It’s hard to believe but 13 years ago today I stood at the front of the church and watched my soon to be bride slowly walk down the aisle to me.
It seems like just yesterday that through a chance encounter, I met her. It was the beginning of our Sophomore year at Western Kentucky University and a friend of mine named Andrea had invited a group of us to go home with her for the weekend. Truth be told, I was going because a girl named Katy was supposed to be there. I had met Katy a few times and was really interested in getting to know her.
I can’t tell you how disappointed I was when, at the last second, Katy had to pull out and I found out some other girl was going to be attending instead. The other girl was Brandi.
All the way through high school and college I kept a daily journal so it’s really cool to be able to look back and read what exactly was going through my mind when I first met Brandi. This is what I wrote the day we met.
Oct 15, 1993
I met this incredible girl named Brandi tonight who came in Katy Bridges place for the weekend. This girl is so much fun. We spent most the night just sitting out on the dock talking and dreaming about life…I really fell for Brandi hard.
My next journal entry was…
Oct 17, 1993
I literally woke up with a smile on my face this morning thinking about Brandi. I could not get her out of my mind all day. I’ve tried all day to come up with a reason to have to call her or see her. If I didn’t know myself better I would say I was falling in love.
I would never try to convince you that the last 13 years of marriage have always been easy because most of you know better than that. As in any relationship we’ve had our fair share of struggles, temptations, and battles.
We fight.
We get on each others nerves.
We lose our temper.
We sulk (actually she sulks a lot more than me).
We blame (okay, I blame more than she does).
However, I’m very blessed that on most any given day…
I still wake up with that smile on my face.
I still love to dream about the future with her.
I still can’t get her out of my mind.
And yes, I’m still falling in love with her.
So sweet. So sweet. Brandi is awesome. You did good.
.-= Lindsey Nobles´s last blog ..Drafting Blueprints =-.
I married WAY up.
Why? Is she taller than you?
.-= Tony York´s last blog ..Movie Scenes That Stick With You =-.
Ha! That’s the way I describe my marriage as well. WAY up!
.-= Randy Kinnick´s last blog ..You’re a Mean One… =-.
This is beautiful… thank you for sharing it!
Awe, how sweet!
.-= Annabelle´s last blog ..Good Morning! =-.
Very inspiring Pete. Thanks for sharing and Happy Anniversary!
.-= Ashley Jensen´s last blog ..Otium Sanctum Pt.2 – Feelin’ the burn… =-.
Can we all give a collective “awwwww”.
Congratulations to both of you!
.-= Amy´s last blog ..The Princess and the Frog Review: Disney You Went Too Far =-.
Wow dude…..wow! It takes a real man to write something sweet like that. Nice job!
.-= Aaron Reddin´s last blog ..How to Avoid the MAJOR Screw Ups =-.
Congratulations man. I love how you love your wife.
.-= Jason´s last blog ..Fire at Mission Bellevue Ridge Nashville December 14, 2009 =-.
Congrats on 13! Love the story and the journal entries are priceless! S.
So sweet!
.-= Becky´s last blog ..Hello world! =-.
You do not know how happy it makes me to be able to join w/others and wish y’all a Happy Anniversary.
Awww. Happy anniversary!!
.-= Kathi Waddle´s last blog ..How Can I Fall =-.
Congrats on 13 years and happy anniversary!
You are so genuine and aren’t afraid to put your feelings out there to bless other people. You’ve certainly blessed me today. God bless you both and give you many more years together. You guys are so youngggg still!!!
.-= Cindy Brown´s last blog ..Thank You Veterans!!! =-.
My husband and I will celebrate eleven years on the 28th. Isn’t it an amazing feeling to wake up every morning in love? And you’re right. It isn’t easy, but it is absolutely worth all of the hard work. Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary to the two of you! That was a great post.
.-= Nick´s last blog ..The Devastation of Losing Trust =-.
Wow…that was nice…makes me wish I had been journaling when I met my wife 10 years ago…congrats!
I know. Reading those journals makes me want to kick myself for not keeping the habit up as regularly as I should have over the past 10 years.
“And yes, I’m still falling in love with her.”
That is soooo very important. Loving someone is not a one time action. It’s a constant decision and it’s a full-time emotional job. My hubby and I have #27 coming up in February. How time flies! And we’re still learning about each other every day (as long as we try – it doesn’t “just happen”).
Congrats! Have a wonderful celebration…
.-= Cindy Graves´s last blog ..Twelve Days of Christmas…My Version =-.
congrats you guys, 13 years is awesome – and you both keep each other looking so young! so far, year 15 has been our best, and we are looking forward to starting the 16th really soon. you have a lot of good things to look forward to in the coming years!
.-= mandy´s last blog ..Most Affordable Gift: Time =-.
BIG 13. Now begins the road of 13 more….Thanks for sharing your heart with everyone Pete.
-Blake
.-= blake porter´s last blog ..TWEENER? =-.
This post is a reminder of how blessed I am.
.-= brandiandboys´s last blog ..One More Look… =-.
You are the real deal Pete Wilson! Brandi is a lucky girl but I have to say you are “really” lucky to have her… Love you both and wish you a very Happy Anniversary! May God continue to bless you!
Aw, Pete… this post is awesome! May God continue to bless you and Brandi with grace, hope, and love. Happy Anniversary Friends!
Congrats to you and Brandi, Pete. WKU has been the place thousands of couples have found one another and a few have had amazing marriages. It’s obvious that you and Brandi are one of those.
Congratulations Pete and Brandi!! I’m so glad that I got to be a small part of it 13 years ago. What a beautiful day. But I’m even more thrilled to have been able to watch the two of you journey from your little trailer in Morgantown all the way to where you are today. I love how miles don’t matter much to some friendships. Have a fun day!
.-= amyc´s last blog ..Colonial Days =-.
It’s been one heck of a ride Amy!
This is beautiful. Matt and I celebrate 10 years of wedded chaos this week. Super exciting.
I also have journals from way back then. Awesome to read where my heart was, where it has been…and the prayers that move us forward.
Happy Anniversary!
.-= jessica´s last blog ..InGratitude =-.
Wedded Chaos!! Love it!
.-= Tony York´s last blog ..Movie Scenes That Stick With You =-.
“Wedded Chaos” sounds like an awesome title for a marriage series. I’m so stealing that.
Happy Anniversary! That is a great story Pete. My life has never been the same since you two came in my life. Thanks for your friendship and I cant wait to see you both soon. Hope the kids are doing well.
Congrats bro. Both of you have been a huge blessing on my life.
.-= Wes Howard´s last blog ..Awkward#3 – The man-shake =-.
Happy Anniversary Pete & Brandi!
Pete.. you are the man! And, Brandi, you are the woman! Good thing you two got together…
Having been married almost 20 years, I never feel like I am in a a position to really give people advice about marriage. But this one thing I have learned.
You HAVE to continually fall in love with who she or he is and is becoming. My wife is no longer the 17 year old high school girl I met when I was a 17 year old high school boy. She is now a married mother of 2 children. There is a world of difference between who she was and who she is now. If I hadn’t learned to fall in love with the changes that she went through to get there, it would have been devastating for both of us.
I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it – for the 17 year old girl that she was and the married mother that she is and the grandma that she will be someday.
Dang, Pete, you made me wish that I had kept a journal. Jealous in a good way right now.
I do have a box in my basement that has every letter that she wrote me when we were dating in high school. It’s so funny to open them from time-to-time and remember that first love.
.-= Tony York´s last blog ..Movie Scenes That Stick With You =-.
I don’t know Pete. Responses are running 2-1 women with the overwhelming response being ‘that is so sweet’. Man card danger…
Seriously, congrats on your anniversary friend. Have a great day celebrating.
Awwwwwwwwwww, Pete!!!! You should have warned us that we’d need a box of tissues in hand before reading this, haha!!!!
.-= Lauren Kelly´s last blog ..Christmas Card =-.
Congrats on 13 years of marriage. I think you guys make a great team, and are both blessed to have each other. Lovely post!
.-= Brunettekoala´s last blog ..Something for 2010… =-.
Congrats on your anniversary. This is an awesome way to honor your wife.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..F.I.M.S. =-.
Happy Anniversary! I love you both so much and pray for many more years of falling in love! Congrats!
.-= holly´s last blog ..Post 100 =-.
This brought tears to my eyes! Happy anniversary to you and your bride.
.-= Hannah Beth´s last blog ..Weekend Wrap Up =-.
That’s awesome. I hope you both have an amazing day together!
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Train up a child to properly prep a tree… =-.
This is one of the sweetest posts I have ever read! You both are very blessed to have each other!
.-= Julie´s last blog ..Boys, Boys, Boys =-.
Joining in on the collective ‘awwwwwww….’ Pete and Brandi, you keep it real and we have learned as much about you as we have from you, which again shows the transparency and resoluteness to keeping it real. Thank you for your blog – it is refreshing and beautiful to read entries like the one you wrote today. Blessings on your family, your marriage, your lives for another 13 years and more!
That is awesome Pete. Today is our son’s 11th birthday. So…Happy Anniversary to you as we share birthday blessings at home!
Keep being honest and transparent. And thanks for the post.
Chris
Congrats to you two! And this post was so sweet. You grabbed yourself an amazing woman Pete!
.-= Tiffany´s last blog .. =-.
Congratulations to you both on 13 years…that’s awesome! And seriously, this post has been a reminder to me of one of the benefits of keeping a consistent journal, something I need to get back into the habit of doing again!! I hope that you guys are able to enjoy some time for yourselves today!! God bless you both, and happy anniversary!
.-= Matt´s last blog ..Speed Is Life =-.
Tom Tyndall was speaking at Men’s Fraternity one day and told us he’d re-married numerous times (I think he said 3). We were all a bit stunned…usually pastors don’t give out those kinds of figures. Then he told us it was to the same woman.
He said there had been at least 3 times that he and his wife Betty had basically started over by redefining and recommitting their marriage. This was a real eye opener for me. It gave Karen and I permission to not just accept the fact that our relationship has changed, but to know that it’s supposed to…and to realize that that’s a very good thing.
Pete, I believe 13th Anniversary is “Gold Plated Ratchet Wrench Set” – so your man card is way safe. Blessings and congrats to you and Brandi! Thanks for sharing those journal notes.
Those journal entries are amazing. I love – absolutely love – looking through old journal entries, especially when they turn out like that.
Congratulations on 13 years.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Anyone else have any journal entries like that to share?
.-= bondChristian´s last blog ..Option overload =-.
I have such a difficult time keeping journal entries. I am better keeping a blog and that can be like a journal. Just depends on what the post is about I suppose.
.-= David Knapp´s last blog ..What If =-.
Reminding me of how blessed I am to have Amanda. Women are such a blessing!
.-= David Knapp´s last blog ..Become A Fan Of Mosaic Mercy =-.
Hey brother. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your story. I love a good love story. And I can relate… I married way up, too. God bless your family.
.-= Joshua Skogerboe´s last blog ..favre and ochocinco :: identity and belonging =-.
Great blog. Your journal entries are a treasure. May you have many many more years of love together!!!
congrats to you both! You have such a sweet family and I have enjoyed reading both of your blogs!
I don’t really know Brandi at all, and I *only* know you through a few months’ worth of tweets and blogposts, but two immediate thoughts come to mind:
1. Your wife sounds like a totally awesome person and I’d want to meet her too!
2. I like my wife as much as you like yours, so, yeah, I know how awesome that is.
Congratulations!
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..simplicity =-.
You’ll never know how much this post means to Brandi! I have one of the sweetest, most thoughtful husbands EVER and I love it when I hear stuff like this from him! These are the things your heart gets to hold onto forever!
SO sweet! Brandi’s a lucky girl!
.-= Jamie´s last blog ..When It’s Cold Outside =-.
i do believe you two are the most adorable couple i know.
happy anniversary pete and brandi… the hodges love you!
.-= tam´s last blog ..captionate =-.
And we love the Hodges!
.-= Pete Wilson´s last blog ..Waking Up With A Smile =-.
congratulations, pete, and happy anniversary. for such a young man, you’ve got a handle on what really matters in life. i am thrilled for you.
.-= randy morgan´s last blog ..the empty promises of mist =-.
Well Randy I try. Honestly I lose that perspective far too often.
.-= Pete Wilson´s last blog ..Waking Up With A Smile =-.
That is precious. Thank you for sharing!
What a cute couple & family!
I’m inspired by your obvious devotion to God and Brandi. I’m sure God has a smile on his face as well. Thanks for sharing.
.-= Rick Egbert´s last blog ..Five Steps to Reaping the Most Out of Organizational Conflict (Pt 1) =-.
Congratulations !!
Your marriage is a true blessing to watch and encouraging. Thank you!
May God bless your marriage with many, many, MANY more years.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..On The Third Sunday Of Advent =-.
Happy Anniversary Wilsons!! Thanks for sharing those stories about young love…so pure and beautiful. Your love for one another is much more beautiful now though!
.-= Blake Bergstrom´s last blog ..I’m an ENFP…what are you? =-.
How sweet—– You two are such a blessing to us….We Love You Both and wish you many, many more years of falling in love.
You are a lucky and blessed man, Mr Wilson. Yep, you surely are!
Happy Anniversary!
.-= Lori´s last blog ..Masks =-.
aww, that is so sweet! it definitely gives me hope that there are still great guys out there…i just have to wait for God to bring one to me!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Freedom =-.
Adam tells me that he still… after nearly 13 years… rolls over in the morning and goes “damn!” IN a GOOD way
Of course, I think he just says it to be nice. I’ve seen me in the morning. I too say “damn.” but NOT in the good way *grin*
Happy Anniversary
I’m sure the smile will stay for another 13 years… and another… and another… 
.-= Jen´s last blog ..A Thousand Times, I Love You =-.
Happy 13th Anniversary!!!
.-= Pokinatcha´s last blog ..Word Filled Wednesday =-.
Happy Anniversary…love you both!
Pete, I just had to comment on this blog.It just thrills me to knoh that you and brandi love each other the way you do and I want you both to know that I am very prowd to be one of your grandpas. You get some great answers from some great people but none of them can love you both as much as I do
Grandpa Wilson
This is one of my favorite all time responses.
Dang.. made me misty-eyed.
.-= Tony York´s last blog ..Movie Scenes That Stick With You =-.
Thanks Grandpa Wilson. You’ve given me such a beautiful picture of what marriage and commitment looks like. I’m forever grateful!
CONGRATS!!!! What a blessing you have both been to me this year and I am so thankful to have stumbled upon y’all and know that God has wonderful things in store for both of you!!
.-= Fran´s last blog ..I wasn’t ready for porn to be in my house =-.
That was beautiful! I love seeing couples so in love and committed! I feel the same about my man
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!!
.-= Jenn´s last blog ..Goodbye house! =-.
Happy Anniversay 1 day late to one of my favorite couples! Thanks for sharing.
Well now I’m convicted. Nice post.
.-= Bill Foote´s last blog ..Discussing the Manhattan Declaration =-.