Flash forward almost two and a half years later...
Good Friday we found ourselves loading the car and heading to Toledo to visit my grandparents. It had been too long since we'd seen them last and we had a considerably good visit, albeit a short one. I love to see Alex interact with my parents, aunts and grandparents. Whenever we visit with my family, there's always usually at least one moment where I notice Alex out of the corner of my eye and I think to myself, "Wow, he's so good with my family, how did I ever get so lucky." I always hoped that my future husband would get along with my family, but I never could've imagined Alex.
After a 2 p.m. happy hour and a local fried perch dinner we headed east to Cleveland. The rest of Friday evening was spent preparing for the Holy Saturday Sausage Making with Alex's parents and siblings. Saturday was filled with extended family, neighbors and 200+ pounds of freshly ground meat.
My parents drove over from Toledo as well and were welcomed into the festivities for the second year in a row. I never could've imagined more loving and welcoming in-laws and siblings. Alex and his family have enveloped all of us into their uber-large Janesz clan and every time I see them I enjoy myself more and more as they become my family. Being an only child, it's also an amazing feeling to have my parents there to experience it all with me. Saturday evening my parents and my in-laws went out for dinner and Alex and I prepared for the 9 p.m. Easter Vigil Service. (By prepare I mean guzzled down some coffee).
Knowing that our friend Chase was going to be welcomed into the Catholic Church Alex immediately said yes we'd be there. Coming from a non-Catholic background I was a little unsure what I was getting myself into; I went into it originally thinking it was going to start at 11 p.m. and would last for three hours. Being there to support Chase, as well as Alex's Aunt Chris (a leader of the RCIA program), was well worth it. The ceremony started at 9 p.m. and ended around 11 p.m. It was a great experience, and we concluded the evening with a round of beers to celebrate Chase's accomplishment and friendship. (Why not go out at midnight?)
The next morning we slept in a little and then it was time for church again with the family! (Once again, Alex said yes...) It's such a wonderful tradition to all gather together and fill up an entire pew at church. Due to the Easter holiday, it ended up being almost three pews! I love to look around and see all of those familiar faces. It definitely makes sharing the peace an adventure. I love the importance the family has put on this tradition and look forward to the day when Alex and I will take up our own pew (or section) with our own family. The guys played golf and then we celebrated Adam's 20th birthday. The next morning Alex and Ethan played golf again and I met a couple girlfriends for coffee. (Alex definitely never says no to golf haha).
During our morning coffee we had the typical girl talk and at one point one of the girls asked where Alex got his dreamer and entreprenuer mentality. I was a little bit stumped. Alex definitely has characteristics of both of his parents, but at the same time he's quite different. I told them I wasn't sure and said that was one of the things I have discovered more and more about him since we've been married.
Since we met in college Alex and I have matured a little bit with one another, but I also think that there are characteristics that have become more promiment once we got married. I told my friends that I have had the realization frequently as of late that I have married the right person. (Not that I didn't think that from the beginning, but there was definitely a transition phase when you go from being engaged and living in two different cities to being married in a new house). Now that we're passed the honeymoon stage and the transition stage, we're in what I'll call the "just say yes" phase.
After an exhausting, yet rejuvenating weekend with our family and friends we were on our way home and I posed the question to Alex as to where he got his motivation and drive from. His short answer was "the world." (Cheesy, but true!) He told me that he's motivated by all of the people around him in his daily life; their examples push him to live his life to the fullest, reach for his dreams and give back at the same time. He said, "at this point I just want to say yes to everything that I can so that I have no regrets." (He put it much more poetically, but that's the gist). I felt very moved when he was through explaining himself and together we agreed to say "yes" more often. (I truly love those random thought-provoking car conversations that bring us closer to one another).
The next day Alex reacapped this same conversation to his coworker Mike and they had their own bonding moment. His coworker agreed wholeheartedly and told him that when he looks around their house at all of the things that they've accumulated over the years those things mean nothing to him. It's the memories you make that really count.
In short... I've discovered that since I said yes to Alex's marriage proposal, I've been saying yes to things I never fathomed and my life has been more fulfilling because of it.
Thank you Alex for being one of the people surrounding me that motivates me to enjoy life more and be a better person.
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