We're Getting Married!

Who would have thought we "swiped right" into forever? We met on the promise of a movie night in... which turned into "hey can I borrow your lawn mower" onto "hey look let's save this baby bird" to "hey I need a roommate" to saying "I love you for the first time over a garbage can... or maybe it was the recycling can? Regardless of how it happened, it happened quickly and unexpectedly! I think it's safe to say neither one of us thought we would find love again, or rather thought that we "knew" what love was, that is, until we found each other. We quickly recognized each other's broken past and made a vow and promise to each other early on that no matter what either of us had been through, our separate broken pieces of our past, when put together, made us whole. It's safe to say that early on we both knew that "forever" was destined to be in our cards. Thinking back to the moment we were driving home with Willa from a sky zone playdate and out of nowhere she said "You two should get married." Turning around to this cheeky little girl sitting in the back seat smiling ear to ear and us saying "Would you like that?" and all she did was smile and say "mmhmm...." Then again she always has been very wise beyond her years. So from that moment on and with Willas initial blessing Shawn proposed months later on January 21 2020 surrounded by intimate family at Salvatores. We can't promise what tomorrow is going to hold but as long as we have each other and our kids to hold onto we know that forever is a pretty good launching point on the next chapter in our story.

Dear Shawn, My love for you is endless. Everyday I am so entirely thankful for everything you have given me, taught me and showed me. I said early on that you were the guy every little girl dreams to one day get to marry but never gets even lucky enough to meet. How I got so lucky, I'll never know. Maybe I had some Angel's looking out for me and sent you to me when I needed you the most (thanks dad).You have given me more than I could ever ask for. Ask any of my friends and for a long time I used to say I miss laughing. It's true. Since we have been together, there has not been a day that has gone by that you have not made me laugh until it hurts and have even made me pee my pants. You have given me two beautiful children in my life that I'll now have the honor and privilege to love, cherish and watch grow up. I love those babies fiercely and want nothing more than to give them the world. You have also taught me so much since we have been together. You taught me to stop apologizing for every little thing and for being myself. You taught me how to love again and more importantly how to be loved, a concept I was most foreign with. I always said I wanted to find a love like my parents had, as I never saw anyone love someone the way my father loved my mother even on his last days. You taught me that I deserve that too and everyday you show me more love than the day before and more love than I've experienced in a lifetime before. You have taught me to have confidence in myself again and start to love myself again, after spending years of hating myself, my situation and the things I can no longer change. You have taught me to be a better person. Through our relationship you have showed me that my past doesn't define me and that we can take on any challenge comes our way. You have showed me what love is and made me feel like I am on cloud nine. I know I don't always say the right thing or do the right thing but thank you for picking me. I don't know how or why but I thank god everyday for you and I cannot WAIT to spend the rest of my life smuggling you, stealing all your blankets, turning the heat up on you and loving you. I love you a whole pizza. Xoxo Ashley

I used to think I had found love, and I truly had because aside from my children there was nothing I loved more than a good pizza” that until u came into my life that I realized what love really is love is me being sarcastic and you finding it funny and making me think damn I love this woman ,love is you telling me to do something for the 4th time in a somewhat agitated tone and me thinking damn I love this woman love is seeing you interact with Wilhelmina and Liam and seeing how much joy they bring you seeing how you actually love them to the point of tears and thinking damn I love this woman love is me not picking up or doing the dishes and upsetting you and feeling really bad like damn I love this woman and I need to do better for her. And there are so many more reminders but ill tell you the day u gave me something I have never felt before. I often think about what can I do for you and actually find myself thinking about the things I I have done to irritate you, upset you, or the times I should have given you more attention and instead was busy with something else and looking back at all of this then having you walk through the door and give me a kiss and hug and then I just knew damn this woman really loves me! I can be 100% honest with you about anything and where normally I might feel ashamed or reluctant to say something i don’t feel that way with you because you never have judged me for my past or condemned me for my mistakes .you love my flaws , you love my strengths you love what made me who I am you love my children (probably more than you love me lol) and I love you and then I think back to something multiple friends told me mike and michelle said “shawn don’t f@$k this up!

Then there was tommy “I seems like you found yourself a good woman shawn im happy for you …don’t screw this up” This got me thinking I know I have screwed up in the past but there is nothing I want more in this world than to see my future with you. I have realized I have needed you more than anyone knew. now that I have you I never want to lose you because it dawned on me that I actually love you more than pizza I love you Ashley Ekiert and cant wait for you to be able to drop that last name. and I promise that along side of driving each other crazy im going to love you the rest of my life. And babybi have never questioned your love for me so thank you pookie bear xoxoxo