I Told You He Was A Keeper

Friday I took a break and got some shopping done. Fun shopping. I had gift cards and was able to buy some things for our home schooling. I also enjoyed some time at my lys since I had earned $20 on my customer card. So, Saturday I sent Hubby off to use his gift card at Barnes and Noble and to do a few errands but most of all to get away and relax a little. Well, did that man buy himself something at the bookstore? NO! He came home and told me he had a belated anniversary surprise for me! He bought me a book called The Secrets of Scotland, which is a beautiful photography book about 12" square. He knows how much I LOVE Scotland! I felt a little bad he didn't find himself something, but he did go online later and use the rest of his card to find some drawing books he liked.

Today we had a wonderful service at church. Our seniors pastor spoke and I always enjoy the years of life he brings and the gentle way he shares the Truth in his sermons. This evening I took some time to scan a few wedding pics as Amy was commenting about it! :o) I really need to get them scanned in better and work on them in PS Elements to improve some of them and get them reprinted. Maybe before my 10th wedding anniversary I will get my wedding album finished!

Here I am going down the aisle. I was so happy, I could have floated. My Daddy looks pretty stern. He wasn't. He just took his job seriously and he was on oxygen. My cousin's then boyfriend, now husband, walked behind us to carry his oxygen tank. I was so thankful for this. A few weeks after the wedding my Dad was given 2 weeks to 2 months to live. He fulled them all and stayed with us another 18 months or so. I treasure the very few pictures I have of him, even though they aren't great. We reconciled when I was in college but a couple years before he died, he asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins. It was then that he began to understand who I was as a person and he was always one of my staunchest supporters. He was so happy for me to marry my Hubby because he knew that Hubby was very good for me and could see how much in love we were. I chose to go down the aisle to the same music as Maria in the Sound of Music. (I did not want to go down the aisle to the strains of "here comes the bride, big, fat and wide!)

Three Generations, me, Grandma Hopkins and my Mom. I love these pictures because Grandma still looks healthy. A few months later, her health began to deteriorate, though she lived about 3 years more. We were 32, 92 and 52 (sorry Mom, but you always look great at any age!).

I probably don't have to explain why I love this picture of Grandma and me. You can see the dark speck on my left lapel (right side when looking at pic). That was my something borrowed, something blue. It was one of my Mom's sapphire earrings which her husband Jack gave her when they married. Since I worse special earrings which Hubby's Mom had bought me for the wedding, I couldn't wear them in my ears. So, I wore one pinned to my dress. Historically women have often pinned special mementos both on and inside their dresses, so I felt it was a fun thing to do. But, I wish I had a dollar for every time someone said, "There's something on your gown." LOL

This is me with my Mom and step Dad Jack. He read the scripture which I put on my December 27th blog post: Colossians 3:12-17. He also gave us LOTS of poinsettias from his job for decorating the church and did a little bit of everything to help with the wedding. (And he often gets mistaken for Santa! HA HA!)

Here we are in the sanctuary. Neither of us had a single gray hair...those came after the children! :o) You can see we are laughing a bit. Our photographer was someone I met only once and she was good at helping us relax. Hubby's Mom died just a few days before our wedding and it was not an easy time. He didn't want to delay or change our wedding though so we went ahead as planned. I worried a little that he would not enjoy our day or that it would be sad for him. But, God filled us with so much JOY because we knew we were walking in His perfect will for our lives. It was very exhausting, but filled with moments we will always treasure.

Here is another shot where the coloring is more accurate. We tried to have special things incorporated in our wedding. The heart necklace I wore was a silver locket with my brother's newborn hospital picture in it. My wedding rings came from my step Grandma, Doris. The Bible on the communion table was Grandpa Hopkins' and the pineapple doily on the table was crocheted by my Grandpa Johnson when he was in a TB sanitorium as a boy. The glass used for communion was an Iris and Herringbone patterned depression glass water goblet that had belonged to my Great Grandma Tisdale (Grandma Hopkins' mother) and the candle sticks were also Iris and Herringbone which I had given as a gift to my Mom. The Unity candle was made by my friend Debi from high school and college and the communion bread was made by my Mom's sister Marilyn. It was a treasure to have the pearl drop earrings that Hubby's Mom had chosen for me, so that we could have a piece of her with us in the ceremony.

This is my Mom's favorite picture of us. It's kind of goofy, but sweet. I am certainly starry eyed for my Hubby! :o) My dress was chosen because Hubby does not like lace and frou frou. Do you know how hard that was? Now there are many dresses without lace but then less so and especially in my size. It has lovely beading and the lace is only on the bottom. I am not really a fancy person, so I had difficulty with choosing a veil and spending $200 on a piece of nothing! So, I made mine with a satin headband. I sewed tiny pearl beads every couple inches along the toule. I wanted to wear the veil in the traditional way and it was wonderful to have Hubby pull it back to claim me as his after we spoke our vows. I thought I would cry in the ceremony, but I didn't. I don't think I could have squeazed one out. I was so excited that I was swaying a little, which probably concerned people. But how could I not be excited? I was standing before God, my family, my church family...at least 300 people proclaiming to them all that I loved this man and I promised to be truly his and wonder of wonders (miracle of miracles), Hubby chose me too!

You might think I'm crazy for this post. But, I think it is good to remember the romance, the giddiness, the things and places and memories and feelings that brought you together as a couple in the first place. Life gets mundane. True love grows in the every day life, not just the fairy tale dreams, but sometimes we need sparkly moments to rekindle the fire. I once worried I would never have this...a godly man who loves me...but I am thankful that I do and I don't want to ever take that for granted.

Thanks Amy for the trip down memory lane! :o)

Normal blogging returns tomorrow.