I Do, I Did and Would Do Again

Today is our anniversary! We both kinda forgot until about halfway through the morning. The romantic version of the story goes like this (bulleted for your reading and my writing ease...)

• We met at the Ground Round - remember the restaurant where it was okay to throw your peanut shells and whatever else on the ground?? What a mess!
  
• We dated for 6 years (with a few on-again-off-again rounds in there)
• We did things COMPLETELY backwards...we dated, had a baby, bought a house...THEN got married.
• We got a lot of the bad stuff out of our relationship early on - so we REALLY knew what we were getting when we said I DO.
• October has always been my favorite month of the year - I had always wanted an October wedding. Justin decided the last week of September 1999 to begin talking about getting married. My response was "it's either next month or a year from next month" - after 6 years, what's another year of waiting!?
• We planned our wedding in 3 weeks...married at the old Historic church in our town, a new local restaurant had a beautiful upstairs reception area that no one knew about yet so it was open for the evening, found a DJ, a friend took the pictures, got a video guy (that screwed up the recording on our vows so got it for free...), my grandpa Jack is a baker so he made our cake, bought some rings, called our preacher, ordered some invitations, got a marriage license...just like that - we had a wedding planned!
• On very little notice - we had all the family come in from New York, Arizona, etc. - they weren't about to miss what they had long awaited!
  
• My dress cost $63 on a clearance rack at a store someplace in the City Center...I found it on my lunch hour.
• I got sleeted on as I was coming into the church to walk down the aisle. Brrr...but did I care?!
  
• We danced and danced at the reception...and then paid the DJ more money to stay 2 hours longer...and then some of the guests ended up at Otie's (but not the bride and groom)
  
• The champagne we toasted with is the NASTIEST stuff I have ever, EVER tasted!
• I lost my voice and sounded like a 40-year chain smoker by the end of the night.
• My "honeymoon" week, I had walking pneumonia and had to sit in a career assessment class from 8am - 5pm Monday thru Friday.
• We did get to go to Hawaii 6 months later so that was worth the wait.
• For years after - Mason would always say "Remember at our wedding..."
  

• We danced to True Companion by Mark Cohn (video to the song linked)

It was as perfect a wedding as I'd ever want or wish for...and it has led to even more wonderful blessings...

NOW, I can see that some things are worth waiting for.