Happy Anniversary...Our Story

We were married @ Martin's Crosswinds in Maryland

No, we didn't fall!

Mac is very thoughtful and wrote a letter to me as my gift...yes, I still have it!

Just me!

On November 19, 2005 around 6:00 p.m. it was the best day of my life. Fast forward, and I have spent the best three years of my life with my best friend of 11 years. Our journey together has been amazing. Just a quick story of us in case you don't already know.

We met when I was 13, he was 14 at Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. We were attending a summer science and math camp (and no we weren't nerds). I wanted to get away for the summer (I am from Maryland) and he was forced to go by his mother! We knew each other at the camp, but at the end we just said our good-byes without exchanging information. Fast forward a few years, I was still in high school, but my sister was in college. We went to one of the basketball games in Baltimore and I heard someone yelling "Binky," which was my nickname they gave me at the camp (please, no questions!). By that time, I forgot the nickname and didn't respond until after the person kept saying it. When I turned around, I realized it was "him" (Mac). We talked very briefly, and again went our separate ways. Fast forward about two years, now I am a freshman in college and went to a football game. Again, I hear someone yelling "Binky" and again I forget that is "my" nickname. Finally, I realize it's Mac and finally we exchange numbers - pager numbers that is - this just goes to show how old we are!

Well, for the next few weeks I was wondering who was paging me with the unfamiliar number, so I never returned the call thinking it was the 'wrong number.' One day I was walking to class and someone was behind me yelling "Binky" (again, I ignored it because I never went by a nickname, only Ashley). Finally, I turned around and I see Mac in his car. I walk over and he asks if I want a ride to class and of course I agree because I was only half-way there. We chit chatted briefly to learn that he was paging me and exchanged phone numbers. Somehow, from that day on we never parted. We hung out for a few months as friends, but that friendship quickly blossomed into something more, much more.

We dated through his college graduation, mine, his graduate school graduation, mine, and my law school graduation before we got married. But, for another quick story...the proposal. I know you remember the show on TLC called Perfect Proposal. Well, I used to watch it faithfully. Mac wrote the show and was accepted (little to my knowledge). So, he planned the proposal for months keeping it a secret from me. For anyone who knows Mac, he is a TALKER! A SUPER TALKER, making it difficult to not tell me. Fast forward to the week of the shooting of the show and he basically spills the beans the day before the proposal. Not to mention my sister and I look for wedding venues WITHOUT A RING (what was SHE thinking?). Anyway, we finally make it to the proposal location - Pentagon City Mall. I take my sweet time shopping to come across a game that just happens to be filmed (yeah right). I was really skeptical, but went along. I knew this was IT, but what was it? Then, I thought well, I better not count my chickens before they hatch because this could very well not be it! I look around and do not recognize anyway and continue on. I notice at the end of the game (a gift exchange) there is a tiny box. Now, why wouldn't they hide it in a big box? Of course Mac eventually comes out and squats down and proposes. I boo-hoo like it's a tearjerker movie and accept. It was so much fun and excitement. It just so happened that my co-pastor was at the mall and she was able to bless the rings...such a great end to the night. Sorry, I don't have a link to that video online. Maybe I can get it on YouTube one day, then I'll share it. But, here are a couple of pictures:

The proposal and 'the TV cry'

Nichole (my sister), Nikki Boyer (host of Perfect Proposal), Mac, me (yes, I had the shortest hair cut of my life - got weeks before the proposal and my sister did the OMG the show look, but I had no idea - it grew out fast for the wedding), Matt (DJ of Z104/host of game), and
Mommy (my mom)

So, with this posting, I wanted to share a little love. You can see our wedding highlight video by clicking here.

To my husband, my love, and my best friend, I love you and wish you a
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
It's been great and I can only hope we can share many more.
I can't wait to see you!

Here is a card I made. It was so hard to create an anniversary card for a guy and my husband at that. I couldn't do anything too frilly and girly, so I decided to select a picture from the wedding and make it a card. It is really simple with the picture adhered to a gold card. A cranberry ribbon (from the wedding) is wrapped around the card base with hodgepodge hardware. "I Love You" is stamped in Purely Pomegranate on vanilla cardstock, then distressed with Ranger antique linen and matted on Bravo Burgundy cardstock. I stitched around the edges to rough it up a bit. I hope he likes it! EDITED TO ADD: See the removed picture in this posting.