloons floating in the pool, the cake set up in the gazebo. Tables and chairs were set up around the yard and we set up a play area with ping pong at the back of the yard for the children. We had a large projector tv screen brought in and set up in the backyard to show a video that had pictures of Bryan and I from our childhood up to engagement pictures, all of which was set to music. A friend made the video for us. It was 15 minutes long. I loved our reception! It was casual and fun and I loved that everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves, including Bryan and I.
yup- he did!
With our best man and maid of honor
Bryan doing the limbo on the dance floor.
We decided to spend that first weekend of our honeymoon in town so we could spend time with family and friends that had come into town for our wedding- some from across the country. We actually spent our wedding night at our townhouse. On Saturday we met family and our wedding party for lunch and then had pictures taken at a portrait studio. On Sunday we had close friends and family over to our townhouse where we opened up our wedding gifts. On Monday morning Bryan and I left on our honeymoon where we spent the week in Napa Valley and Monterey, California.
In the past 20 years we have experienced 9 homes in 4 states...... the birth of 6 children--one being 3 months premature and weighing 1 pound 15 ounces. Three dogs, 1 cat, 1 goldfish, 2 rabbits. One year of unemployment. Depression. A near death experience with blood clots for Jen......... a chronic illness for Jen and health issues for Bryan...... times where we barely had enough food to eat to times where our pantry was overflowing. Selfishness, struggles, sin, and smiles. And laughter. Lots of good laughter. Easy & hard times. Tears & hugs. If their is one thing we have learned through it all it is that our God is faithful! He is an amazing God who has shown His love to us time and time again, even when we least deserved it. He has protected us. He has provided for us. We are so thankful for His grace!
On this 20th anniversary of ours, my heart is full of so much thanksgiving for the man I call husband. So thankful to share this journey called life with him.
Happy 20th Anniversary, Bryan Unsell! I love you!
"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned." Song of Solomon 8:6-7
