It's Our Anniversary

I love my husband. He is the most amazing man I have ever met. To say that I am lucky is the biggest understatement. It is our second WEDDING anniversary. Our third MARRIAGE anniversary is December 19th. Confused yet? Yea, we get confused about it sometimes too.

We got married while J was home on R&R at the JOP. It was romantic and it was just for us. There were literally five of us in the room, including the Baptist-Minister-JOP. He was ultra southern-baptist, he had an unfortunate stutter and one lazy eye and one front tooth centered and larger than the other. All of those things just makes the story that much better.

J and I kind of had a rough start. He came in a point in my life where my "crazy years" were ending and my "adult years" were starting. I didn't really understand that transition that well and instead of jumping in head first, I backed out several times. Even when I backed out, I still wore my engagement ring. I *knew* he was the one, I just didn't know if I could handle being the wife to an Airborne Soldier. If Uncle Sam called, the 82nd can leave in as little as 72 hours. What about our children? What about me? I was out for awhile. He wouldn't talk to me and then he deployed. The day he deployed I hadn't talked to him in over a month and I cried the whole day, in my bed. It sounds so silly now, but I didn't think I was strong enough to love somebody at war and the truth is it made me love him more. The next day I wrote him this incredibly long e-mail begging for forgiveness. He said no. This time though I was in it for real and a month later I told him I was moving to be in NC where I would wait for him to get home. He still didn't believe me. Another month later, I was in Oklahoma City, Having left from San Francisco, and he called to see what I was doing. That is when he believed me. That is when it all changed.

The day he came home for R&R my world made sense and everything was perfect.

Two days later we went to the courthouse by ourselves, with only two friends as witnesses. It was a cold day. It was freezing rain outside. Inside I was a mess. I thought I was going to throw up from nerves. We didn't even tell his family, a fact that at the time made the nerves worse because I was to be meeting them for the first time that Saturday. As his new wife. I did have my mom's blessing though and that helped. When he called us in a peace came over me and I was suddenly ok. A few southern-baptist minutes later, we were married. On our way out of the courthouse a bum asked us for change and J told him to get a job. Then we stopped for sausages from the little vendor on the street. On the way home, J was pulled over for doing 88 in a 55. Imagine my surprise when he turned to me and said, "I think I am going to jail." He didn't, thank goodness, and we went home and napped together on the couch. The day was perfect. It is a perfect story that I love to tell.

Our wedding was actually a surprise. His family were, rightfully so, a little hurt we didn't at least let them know what we were doing. He was in Iraq and I was talking to his brother who had again said something about not being there, when I had this great idea. I threw together a little wedding. Invited some people we don't get to see very often because of the distance we are away from them and when J got home I surprised him with it. At first, he thought it was a waste, but when he found out who all was coming he even got a little excited. I really just wanted nice wedding pictures for our children to have some day. On August 16th, 2008 I walked down the aisle and again promised that I would always love him.

It was a great day, too. We had the people that love us around us. We had amazing cake and a yummy taco bar with delicious Margaritas. It was the perfect laid back day and it was us. Our friend that introduced us officiated the ceremony.



And after it was all over. We had an amazing 9 day honeymoon. We drove to Miami and went on a 7 day Southern Caribbean Cruise.

If you have never been on one and you are a military spouse, who has gone through a deployment, I HIGHLY recommend a cruise. It was an awesome way to reconnect. No phones, no computer, just us. It was beyond words. We are already planning our next one for after this next deployment.

So that is a little bit about our life together. It had a rough start, but we have something good going. Adding Bug to the mix has been easier than I expected. It is almost like she has always been here. He is the best father. I watch him with her and am so thankful I found a real man, who just wants his wife and his baby around. I always say that I have "daddy issues" because of my own father. When I see J with Bug, I know she will NEVER have the same issues. It literally brings me to tears when they are together.


Happy Anniversary, J. My husband, My heart.