Shadely & Andrew’s Norse Handfasting

Our Story: From Fort Hood to Forever 💛

Read Shadely & Andrew’s story. Learn how they met, then read about their engagement.

Shadely & Andrew’s Story

From Fort Hood to Forever read about how we met, got engaged, and prepare to celebrate with us on Oct. 31st at our Viking Wedding.

How We Met: Andrew’s Story

I met Shadely in Fort Hood, TX Sometime in March 2019 I was just starting the Pre-Mobilization for my unit to go to Poland. Shadely was at the end of her Pre-Mobilization to go to Kuwait. I was just a degenerate specialist in a sniper section probably not doing the right thing most of the time and she was Staff Sergeant (2 ranks above me) on her way to becoming a Warrant Officer (a butt load of ranks above me) so she was well on the right track. So, in short, she was well out of my league and not to mention she is an absolute Smoke Show. But I threw caution to the wind and decided, I am going to make my move and surprisingly she fell for it. I still laugh about the short time that we had there; we took joy rides and I snuck out of my barracks under the cover of darkness just to hear her laugh at my stupid jokes.

Our Deployments

She left for Kuwait and I went to Poland. We stayed in touch for our entire deployments. Snapchatting everyday and communicating through Facebook, she got really mad at me one time when I accidentally didn’t snapchat her one day and we lost our streak, not a big deal in my book, but she was pissed, still funny though.

I had the easier of deployments being able to travel around Europe on the weekends and such. While she was in a scalding hot middle of nowhere for her whole time, talking to her was always something I looked forward to each day.

Then we got home from our separate deployments, me to Pennsylvania and her to Indiana and I did one of the dumbest things I have ever done in my life.

I broke up with her.

I thought to myself how the hell am I going to make a long-distance relationship work. It was hard enough being countries away and now that we are home, we are still states away. I just didn’t see it working.

IDIOT!

I went back to my degenerate ways.

Realizing My Mistake

At some point I realized I wasn’t happy.

I was just going through the motions feeling like something was missing. It was Shadely.   I finally figured it out. So, I swallowed my pride, reached back out to her, told her I was wrong for dumping her and I wanted her in my life and that if she would take me back I would be the greatest man she had ever been with leaving no question on how much I would love and cherish every moment with her.
She was hesitant at first, but she gave me another chance and I was so happy that she did. I set a plan in motion to get all my things in order in Pennsylvania and then I would move to Indiana in 1 year.

I honored that commitment and moved out to Indiana September 1st, 2021, to start my new life with Shadely and her 5 kids Kendyll, Landon, Nayomee, Zayne, and Masyn. Being a Father Figure to 5 kids is probably the hardest thing I have ever done, and I may have not done everything right, but I love them all as my own flesh and blood and will do anything for my new family to protect and provide for them.

How We Met: Shadely’s Story

So Andrew and I actually met on Tinder.

We were both in Fort Hood Texas in April 2019 getting ready to deploy. I was going to Kuwait and Iraq and he was going to Poland. He was fun to talk to and kept me engaged in conversation so of course I started to genuinely like this cute guy that I had never met lol. When we finally met in person we were in PTs (army’s physical fitness uniform) and his little smirk caught me off guard lol. I was nervous when we started talking because he was so damn cute and full of life and honestly just himself. He was genuine and I liked that about him. I honestly didn’t think that this would be a long term thing especially since we were going separate places and the fact that I had 5 kids already. No sane man 7 years younger than me would want any part of that is what I thought. He stayed talking to me and admitted his feelings towards me. I was guarded at first because of poor past choices but he tore down that barrier bit by bit. Then I was like, okay I really really like him now but I’m not sure how my kids would react.

Coming Home

Fast forward to after deployment in January of 2020, he did break up with me when he got back. And that crushed me a bit but I had a home and children to take care of.

I dated a couple times but never felt that same connection with anyone.  Nobody could tell me honest words even if they might make me mad no one could be upfront with me. They just told me what I wanted to hear and I hated it.

Sometime in the summer he reached out and we began talking again. Then we started driving to each other and we came back to point 1. He met my kids, some of my family and he fit in well. And then well, the rest is history.

#FortHoodToForever

Our Engagement Story

I knew I was going to marry Shadely with in the first 6 months of living with her she is beautiful, strong willed, intelligent, a loving mother, and not afraid to call me out on my bull shit. But as you all may know I am a procrastinator, and I kept pushing off my proposal plan until literally the very last moment.

I made reservations at a restaurant called the Old Gas House let them know what I was planning and the set us up in awesome two-person seating area overlooking the street and bought a bottle of champagne and had the ring in my coat pocket. We sat down to eat I’m nervous all hell no idea what to say or when I should start literally flying by the seat of my pants next thing, I know we have eaten all dinner and I just sitting there like and idiot.

Well no time left now I stuttered through what to say literally shaking holding her hand I just about blurted out Shadely Rochelle Wilkins will you marry me!

She said yes!

The restaurant erupted in cheers and congratulations we drank Champagne and did nothing but smile on our way home to tell everyone the good news. Shadely was leaving the next day, for Kuwait again and we have waited a whole year for this wedding this wedding and I am so Excited to start our next chapter as husband and wife. I will love you forever and always Shadely.

Shadely’s version:

Hmmmm so I feel like I knew it was coming but then the closer I got to deployment I was like well, he might just wait until I am back maybe lol.  But he told me to get dressed we were going out to eat.  My thoughts turned to focus on the dinner and I was like Yay! a goodbye dinner.  I love it!  We had some drinks and some really good food and it was so cute the way he did it.  He had the staff in on it too which takes some coordination. lol. You could hear the nervousness in his voice when he got down on his knee in front of everyone and proposed.  I think he thought I’d say no or something I don’t know, but, of course I said YES! I love that man too much to let him be without me lol. I swear if he ever gets tired of me he better take a nap and feel refreshed because we are in this for life!  

On a serious note, though, I’ve never felt a bond this strong, and I’ve never been treated the way he treats me.  This is like that final type of love where you’ve had the puppy love, the lust, the love that taught you that hard lesson that made a wall.  This is the love that tears that wall apart, is so much more supreme over the other types, and the kind that pushes that anxiety of if you’re going to get your heart broken away.  I wasn’t prepared, but I’m so grateful that the Norns wound our fates together stronger than any other love (other than the love I have for my children, but that’s a different type of love) I had along the way.