With our 1st anniversary just around the corner, I’ve been reflecting a lot to on the journey of #edandholly … And let me tell you, it’s not always fun to relive some of these memories – but even these memories have a real purpose in our love story.

Edward Frys was not always the guy I needed him to be. Nor was I the girl he needed me to be. We both know our love for the other was not always selfless & patient, but still, it was very real. We dated for exactly 1 year when this photo was taken {{October 6, 2012}}, & had come off a deeply difficult season of dealing with his family’s questions, concerns & even attacks. I could understand I was not exactly what they pictured for their son, they wanted a Polish, able-bodied, Catholic girl that could give him children & help his business grow. And Holly Strother, couldn’t have been more opposite of their vision.

But it wasn’t just his family that started to wonder, mine did too. After witnessing the heartbreak their daughter endured, just to prove I was good enough for Edward … My family, the ones who were rooting for us since the beginning, began to voice their concerns that this relationship will be too much for either of us to handle.

To be perfectly honest, this dinner was THE dinner I planned to end things once & for all. But my heart, just couldn’t do it. It was in this moment we knew, nothing & no one would stop our love.

And Edward Frys sang this to me that night, “Don’t you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine & life makes love look hard… The stakes are high, the water’s rough, but this love is ours.”

But that wasn’t enough for me. I told him, “Look, you know who I am. I’ve been honest about every inch of my life: the good, bad & terribly ugly .. So unless there’s a ring at the end of this story, I’m begging you to love me enough to let me go.”

With tears in his eyes, he firmly stated, “No. You’re mine. You will be mine exactly 1 year from today … I can’t breathe, let alone live, without you. You are mine.”

One year later, this man kept his promise. That story is coming next. I know #edandholly are loved by the masses & we are truly humbled. Sometimes we just look at one another & can’t believe people care so much about our journey. But when I tell you this love is a miracle … I MEAN it. God changed hearts, He strengthened us to endure & He has a HUGE plan for #edandholly – I just know it.

But I never want to forget where we started, for it will always cause my heart to cry out — God, be the glory! Great things HE has done. #fryslovejourney #loveNEVERfails #thankyouJesus