12 Years and Counting...

To my wonderful Husband:

Happy Anniversary, darling. Today, we celebrate 12 years together. I love you more now than I thought ever possible, and each day it just gets better and better. We have weathered many storms throughout our marriage, and have outlasted them all. I am excited about what the next 12 years will bring for us, and am glad that I can share them with you.

For those of you who might (or might not) be interested...our wedding story!
We had only dated for 3 months when I was proposed to. In Janurary of 1997, we had just come back from a weekend in Illinois, seeing my sister and his sister. We had borrowed my mother's car phone (remember those? They weighed like 30 lbs. and were as big as a small suitcase!) in case of emergencies. But, it was still in his car.

My brother and his wife were traveling to Wisconsin to take his children back to their mother and had gotten into an accident. They needed the phone to get ahold of the kids' mom. So, off I went. I was babysitting my then 2 month old nephew, Taylor, so he was with me. I had to find Karl's car to get the phone. When I couldn't find it in the parking lot where he worked, I figured that I would try his favorite fast food place, Burger King. And (it was God!) there he was! I went up behind him, and surprised him.

My nephew and I ate with Karl, and he ordered the "usual". Chicken sandwich, cut in half, with cheese, and onion rings. I must have looked "motherly" while playing with Taylor, as Karl suddenly looked at me and said, in a romantic voice, "So, you wanna get married, or what?". He held out an onion ring for me and it was settled.

I was engaged to be married.

Planning our wedding was not quite so easy. We moved the date 3 times, trying to find something that "everyone else" would like. We were members of a church that didn't have the "dream wedding" look to it, so we found another church that would allow us to us it, provided that the minister could say a prayer or whatever. Cool with us. We booked the photographer, limo, and reception hall. I picked my sis and 2 sis-in-laws as well as my future sis in law for my brides maids.

Easy enough, exciting enough, right? Oh, ye, of little imagination!

Right after Valentines Day, my life fell apart. In a 48 hour span (and I kid you not!!!) I had the following things happen to me.

1. My sister called and said that she would not be able to make my wedding. As my matron of honor, that really stunk! I had to find someone else.

2. The church that we had previously booked called, and said that their board members had decided against us using the church since we were not, nor not planning on becoming, members.

3. The photographer called, and said that he had accidentally overbooked and could no longer do our wedding date. Of course, the deposit was non-refundable, but he would be happy to do another day!

4. The limo service said that they were going out of business, and would not be able to do our wedding.

5. I couldn't agree with my mother on how to proceed with the reception, or brides maids, or dresses.

So, I did what any stressed out girl would do. I cried my eyes out, declared that I didn't want to get married anymore, and ate a 1/2 gallon of Ben and Jerry's.

When I explained what happened to Karl, the answer came to him. "Let's just elope," he said. Funny, my sis had just suggested that same thing earlier that day. We talked about it for a day or two, and finally, we called a wedding service. We met him at the Comfort Inn Suites, and I called two of my roommates to be witnesses. With Chinese food in our bellies, and a pack of ciggarettes for "groomsmen presents" for my roommates, we said our vows. Oh, it was sooo sweet.

Then, we went to work.

People thought we were crazy, having just gotten married, and then going to work??? But, we didn't have time to take the days off! And, we knew that the rest of our lives, we could take time for each other. And we did, and we still do.


We didn't actually tell anyone that we got married for 3 days. Partly due to fear. Fear of ruining the image, I guess. Of what, I am not sure. But, they all got over it. (as if they had a choice, eh? ;)

In the last 12 years, we have moved 12 times in 6 states. We have 3 wonderful, beautiful children. We have hit highs and lows, and I wouldn't change them for anything.

Now, you know the whole story.