Today my husband and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary; this also marks my 1000th post. I would like to share a small slice of our story and humbly ask you to leave a comment at the end, in what I hope will be an online guest book.
1984 (Arkansas)
There was a boy and a girl; he was 17, she was 18. They met in May of her senior year, just months before she’d leave for college, 1800 miles from home. That summer they fell in love.
Although they had other dreams, none seemed nearly so important now as being together. She loved college, but missed him so much she returned home after fall term. They became engaged the following spring; he drove her back to school in the fall; and they married on a crisp October day in New Hampshire.
The next quarter of a century would bring 8 children, 3 states, and 11 places called home (now Atlanta). Life wasn’t always easy or perfect, but throughout the years they grew closer, not further apart.
1 man. 1 woman. 25 years. Whatever the next 25 years will bring, they’ll face it together.
The Guest Book
Thank you for being here, whether you’re a real life friend, an online friend, or a first time visitor. It is my special wish that everyone who stops by would leave a comment, making this post our 25th anniversary online guest book. Thank you so much for being a part of this special day!
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What a sweet story. Happy Anniversary!!
– Casey from http://bumpinalongtheroadlesstraveled.blogspot.com/
Happy Happy 25th Anniversary!!! So glad you got to get away together. Hoping your next 25+ are even better than the first 25!
Congrats!! You guys are quite a role model for the rest of us. Brian and I are almost to our 20 year mark. I hope your next 25 bring you as much joy and happiness as the past 25. Take Care!!
Happy anniversary!!!!! What a sweet love story.
Congratulations on 25 years!
Dawn, you and your husband may not remember me and my husband, but we have met on several occasions at Bethany PBC when it was off of Lawrenceville Hwy. You have always been so sweet and friendly and I loved seeing your family at those meetings. God Bless you and your husband on the first 25 years and may He see you through the next 25 years! Congratulations on 25 plus 1000!
Happy 25th anniversary!! Here’s to another 25 blissful years together!
-H
Happy Anniversary!!! I actually remember your story because of all the time I spent at your house with Jamie. Your family is beautiful and it is so hard to believe any of us have done anything for 25 years. We all still seem like teenagers in my mind.
Have a great day!!!
Love
Kelly
Here’s one of my favorite Mark Twain quotes that is fitting for this anniversary…
Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.
Congrats!
Congratulations you two!!!
Oh Dawn!
Congratulations! YAY!
We’re coming up (this summer) on our 10th wedding anniversary 😉
Here’s to 25 more years of laughter, love, joy, beauty, passion, friendship and memories.
xoxoxo
Happy Anniversary!!! A wonderful story of love and hope and (in)couragement!! 🙂 Praying you have another 25 wonderful years!
Dawn, that is awesome. Happy anniversary!!!
Congratulations on 25 years! Truly a sweet love story……..made me cry! Praying that you will be blessed with many more years together.
Love you both,
Stephanie
So excited for you and your man today Dawn, thank you for being a light in this world, thank you for celebrating a good marriage and thank you for being YOU! I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years have in store for you two! By the way did you say 8 KIDS? You are officially my new hero! Happy Anniversary! ~ Melissa 🙂
Congratulations, Dawn and Brian!! You have been wonderfully blessed by our LORD, and I pray His continued blessings on your marriage and your family! You are dearly loved!
Happy Anniversary Bryan and Dawn!!! 25 years is a big celebration for you, and you have a very sweet story. We are very happy for the both of you and we love you and your very special family! Can’t wait to see you at the 50 year mark!
Joada and Steve
Congratulations on getting to this point in your journey! May God bless you in your walk together.
i’m pretty sure you don’t look old enough to have been married 25 years, dawn! 🙂
congratulations to you and your husband! may the next quarter century be even better than the last 🙂
Happy Anniversary! Thanks for sharing. =)
Happy Anniversary, Dawn and Bryan! Let’s all shoot for fifty, shall we?
Cades Cove! Jealous! One of my very favorite places to spend a crisp fall day. Enjoy!
Love,
Lynn
ps. My daddy highly recommends the Pigeon Forge knife works place. Loves the place. Dan and I always enjoy touring the vineyards, and the pottery places around Gatlinburg.
Thanks for sharing your love-and-marriage success story!
I hope you two find your next twenty-five years to be even more rewarding.
Love you guys!! Happy, happy anniversary! That top picture is one of the cutest I’ve ever seen of you two. And I never, ever knew you got married in New Hampshire!
Having the pleasure of knowing you, I know that you two are beautiful souls. I wish you nothing but the best in the next 25 years. Best wishes, congratulations, and love… xo
It is hard to believe the two of have been married 25 years, just 7 years behind us. The two of you seem so much younger than us. I guess it’s all those kids keeping you young!
Beautiful post! Congrats on your 25th! We live in CT and are currently visiting NH as I’m writing this! Beautiful state!!! Love reading your posts even though many times I don’t comment … =)
Many more blessings to you and yours! ~~Kathy k.
Happy anniversary to my sweet and dear, dear friends!! I love you both and miss you like all get out!
Ah, such a love story, this!
And God answered your prayers and gave you both the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and the children of Israel! We rejoice!
What wonders does He have for you in the next quarter century?
Beautiful, Dawn…. just beautiful!
All’s grace,
Ann Voskamp
My sweet precious friend!! What a unbelievably adorable picture of the 2 of you peering around that tree. Brought tears to my eyes to think of your journey since then and what an amazing couple you are today. 25 years later I see that same sweet expression on each of your faces as your eyes meet. I love you both so much!!
Happy Anniversary Dawn & Bryan! Precious pictures! May God bless you with many more wonderful years together. Love you!
all good things begin in arkansas. congratulations!
Happy Anniversary! Here’s to another 25 years, full of love, peace and happiness.
God Bless!
Happy Anniversary!
No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married for quarter of a century.
Congratulations! 25 yrs is quite an accomplishment ~ wishing you love to last until eternity.
Dawn,
I also celebrated 25 years of marriage and 8 kids this past summer. I didn’t realize, until so many people commented on the length of our marriage, that staying together this long through the good and not so good times is really a big deal. So, I congratulate you and your husband and I wish you many more wonderful years together. How pleasing to the Lord it is to see marriage as He intended it! Oh, and I love the picture from 1985! Too cute! Many blessings to you!
Congratulations on 25 years!!
I found your blog a few months ago and love reading your posts and looking at your awesome pictures!
wow. congratulations. 25 years is awesome.
We are heading to our 37th. can’t even imagine it.
blessings to you both.
What a wonderful story! I’ve so enjoyed following you for the past year-plus, and I believe we even crossed paths at a conference (or two?)… Congratulations on both of these awesome milestones. My husband and I had our 15th anniversary this summer, and I hope we are as happy as you and your husband in 10 more years! Thanks for sharing your life with us! 🙂 You are a blessing!
Congratulations!! Sweet story 🙂
Happy anniversary sweet friend! I’ve loved reading your posts building up to this. You both are an inspiration. <3
-Ari
Congratulations! May the next 25 years be as joyously blessed! Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful pictures. Especially enjoying the mountains.
God Bless you both and pray the Lord wil bless you with many more! It’s truly a gift from God when two become ONE! Love, Karen & Ronald
Happy Anniversary! May the next 25 years bring as much happiness (if not more) as the first 25 years! 😀
Congratulations on 25 years filled with imperfect and wonderful love that’s just perfect for you two. God Bless.
How sweet and heartfelt! Congratulations on 25 years!! May you continue to grow in love. <3
Happy happy happy anniversary, Dawn!
Love this post. Love the pics of you two together. I can’t believe that you are the older woman! You look fabulous, my friend. It blesses me to see the twinkle in both of your eyes and the joy in your faces. May God continue to bless you and your family abundantly!
What a wonderful milestone! Congratulations to you on both.
WOW. I hope Michelle & I are blessed with 25 wonderful years. Congratulations to you both.
Congratulations to you both, you have a wonderful family and interesting history.
Both sets of my grandparents surpassed 50 years of marriage each, almost 60 in fact.
One set had 12 children (although lost 4 very young) and the other had two daughters, my own parents have reached 42 years of marriage, my older brother and his wife reached 25 years.
We have a huge family and may yours bring lots more and many years of happiness and landmarks.
I hope you celebrated in style ;o) Happy 25th !
Dawn,
What a sweet post. You two are so cute together. May God bless you with many more wonderful years!
Vicki<
Congratulation! My husband and I just celebrated our 25th anniversary in June.
Congratulations, Dawn! I loved reading your “love story”…so sweet! You two have been greatly blessed with a beautiful family and a wonderful legacy. Here’s to the next 50 years!!
Hi Dawn:
I thoroughly enjoy your blog because it oozes with the commitment and love that’s modeled in your 25-year love story. Congratulations!
Great reason. I really like to see clearly Marcy Lu