Ranaldi Way of Life

10th Anniversary Invitations : Custom made with engagement picture from 2001 AND Family Photo from ten years later…

   $300

*

Decorative Wicker Basket’s with Candles: Shipped specially from England.

$14.95 each

*

Event Planner : to finally be able to just “show up” and have everything be done for me…

$500

*

Professional Photography: to document a decade of love and friendship…

$300

*

Hours and Hours on Pinterest: Dreaming and “Planning” an event that’s been on my mind for years!

$$$  (I’m going to say it’s safe to say it could be up in the thousands!)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Throwing away every penny previously spent, Canceling orders and appointments, Changing the “Big Celebration” to a small family BBQ for moments like these:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

PRICELESS!!!!

***Now this post wasn’t so much for your viewing pleasure as it was my own… as the date of our anniversary approaches it becomes harder and harder to remember WHY we made the decision we did.  I was not the child who dreamed of being married and had a collage album dedicated to her “perfect” wedding day, heck I wasn’t the bride who had a clear precise vision of what she wanted her wedding to be… I was a twiterpated 17 year old walking around high school wearing an engagement ring, trying on dresses and obsessively watching wedding themed movies on VHS.  My wedding however was BEAUTIFUL!! It was outdoors on a sunny beautiful July morning.  We made the decorations, we cooked the food, we set up the chairs, we did everything ourselves and it turned out perfect.  But it was literally something that came together in the span of a few crazy months and less than a year of planning.  WA-LA !! We were married!  We couldn’t drink alcohol, we couldn’t afford a honeymoon, we had an apartment full of hand-me-down furniture, neither one of us had a sturdy job… but we were in love.  <3

From the very beginning I told myself for our tenth anniversary we would throw a BIG party for ourselves.  We will celebrate all the years we stood by each other and have loved each other.  Celebrate our family as it is now and who we were then… Thank the family and friends that supported us and maybe even a little gloating to the ones who didn’t…  THIS, I planned.  I dreamed of a big fancy catered dining hall then a beautiful outdoor setting instead.  I envisioned beautiful ball gowns then bright vibrant summer colors instead.  I saw flowers and sea shells and candles as centerpieces.  Decorated tables with lace and delicate place settings.  Little hand made gifts for the guests, life music, dancing and drinks galore!  I have spent years of our marriage happily planning the way most people do when they <first> get married.  I would tease my husband whenever he would bring home extra money that ALL of it was going to our “Party”. He would laugh at me and pretend like it wasn’t true, but knew I already had something in mind to put that good hard earned money towards…. He really didn’t mind, he loves me.

When it suddenly became 2012 and we gasped and gulped at the thought of it already being ten years, I wasn’t ready… I wasn’t prepared!! Pre-party jitters?? I met with the event planner, emailed her a billion times then suddenly just when I thought all was settled and it was easy sailing from here on out…. we were presented with a choice.

Eric was asked to go to a four month job in Minnesota.  He would have flown home Friday July 27th, the day OF the event for our Anniversary Party and then gone right back to work.  This entire summer would have been spent as they usually are, alone. With him coming home briefly for a Sunday afternoon and going for weeks-months on end.  Kaelob was starting football for the first time ever this summer, Haylee was really struggling with her family being apart and missing her daddy so much, Peytne was just coming to an age of realization where she understood that daddy was gone and was able to express the heartbreaking reality that she did not like her daddy being gone at work and wanted him home.  9 years of our life together has been supported by this job, but those moments those memories that could have been, were sacrificed.  This was our time, so we took it.

In an instant we looked at each other and knew that despite making the decision to stay home for the summer and be with us as a family we would miss out on having our big Party that we (*I) had been planning for so long.  At first we were excited and proud of ourselves for making such an important, life changing decision.  Then I got nervous, then I got angry, then I got scared, Then I got sad… I think I have felt every emotion possible over the last few weeks.  But, there is no changing the Truth and that is: our Big Tenth Anniversary Party is Canceled.

We are still getting together with family and close friends who have known us since that wonderful amazing day ten years ago (and earlier for some people) that have gone out of their way to travel down here to celebrate with us.  I am struggling to be content with the consequences of our *wonderful* decision, but I know once everything falls into place and The Ranaldi’s are all sitting around drinking Beer and laughing, the kids are running around playing and squealing happily, my friends are reconnecting and reminiscing together… even if I don’t have lace table cloths or fancy Pinterest inspired decorations… it will be perfect. ***