Dearest Matthew,
365 days later, I’m still here. Endless sunsets, thousands of heartbeats, millions of seconds passed, I’m still here. Through meltdowns and delayed flights and missed expectations and fits of laughter and moments of tears, I’m still here. 12 months, 48 weeks, 365 days later, I’m still here.
One year ago today I stood on cobblestone steps of a Santa Ynez vineyard and vowed to be your wife and do life with you until my last, dying breath. Quite dramatic sentiment from a seemingly stable woman, but we both learned this year that I’m needlessly dramatic and wildly entertaining.*
I’m still here. Through fall, winter, spring and summer, I’ve remained faithful to my promise to you before God and our friends. To never leave you. To be by your side in sickness and health. To love you in richness and poverty. To honor you in my brokenness. To never leave you when I want to run. I’m still here. And I’m not leaving.
We’ve endured hardship and pain and loss and failure. We’ve survived children and fights and dinner parties and travel. We’ve made dinner and friends and dreams and a home. We’ve succeeded in communication and work and life and love. Through it all, we’re still here… 365 days later.
September 7th, 2010
The day I’ve been waiting for has come and I’m so excited. Excited because I know. I know you are the man I not only love, but the man I need.
You have extended grace and forgiveness. You have shown me love in spite of fault. You have displayed strength in my weakness, culpability in my failures, and organization in my creative chaos.
Today, in the presence of our Almighty God, amazing family, and astounding friends, I vow promises to you and have a great counsel of witnesses to hold me accountable.
Matthew Ray Olthoff, I promise to love the Lord my God with the totality of my being; with all my heart, soul, mind and strength…
I promise to never give up on the quest of learning and discovering you…
I promise to love you even during the times I may not like you…
I promise to be committed to honest communication…
I promise to remember to put the tag of the fitted sheets on the side nearest to the wall and never load the dish washer because we both know I’m horrible at both those things…
I promise to let you make the executive decisions for our family, though I will always give you my opinion…
I promise to work on my bad submission skills (we both know I’m sub par in this area)…
I promise to be by your side living in an apartment or in a mansion, riding in public transportation or in a Lamborghini, eating hot dogs or filet mignon…
But most importantly, I promise you before our Almighty God that I will NEVER cheat on you for forsake our vows of fidelity. I will NEVER leave you. I will NEVER leave our family.
Your home will be my home.
Your bed will be my bed.
Your children will be my children.
Your God will be my God.
Matthew, please take me to be your wife and I vow to be your best friend until the day that I take my last breath. I love you.
I’m here. 365 days later, I’m still here. And I’m so glad I am.
Your wife,
Bianca [aka “Peggy the Peg Leg”]
* [Remember the time I locked myself in the closet because I didn’t want to talk to you? Or the time I cried because I thought you didn’t buy me a Christmas present? Or when I fell to the floor and “fainted” because you didn’t love me enough to live?]
Oh, you guys! You’re too sweet. It has been a wonderful journey to watch this past couple of years
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary Bianca and Matt!
Happy Anniversary!
Here’s to the next 365 days!
Happy Anniversary! The video and photos are just beautiful!
Happy anniversary! May you have many more. I pray that God will continue to bless your marriage. I am so looking forward to the journey that I will one day undertake with MY soulmate. God bless! PS: Loooove your blog.
Oh my….TEARS!!! The words…the VIDEO…aww…just lovely and beautiful! Happy Anniversary Bianca and Matt!!!
Happy anniversary!
Beautiful!! Happy anniversary! Blessings for many years to come!
You two make me smile !!!! Happy Happy first of many !! xo
oh … how I do love you, BB! Matthew, keep taking good care of her!! love you two!!
Awww…Happy Anniversary!
i’m smiling so BIG right now!!! So happy for you guys! A year went by so quickly!!! xoxoxoxo
Happy anniversary and many more years to come! <3<3<3
Oh Bianca, this is so beautiful, and so is your wedding video! Happy Anniversary and I praise God for your example of faithfulness.
LOVE YOU!!! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!
You’re funny, cute, and dramatic… but we all love it. Thanks for sharing the funny and the ugly..
Happy Anniversary You Crazy Love Birds ♥
happy anniversary!! don’t sell him short, he’s been putting up with you for 52 weeks-not 48.
love you
So glad you pointed that out. So I didn’t have to…
You should post your vows on your fridge as a friendly reminder 😉
Happy Anniverrssary! Saw your wedding video and you had a beautiful wedding! I chuckle at the end cause I actually locked my hubby out of the car on Monday (for 1st time) cause I was so mad at him…so know there are other drama queens out there. (Picture me pointing at myself). Keep fighting the good fight, it is so worth it.
Happy Anniversary!!!
Awe, this made me feel so shmoopy (I think that’s a word me and my cousins made up. It basically means lovey dovey.) that I had to watch my wedding video again. Congrats to you both! The first year is awesome! Love like crazy and you’ll be happy all the days of your life. Now go make babies. Kidding. A little bit.
Congratulations Mrs. Olthoff, 1 year down, 99 to go!!! Thanks for sharing your wedding video, it was absolutely amazing. You were a gorgeous bride!
This is one of my fave wedding videos of all time! I can feel your heart beat, Bianca. Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary to you and your Knight. God is an awesome God who established the beauty of marriage.
you locked yourself in a closet?
and “FAINTED”?! hahahahha. B!!
so dramatic
Happy Anniversary, Bianca and Matthew!
You are beautiful together and I wish you the best!
Always keep in mind Jeremiah 29:11. 🙂
Sincerely,
Alexis
P.S._ The wedding photography by your sister Jasmine and the video by the production company were simply wonderful! Great work! I know you’re treasuring those memories. 🙂
Your one-year anniversary is just two days after mine! And it also is on my husband’s birthday! Beautifully written, and amazing wedding video. Teary 🙂
Happy Anniversary and many more to come. Your words, vows, and video had me in tears…
I can’t believe how fast those 365 days flew by! Happy Anniversary Bianca and Matt!
SUCH a gorgeous and emotion-filled wedding video! Congrats to you both!
I’m crying. My God! This video is beautiful.
Love you both,
Mom
Love this!
especially the “p.s.” part 😉
oh my gracious, listening to your vows on the video made me cry… the love y’all have is so gorgeous and real and it’s beautiful to read about here on your blog. thank you for sharing your life with us all!
bianca!
this is absolutely beautiful. and happy anniversary!
as a newly married wife, i loved this so much. i actually reblogged it, if you don’t mind.
thanks for sharing something so personal and so sweet with us 🙂
Happy belated Anniversary Bianca and Matt! I always get teary eyed when I watch your wedding video because it is the true depiction of LOVE in its truest form. xoxo
This is my first time reading your blog. Of all the things mentioned in this post “your God will be my God,” was just beautiful and it make me shiver in glee. Of all things to share, how beautiful it is to be finding that common love that is and is in God. Your marriage is destined to be a beautiful one, with the love and peace of God. I wish you both a beautiful and exciting life experiencing God to many new levels together. AHH, LOVELY!