Standing Silently Strong: A letter to my love

Dear Dustin,

I sit here looking back at our time together, and so many memories come to mind. It is kinda hard to believe that it has been 4 years since we walked nervously into the court room in Hawaii surrounded by friends and held hands in front of them to say our vows and become Mr and Mrs Johannes. Maybe it wasn't this amazing picture perfect Hawaiian wedding, but it was perfect to us! And as much as I love that moment in time it's other small moments that have made our time together so amazing. Some that I often think about are from years before we even started dating, when we were just good friends and hanging out in school. Weirdly enough something that I remember was when one of your guy friends asked me "why don't you and Dustin date?" Lol and my response was " I don't know because....it's Dustin". It was weird for me to imagine it than but clearly people saw how much we were meant to be together. Than your Junior Prom I waited forever hoping you would ask me to be your date, I brought up prom but you didn't seem like you were gonna go. And I was green when you showed up with not one but two girls on your arm.

Most of these people are still in our lives :D

Visiting me in College!

You could never guess by this picture we were just friends!

So cute!

Fast forward to your senior year, you came up in January and visited me in college and yet somehow even tho you were willing to drive 4-5 hours to come see me we were still pretty much on friends terms. Although I later found out that you started liking me than! After that trip we went our separate ways and I only saw you for a couple mins at graduation! It wasn't until after you had gone through basic training and were headed home for Christmas Exodus from AIT that we got in contact again. And we planned for you to come spend the weekend with me in Colorado!! It took just that weekend and we realized the time was finally right and we were ready as adults to start dating, and we have been happy ever since.

Right after we got engaged!!

First actually married pictures!

Well you put me right into the Army life!

Our relationship has had to endure a lot including the first 9 months of it being pretty much separated. We have also done quite a few training trips, and 1 year deployment. We are currently doing 6 months separation and will miss yet another anniversary. But these things do nothing but make us stronger. We may miss holidays and birthdays because of the Army but none if that effects how in love with you I am! And there is nothing that excites me more than sitting and thinking about the fantastic things we have planned for our future.

On your way to the Bus for Deployment!

Welcome home Ceremony!

Ball after Deployment

St Patricks Day durin R&R

Thank you for being such an amazing man, father, and husband! You help me to grow and learn from my past. We go together perfectly and even if we fight we can't help but smile at each other whenever we are near each other. Our fights never last more than a couple hours. You are the cheese to my macaroni, and you are my M&M!!