My paperclip Heart

                I have been wanting to start a blog for a few months now. I am not very good at writing or grammar but maybe this will help me learn.. I will do my best! The idea came to me a few days after my wedding. I have always loved to read other people's blogs, to hear their stories and ideas. So, here are my stories, ideas, and my adventures.
               
                 I..love..weddings... Who doesn't?! They are so full of joy, smiles, happy tears, hugs, flowers,  true love, and so much more! I was blessed enough to marry the love of my life this past May. It was truly the best day of my life. Even though it was super cold and it rained the whole day, I couldn't have asked for a better day. My friends and family gathered to watch as we said our "I do's". Everything went great, and by the end of the day we were married! I have so many memories from that day. Memories of all the great things that come along with weddings. Times like these remind me just how blessed I am. Out of all those great memories I have a few favorites... OK, a lot of favorites.  The one that I've been wanting to share took place at the rehearsal dinner, the night before the wedding...

                  When I was 3 ish my family and I were at my Aunt and Uncles house for a visit.  I took a red paper clip and cut it in half and made half of a heart out of each half of the paper clip. I gave one to to my Uncle Bobby and kept one for myself. I was so proud of them. He promised he would keep in in his wallet for keeps. Every time from then on, whenever I would visit we would take out our paper clip hearts and put them on the table so they made a full heart. Every time I would watch Uncle Bobby tuck it safely back into the same pocket of his wallet and put it away. At some point I lost my half...then found it again..then lost it..and so on and so on. Every time I would go visit, whether I had it or not, Uncle Bobby would take his half out just to reassure that it remained safely in his wallet. What I didn't know then was that when I gave him that half of a paper clip, he intended to give it to my future husband.

               At the rehearsal dinner, I was sitting with Tyler and some family and friends eating. My Aunt and Uncle came over to sit and chat. I watched Uncle Bobby pull out his wallet and take out the red paperclip heart that I gave to him so many years ago. He looked at Tyler and handed him my paperclip heart. He told me about how when I first gave it to him he planned on giving it to the man I would choose to marry . He told Tyler to take good care of it. Now, my paperclip heart stays in Tyler's wallet in the same pocket Uncle Bobby used to keep it in. Every once in a while Ty pulls it out and shows me....just to show me he still has it. He takes good care of it.

      I don't know if this story is nearly as interesting or "touching" to other people as it is to me. But, this story makes me cry. I cry as I  look back, because not only do I know that my Uncle Bobby was always going to keep my paperclip heart safe, I also knew that along with my daddy, brothers, and all of those other men God placed in my life, I was always protected. As he handed that paperclip heart over to my husband, he was showing that he trusted that Tyler would protect, love, and take care of me, just as I had always been (and know I still am), protected and loved.

           Every time Tyler pulls out that paperclip heart I am reminded of how blessed I am. I couldn't ask for a better family. God gave me a family who loves, protects, and teach me so much . He also placed a God fearing, loving, and caring man in my life who I am very in love with. Together, with the example of both our amazing families, we will take what we learned about love, life, and God and, teach others the same.