(Oh, how we've changed! This was in Seattle in April 2009.)
It's hard to believe that Hubby and I have been married 17 years today! It seems like just a couple of years ago that we met, he begged, and I gave in! Ha! Ha! That's pretty close to being the truth! Here's our story:
I had been through some hard times and I had moved back to Ephrata in April of 1990. I got a job working at Safeway as a checker. I had worked there for about a month when one of the shift managers came up to me and told me that an employee that worked in produce wanted to ask me out. I asked who it was and when he told me I had no idea who this guy was. Come to find out he was a 19 year old "kid" that had come home for the summer from college. I laughed and accused him of being in on some type of bet to see if this 32 year old mother of 5 would actually fall for it! A couple of days later I get beeped to answer the intercom at my checkstand. It was the "kid" and he asked if I would go "hot tubbing" with him that night!
What!!?? Hot tubbing? For me that meant he had something on his mind that he better forget and really fast! (He was very embarrassed when I told him that's what I thought awhile later!) I turned him down and he avoided me as he left the store that night! That was that and nothing more happened for awhile until...
...one day I went in the back of the store for something and happened to walk through produce. He happened to be working out on the floor and as I passed he said, "So, when are you going to go out with me?" Again...I laughed (which offended him) and said that I wasn't! I asked him what his mother would think of him going out with a 32 year old mother of 5 and he said she had nothing to do with it! (That's a whole other post! No, that would probably be a book!)
I went home and told Mom about this guy in produce that was wanting a date. What does Mom do? She and my little sister come into the store a couple of days later to "check" him out! She must have liked what she saw because she said, "If I were you, I'd go out with him." I was shocked! I figured she'd have a problem with this scenario! So with my Mom's blessing I accepted a date and that was mainly just to get this guy over it! We'd go out...he'd see all my baggage...and run for the hills!
In fact, one of his friends was trying to convince me to go out with him, too! He said, "Just go out with him. It's not like you're going to get married or anything!" Ha!
Well, we went out to a movie and much to my surprise there was chemistry AND he wasn't the usual 19 year old young man!! I was very impressed on how mature he was and how driven he was to what he wanted for himself and the goals he had for himself. However...I knew I wasn't going to go out with him again. There was no point! There was no chance that this relationship could go anywhere with such an age difference, etc. If he asked me out again, the answer would be a definite "no"!
He did ask me out again! And I did tell him "no"! But, he insisted and my dear mother said, "Just go out with him one more time!" I said to her that I would but only for the purpose of laying everything out on the table. That would be enough to scare anyone away! And that's what I did. I told him about what I had gone through that last few years, about my kids, my relationships, my heartaches, etc.....and he just looked me in the eye and said, "It doesn't matter. I love you!" That wasn't in the plan!! But I stood firm and told him I couldn't date him.
We went back to my Mom's and he was rather mopey because I'd told him it wasn't going to work for me/us. Mom kept giving me "the look" like "You're breaking this guys heart!"...and I couldn't resist those sad, dark brown eyes. (And the mullet was the kicker!) So much for standing firm!
I had been through some hard times and I had moved back to Ephrata in April of 1990. I got a job working at Safeway as a checker. I had worked there for about a month when one of the shift managers came up to me and told me that an employee that worked in produce wanted to ask me out. I asked who it was and when he told me I had no idea who this guy was. Come to find out he was a 19 year old "kid" that had come home for the summer from college. I laughed and accused him of being in on some type of bet to see if this 32 year old mother of 5 would actually fall for it! A couple of days later I get beeped to answer the intercom at my checkstand. It was the "kid" and he asked if I would go "hot tubbing" with him that night!
What!!?? Hot tubbing? For me that meant he had something on his mind that he better forget and really fast! (He was very embarrassed when I told him that's what I thought awhile later!) I turned him down and he avoided me as he left the store that night! That was that and nothing more happened for awhile until...
...one day I went in the back of the store for something and happened to walk through produce. He happened to be working out on the floor and as I passed he said, "So, when are you going to go out with me?" Again...I laughed (which offended him) and said that I wasn't! I asked him what his mother would think of him going out with a 32 year old mother of 5 and he said she had nothing to do with it! (That's a whole other post! No, that would probably be a book!)
I went home and told Mom about this guy in produce that was wanting a date. What does Mom do? She and my little sister come into the store a couple of days later to "check" him out! She must have liked what she saw because she said, "If I were you, I'd go out with him." I was shocked! I figured she'd have a problem with this scenario! So with my Mom's blessing I accepted a date and that was mainly just to get this guy over it! We'd go out...he'd see all my baggage...and run for the hills!
In fact, one of his friends was trying to convince me to go out with him, too! He said, "Just go out with him. It's not like you're going to get married or anything!" Ha!
Well, we went out to a movie and much to my surprise there was chemistry AND he wasn't the usual 19 year old young man!! I was very impressed on how mature he was and how driven he was to what he wanted for himself and the goals he had for himself. However...I knew I wasn't going to go out with him again. There was no point! There was no chance that this relationship could go anywhere with such an age difference, etc. If he asked me out again, the answer would be a definite "no"!
He did ask me out again! And I did tell him "no"! But, he insisted and my dear mother said, "Just go out with him one more time!" I said to her that I would but only for the purpose of laying everything out on the table. That would be enough to scare anyone away! And that's what I did. I told him about what I had gone through that last few years, about my kids, my relationships, my heartaches, etc.....and he just looked me in the eye and said, "It doesn't matter. I love you!" That wasn't in the plan!! But I stood firm and told him I couldn't date him.
We went back to my Mom's and he was rather mopey because I'd told him it wasn't going to work for me/us. Mom kept giving me "the look" like "You're breaking this guys heart!"...and I couldn't resist those sad, dark brown eyes. (And the mullet was the kicker!) So much for standing firm!
(This was just after we started dating in 1990.)
(Gotta love the Ray Bans and Hypo Color shirt! And oh my...the hair!)We dated for 2 years and got married June 19, 1992 on my parents 39th wedding anniversary. Hubby helped me finish raising 5 wonderful kids while putting himself through law school and has been such a wonderful, supportive, giving, patient, kind, caring, thoughtful, etc., etc., etc., husband and step-father. He's loved all of us and continues to extend that love out to the grand kids. In fact, in our spare time all he usually wishes to do is spend time with our family. For his birthday a few weeks ago all he wanted to do was to go to the water park with all the kids and grand kids.
(Our quaint little wedding day, June 19, 1992.)
(Hubby's Gonzaga Law School graduation, 1996. Why we didn't pose...who knows?)
(This is Hubby now...the way he likes to spend his time! L to R..Quinn, Malcolm, and Nathan with their Poppy.)
Hubby, I love you dearly. You have been such a blessing in my life. Your love and support have been endless. Your selflessness is endless. I hope and pray I have made you at least half as happy as you have made me! Here's to another 17....and many more!
17 Reasons Why I Love Hubby...
(Oh no!! Here goes the robot dance!)
Hubby, I love you dearly. You have been such a blessing in my life. Your love and support have been endless. Your selflessness is endless. I hope and pray I have made you at least half as happy as you have made me! Here's to another 17....and many more!
17 Reasons Why I Love Hubby...
- You still give me butterflies.
- You work hard to provide for us.
- You have more integrity than any man I know.
- You're spontaneous.
- You like to travel.
- You love our family.
- You see things that need to be done around the house and do them.
- You take out the garbage at least 100 times a day!
- You have a fun sense of humor around those you're comfortable with.
- You play with the grand kids and wind them up!
- You think of all of us before you think of yourself.
- You support me in ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.
- You make me feel secure.
- You do a wild robot dance!
- You're very intelligent and VERY cute!
- You make me HAPPY!
- You let me fly!
(You have 1 year to help me come up with #18! J/K...it won't be hard!) I love you!
(Oh no!! Here goes the robot dance!)
P.S. Happy 56th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! You're a shining example to us all! (Please see Cara's post that honors our parents @ http://ryancara.blogspot.com/)
6 comments:
Oh, that is so sweet! I, for one, am so glad I am a part of your lives and get to see first hand the love you have for each other. Happy Anniversary!
Wow! I never knew your story1 It's pretty cool. Congratulations! What an accomplishment. may you be blessed with many many more to come!
Love the last photos, they are SO Mike! And he does love to take out the garbage 100 times a day and wind up the kids. This is a perfect list. Now he needs to add 17 things about you, I'd love to read what he would write. Happy Anniversary you two. We love you!
Um, hello! I believe I helped with the matchmaking! You gave all the credit to mom! Just kidding, I am so happy for both of you! Mike is the best "older brother" I've ever had! Congratulations to both of you! I love you!
Hi there, Anna's step-cousin who clicked on over. Just wanted to say congrats and I really loved that story. Sounds like you guys have a pretty special relationship. Man, your guy has some ambition. Newly married with 5 step-kids and still making it through law school.
Oh what a wonderful love story, I think I like your hubby a lot, and I don't even know him! Kathy Perrins
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