It's amazing for me to think back on our life together. From our precious time dating, to our endless waiting while he was a missionary in Japan, to our thrilling engagement, and finally our sacred marriage and eternal sealing, my heart is overwhelmed with happiness! Has life been perfect for Greg and me? No, absolutely not. Yet because we have each other, we are perfectly happy together!
This morning as I walked awkwardly down the stairs in my big boot with a laundry basket, Greg was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a big smile on his handsome face. :) His combed, shiny black hair and glasses totally reminded me of Clark Kent! He was wearing his black and white "H" shirt in honor of his Harvard distance class that he'll be participating in tonight.
Smiling Greg took my laundry basket, smiled even brighter, got down on one knee, pulled a little, tan, textured box out of his pocket, opened it, presented it to me and said, "Will you marry me again? Because I would marry you again and again and again!" I excitedly said, "YES! I will marry you a million times!" Then I hugged and kissed and hugged him! Greg pushed the ring box toward me and said, "Well?! Aren't you going to put it on?! You've been so patient!"
Oh, my darling Gregor knows me so well! He knows how much I love beautiful jewelry, and indeed how difficult it was for me to wait so patiently for my amazing Jose Hess ring! You see, I've been eyeing this designer ring for just over two years! Yet it was just never the right time for us to buy this ring because it was too pricey for our family's budget.
So when I randomly stumbled across "my" ring during an internet search (Remember, I've had a lot of down time due to Fankle!) and saw that it was 55% off, well, I just had to have it! I totally love that I "conveniently" found out about my ring right before our 19th wedding anniversary! Yes, I have a delightful shopping angel for sure! Ha ha.
Here is a collage of my happiest ring:
I took three of the photos from JTV, and obviously, my copyright doesn't apply to those. :)
The reasons I love my new ring so much are:
- It's sterling silver. From the research I've done, sterling silver is the best metal for your skin—it's the least toxic.
- It has cubic zirconia stones. Even though diamonds are the traditional stone for anniversary bands, and they're much harder, I have issues with the way diamonds have messed up the lives and economies of the people and countries who mine them. Plus, cubic zirconia stones are only one-and-a-half steps down from diamonds on the Mohs Hardness Scale; they're also only a half-step away from rubies, sapphires and emeralds!
- It's in the shape of a braid. I've done research in the past to see the history of wedding rings. Apparently back in the day (thousands of years ago), couples in love exchanged rings made out of braided or woven rushes/grasses to show their love and commitment to each other. I like that this ring reminds me of the longevity of the wonderful institution of traditional marriage—I love feeling connected to the past love stories of our world! :)
- I've always had a thing for long, beautiful, leafy vines—this ring reminds me of the kind I used to doodle as a teenager. :)
- I love the fact that I waited just over two years for my ring, which is the exact amount of time I had to wait for Greg to return from his mission in Japan!
- It reminds me of a laurel wreath which represents victory. Yes, Greg and I have absolutely been victorious in our marriage for the past 19 years! :)
- My darling, wonderful, sweet, and oh-so-charismatic husband presented it to me in the best way possible! I never imagined he would do something so romantic! Be still my heart! :)
Now, maybe some of you are thinking, "Well, the way Greg presented the ring to her wasn't that romantic...", and you might be right. But for me—Adrie Peterson, eternal wife of Gregory Peterson—the way I was presented my lovely anniversary ring was exactly perfect and utterly romantic to the max!
You see, when a married couple has been through as much as Greg and I have (especially recently), our happiest little encounter at the bottom of our stairs this morning couldn't have been more perfect! Heart sigh. :) Besides, time was of the essence: Greg had to get on a business call and I had many loads of laundry to fold—still do! Ha ha.
Yes, romantic moments can be fully had when we least expect them. Romance comes in all sorts of ways—we just need to be ready and willing to participate when those moments are available! And we shouldn't ever try to force romance into a box (pardon the pun!), for there isn't just one right way to be romantic! We must forever cherish whatever romantic moments we're given—with our whole hearts and souls!
I'm so grateful for the smiles Greg has given to me for the past 22 years! (I'm including the time since we met each other.) No amount of money or possessions will ever compare to the spiritual connection, physical love, and eternal dedication that Greg and I share. When all is said and done in this crazy world, there will still be Greg and Adrie for eternity!
P.S. This is exactly how I feel about my Gregor! :)
P.S. This is exactly how I feel about my Gregor! :)