A bit about us, 3 days before we marry...

[dragonfly]

I am about to take a very scary, important step in my life. When I entered Leighs contest I had to stop and think about the importance of us, Everton and I not Leigh and I, lol. Well other lucky couples were chosen (congratulations and good luck to all of them) but I thought why not before E and I get married share our story with all of you, my friends, anyway.

This is what I have already shared with Leigh, and now you. Everton and I are the real thing, we are a real life love story, it will allow all of you to truly know who we are~

 

Everton and I are people born to very different lives, I lived my life in the suburbs in Canada, Everton grew up in the mountains of Jamaica. We have 5 children, Nicole, 19, Kenda, 15, Timothy, 12, Bria, 11, & Liam, 5. We are marrying each other in a ceremony with our children, and wittnessed by our friends and family on August 14th, 2007, in Dominican Republic. We met after our divorces, both afraid of a new relationship, but we felt enough of a connection with one another that we decided to see where things took us. I was a mother of three, my oldest child born with spina bifida, Everton was a father of a 3 year old little girl. We slowly fell in love, then we introduced our children to one another. We merged our housholds with many little hiccups along the way, 4 children, different cultures, & our very busy lives made for a interesting houshold. Our lives were happy and blessed, we decided to add to our large brood. With plenty of trying, a few failures, and a little heartache, our beautiful Liam was born.

 

Liam has connected our family to one another in ways that I never expected. He was pure joy, our children were madly in love with this new little being, and they now felt a new sense of committment to one another.

 

Everton asked me to marry him while pregnant with Liam, I was a little scared of marriaage, told him I loved him, and we would talk about it after our baby was born. Life went on I didn't think of marriage often but Everton did, I always thought our timing was not right, and I felt married to him already any way.

 

Life moves forward, and many tragedies touch our lives. We almost lose Liam when he is 18 months old, airlifted to the hospital, 10 days in a coma, Everton kept our hope strong for both of us, he carried me through this awful ordeal. A year later Everton's dad get's cancer, I kept Everton's hope strong, I carried him through this, his dad beats cancer, we felt lucky. 6 months later Everton's younger sister, dies suddenly of a blood clot during her pregnancy. Everton falls apart, I pick him up, I love him harder then I ever knew I could, we get through this heartache. Time moves forward and my daughter Nicole neads a surgery to straighten her spine. This decision has changed our lives. Nicole's surgery went horribly wrong. A 9 hour surgey turns into 16 hours, 2 weeks in the hospital turns into 9 months, my daughter can no longer walk, feel her right side, roll over on her own. My life belongs to Nicole, we must move, attend therapy daily, I must help her with all her day to day needs. Everton takes over in the home, takes care of my children, and of me so I am able to care for Nicole. Life is hard, we have trouble finding the joy.

 

Everton has supported me, loved me and physically taken care of my daughter, when I am unable to. He carries her where she can't go, he works hard to give her everything we need, and so I am able to stay home and care for Nicole, and my other children.

 

In the middle of all of this heartache, my father dies. My dad was my rock he was everything to me, I am broken by the death of my dad.Everton let's me crash, holds me tight , and then picks me back up and gives me the support I need to find my way back.I don't know how I would have got through anything without his calm, steady, resolve that we can get through anything.

 

I have to admitt during this time, marriage was not on my mind, life was too crazy. Then one night, not to long ago, my daughter was being very sick as she often is. I was tired, I headed to Nicole's room to help her and when I got there, Everton was already there. I watched him. Everton was brushing my daughter hair off her face, holding the bowl while she was being ill, and had placed a cool wash cloth on her head. When she was finished he took that bowl emptied it, washed it out, and wiped that bowl dry, before bringing it back to her. It was in this moment I knew that I had to marry this man who had asked me almost everyday, for the past 5 years, to marry him. It was in his actions, how he cared for our family that I knew his love, strength, and resolve for us. I could wait for the perfect time to marry him, but I realized that there is no perfect time, that there is just Everton, the perfect person for me.

 

So there is really no great romantic story to be told just a story that is real, and full of love, support, and respect. A story that tells the tale of people who will enter into a marriage with eyes wide open.

 

We have learned many things in our years together. It is very easy to love one another in the happy times, it is much more difficult to sustain that love during the sad times something we have fought and worked hard to do.

 

 

“Will you love her, comfort her/him, honour and keep her/him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joyâ€

 

 

The words above are words that we had never really thought about before we started talking about marriage. It is funny however that when reading these traditional wedding vows, we both realized that this is exactly how we have been living our lives everyday, and every moment, since we committed to loving one another so many years ago. We have loved one another, we have comforted one another, honoured, and kept one another in our sickness, in our families sickness, in our children’s sickness, in our sadness, in our families sadness, in our children’s sadness, we have comforted one another in the death of our uncle, sister, father. We have been poor, we are always rich, we have seen better, and we have lived through worse. We are thankful for our health, and we have much joy. We are blessed that we found each other, we are each others support, we are each others best friend we are each other’s future.

 

Kelly~Legal ceremony August 4th, real ceremony the 14th...

[MsShelley]

Kelly, your story made my cry, a little for the sadness, and a little for the comfort you both have been to each other since the day you met. I think you two are wonderful people. Continue to be each other's rocks and carry each other like you have done. I wish you all the best.

[Alyssa]

i am sitting here in my office crying and thinking about how lucky and blessed you are to have each other. even though you both have faced some pretty big challenges, you seem to have only gotten stronger and more unified. i wish you the best in your marriage and family. thanks for sharing your story!

[Karen]

Kelly, your story is beautiful. You two share an incredible love and have an amazing commitment to each other. You guys are the picture of unconditional love. I wish you Everton much joy and peace all of your days. Congratulations!!!!

[robindepaula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrs.B 2008 i am sitting here in my office crying and thinking about how lucky and blessed you are to have each other. even though you both have faced some pretty big challenges, you seem to have only gotten stronger and more unified. i wish you the best in your marriage and family. thanks for sharing your story!

Me too . . . very emotional story! Wishing the 2 of you many, long years of happiness & love!!!

[Spazz]

Kelly, That is an amazing love story. You and Everton have been through so much, it's truly inspiring. Have a wonderful wedding!

[Martha]

Oh Kelly, again with the tears! I am crying because all you guys have been through and for all you have overcome together. I am glad Everton has been a rock for you, and you for him. Love like that is so hard to find. He sems like a great man. I am glad you finally said yes (and I am sure he is too!)!

Your wedding is going to be amazing...and not because you are getting married in Jamaica, but because it is real. Real love.

[Heidi]

you & Everton really do share something so special, and I am so happy for you both that you have found each other. I'm so sorry to hear about all of the tragedies you have both had to face, but so happy that you have been able to lean on each other!

[Trista]

Oh my gosh, its hard to bring tears to my eyes but you did it~ I think you both have been through more than the average couple and though it all, you sustained your love for each other, carrying one and another...On your special day, your vows are going to mean more to you than the average person.. for both of you together can conquer anything~

 

I wish you many, many more years of joy and happiness together....

[PaulaV]

People come together for a reason. Your family is incredible.

 

Thank you for sharing your story with us Kelly.

It really touched my heart.

Sniff.