I’ve seen this meme around alot lately, first over at lapaz farm, and just last night I saw where Andrea did it for her anniversary, as I’d also planned to do, 3 weeks ago, for Chris and I’s 12 year anniversary (yeah, I told ya I have some catching up to do on this here blog) and thought to myself what a timely/fun meme to do for our anniversary. This morning, I was met by the same meme over at my friend Susie’s blog, and thought to myself, “Self, quit procrastinatin’, and BLOG already!”

1. Where/How did you meet?
We met at my Mom’s church, where he attended while stationed at Keesler Air Force Base, (he’d just returned from Turkey) and I’d visit there occasionally with my Mom. I’ll never forget how preoccupied he’d seemed to be when we were first introduced (which he still often is- preoccupied with something- it’s a running joke how often he has to do U-turns because he’ll drive on automatic, so often pre-occupied with something!), by a mutual friend of his and my Mom’s. And I was right, he was pre-occupied, because he doesn’t even remember that first introduction!! The next week however, as destiny would have it, we were introduced again, and he invited me to go out to lunch with he and his friends. I’d already had plans to eat with my family, so they promptly invited themselves to come along, so there we were with my Mom, and three little brothers, sitting between us! LOL

2. How long have you known each other?
Well, he’d called me later (had gotten my Mom’s phone # from the church directory, and got my ph. # from my Mom) and we’d ended up talking for 5 hrs. That was Dec.4, 1994, the beginning of getting to know eachother, so just over twelve years now.

3. How long after you met did you start dating?
Well, we’ve been together ever since that phone call, so I guess you could say we started dating that same week. I remember that our first date was going to a movie together with some of my friends from school, we saw the Santa Clause.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
Date? Engagement?! Aaaah, who needs it? Well, seriously… we married a mere three months after we first met (and have actually met one other couple over the years who did the same), so I guess that you could say we dated for 3 months.

5. How long was your engagement?
Um, let’s see, from the time he actually proposed to the time we got married? Um, I don’t remember, days, a week maybe? We wasted no time! LOL

6. How long have you been married? 12 years and three weeks.

7. What is your anniversary? March 10, 1995.

8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
Only a handful, from my family and a couple of my friends from school. But then my sweet, thoughtful, priceless Mother-in-law (hi Mom!) held another reception for us in FL (where we’d moved to by then), the following August, where I met many of Chris’s friends and family. My Mom drove up from MS with my brothers for that too.

9. What kind of cake did you serve?
A white sheetcake with peach and yellow frosting, store-bought (at our first little reception) and a fancier layered cake at our larger reception, same colors.

10. Where was your wedding?
It was in my Grandparent’s lovely backyard, under their big magnolia tree, with Spring blooms all around, in Biloxi, MS.

11. What did you serve for your meal?
No time for a meal, we had cake, punch, opened a few gifts and were off for our honeymoon to FL. I don’t remember what we first ate, something on the road between Biloxi and Orlando.

12. How many people were in your wedding party?
4 – us and two witnesses, my sister as Maid of Honor and my oldest brother served as Best Man for Chris. My Papaw (Mom’s Dad) gave me away.

13. Are you still friends with them all? Yes.

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?
Yes, I saw a few tears, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
Saying the vows together, how both our hands were shaking as we held hands, and the unity we shared as we prayed together and joked/bragged about how “in tune” we were/are, that first kiss as “man and wife”.

16. Any funny moments?
Yes. Right before we proceeded to say our vows, my grandparents’ white cat walked right in front of us, between ourselves and my uncle, our licensed minister. We all laughed at what good fortune this must surly be bound to bring! Hah! Then, my aunt gave us a decorative pillow that says “Tonight” on one side, and “Not Tonight” on the other, which gave everyone chuckles.

17. Any big disasters?
Nope! Well, except that the film for many of our pictures during our honeymoon never caught on the reel of my el-cheap-O camera, so we were missing lost of pics we’d thought we’d taken. aaaargh! It still frustrates me to think of it! ;(

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Disney World, Orlando, FL (I’d never been) and we stayed at the Red Roof Inn. It was fun.

19. How long were you gone? One week.

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
I would’ve liked more of Chris’s family and friends to be there. But we had no extra time, nor money, and families and friends in different states. He’d just gotten discharged from the Air Force the day before, so had no place to live and we planned to move to FL right away, since my last term of school was just ending as well. So, since we wanted to be married when we got a place together in FL, time was of the essence. If we could do our honeymoon over though (aaaah, which we will one day), we would, in an old cabin somewhere out in the mountains/middle of nowhere.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
My side. When looking at the bed, the left.

22. What size is your bed?
King. And if the kids had their way, it’d be bigger (more room for them).

23. Greatest strength as a couple?
Complete trust in eachother, and the fact that we always talk things out, never stay mad at eachother. Also, we’re so much alike in so many ways, and though we’re both quite opinionated, we see eye to eye on most issues.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
Hmmmm… I dunno, plenty, but I’m not sure of the greatest? I’ll have to confer with the other half and get back with you on that one. Off the top of my head though, I’d have to say that we’re so much alike in so many ways, that we can also tend to irk eachother.

25. Who literally pays the bills?
It’s never been set in stone, there’s been seasons when he’d do it, and then I’d take over and vice versa. Lately I do most of the time.

26. What is your song?
I don’t know! Never have really had “a song”. Some romantic songs he likes are Dreamweaver, and Take My Breath Away… I know they must just remind him of me, of course, but we’ve never considered them “ours”. There’ve been a few sappy others we’ve gotten all silly over with eachother over the years, but my all-time favorite *love-song* that totally speaks my heart is “When You Say Nothing at All” by Alison Krauss.

We do however have an entire cd that reminds us of our honeymoon every time we listen to it, since we’d played it over and over as we cruised Orlando together… sweet nostalgia.

27. What did you dance your first dance to?
We didn’t even have music.

28. Describe your wedding dress: It was a solid creamy peach color, tailored and mid-calf length, with short-sleeves and decorative applique down one side, very Spring (think I still have it).

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
Peach and yellow roses with baby’s breath, silk arrangements my Grandma made. I had a big cascading bouquet, and matching hairpiece, Chris had a matching boutonniere. My sister, Mom, brothers had matching corsages and boutonnieres. They were beautiful, my Grandma had made flower arrangements professionally for many, many years in her own business.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved?
Nope, they’re white gold though, and Chris did have them made especially, in the antique-style that I loved, along with an earring set for me. All of the diamonds are special, since they were given to us by his Mom and Grandmother, except the .5 carat center one of my engagement ring, which he bought.

31. How old were you when you got married? I was 21 and Chris was 22.

Please let me know if you decide to do this meme, I’d love to read your answers!

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I wanted/tried to scan a picture of Chris and I from our wedding day, taking our vows, but cannot get our scanner to work (nor the software to even install, maybe it’s not MAC compatible?) So anyways, this pic that N took of us on our 12th anniversary three weeks ago will have to do for now.