18 Years And Counting

Scott and I celebrated our 18th Wedding Anniversary on June 19th.

18 Years.

That sounds like such a long time, but if I really think about it, it doesn't seem like that long at all. But things have certainly changed over the years.

Like when we first started dating, we used to love to go eat at The Sizzler (a California restaurant chain). Now we prefer non chain places that no one has ever heard of, but that the owners come to our table and chat for a few minutes.

Friday nights used to be come home from work, change clothes and go out. Stay out super late and sleep half of the day away on Saturday. Now Friday night, we order pizza, watch a movie and fall asleep in the chair.

Home cooked meals used to be hot dogs and mac and cheese. Now it is a variety of meals that invlove way more than two steps. (But we still do an old school throw back of hot dogs every now and then.)

Bed time consisted of being wrapped up in the sheets and each other. His breath on my neck. Now it is a bigger bed, with way more expensive sheets and a dog somewhere in between us.

But there is plenty that hasn't changed.

Like when I am gone all day and pull into the driveway to see him stop and smile at me when I walk in.

How I don't have to even open my eyes or say a word and he knows when to pull me close and we fall right back to sleep together...sometimes only for 20 minutes.

How I can't even IMAGINE what life would be like if I wasn't with him and, truth be told, I can't remember what it was like before him.

18 years ago I thought I married the best man on the face of the earth, but I was wrong.

He just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait to see what the next 18 years brings me!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

I went to the movies this weekend and saw Valentine. I thought it was a cute movie.

There is a line in there where a wife says to a husband, after admitting that several years ago she had a brief affair with his business partner, that when you love someone you love all of them, the good and the bad. And the husband forgave her right then and there. Actually, he had forgiven her way before that.

There are people who do not understand the dynamics of my marriage to Scott. Some of these people are people who only know a little of what they see. Some of these people are close friends and some of these people are family.

People have told Scott that they don’t know how he can be married to someone who is so outspoken and opinionated. That he really should have a wife that caters to him just a little bit more.

People have told me that they don’t know how I can be married to someone who has to know about every dollar I spend. That I really shouldn't have to ask his opinion on the way I decorate the house.

Truth be told, no one knows the dynamics of our relationship. Just like we don’t know the dynamics of our friends and family’s relationships.

But I can tell you this, Scott and I have been together since 1991. No one held a gun to his head and made him ask me to marry him. And I said yes on my own accord. We are approaching 17 years of marriage and neither one of us have plans for that to change. I still miss him when I am away from him all day. He still tries to cop a feel every time I pass him by. Every single time.

Slow to trust, but I’m quick to love.
I push too hard and I give too much.
I’m not saying I’m perfect,
But I promise I’m worth it.

When you love someone, you love all of them, the good and the bad.

What Are YOU Doing Home?

When Scott and I were first married, he was in the Navy and we were living in a little apartment in San Diego. I had to quit my job in order to move to San Diego, so before I could find another job, we were poor. Poor because we were not living in military housing, because there was a 2 year waiting list. Poor because he was only a 3rd class at the time and didn’t make diddly squat for money. That kind of poor.

Before I had actually landed a job, Scott’s ship was going to get underway for a week. It was about 2 days until payday. I told him that I needed a new purse. He said that was fine, but that I needed to wait until payday to buy it. So I kissed him good-bye that morning and immediately went to the mall to get a new purse. What would he know? He was gone. I paid the bills. He would never be any the wiser.

I bought a darling little black purse and was sitting in the middle of the floor transferring my stuff from the old purse to the new purse when in walks Scott. I was caught red handed! I can remember this like it was yesterday:

Scott: Umm….what are you doing?

Me: What are you doing home?

Scott: Is that a purse?

Me: What are you doing home?

Scott: Did you go shopping?

Me: WHAT ARE YOU DOING HOME?

Try as I might, I could not get that man off of the fact that I had bought a purse. So I had to concede that yes I bought a purse and no I didn’t wait until payday…blah, blah, blah.

So I distracted him with other things…*wink, wink*

And later that night, as I was admiring my new purse, he told me that someone sabotaged the ship and they couldn’t get underway until the next day.

And by the way, he now pays all of the bills, so there is no chance of me sneaking a purse, or anything else for that matter, without him knowing.

But every once in awhile, the distracting thing can still work in my favor!

Just Call Me Susie

When Scott and I were first married I didn’t have a lot to offer in the domestic wifely way.

I couldn’t really cook.

I hated to clean.

I’ll do the laundry, but I won’t put it away.

He didn’t really marry a prize of woman.

We did, however, get great wedding gifts. My Aunt Deanna got us a great set of pots and pans. The Van Winkles got us all 10 places settings to my everyday dishes. One of my ex-boyfriends got us a food processor. A lot of relatives got us place settings to our china. My cousin, John Renaker, got us a toaster oven.

Here we were all set in the kitchen arena.

So, I decided I better learn how to feed this man. What is the old saying, a way to a man’s heart is through is stomach?

I don’t think they had the TV Food Network back then. They did have this English guy named Graham something or other and I would watch him.

One day I got all jiggy with it and decided I was going to make beef stew. I got out the crock pot given to us by my cousin, Bob. I was cooking with wine and garlic and meat and spices. I was getting the hang of this. Just call me Susie Homemaker.

I get out those dishes and set the table at like 3:00 in the afternoon. Scott gets home from work and I am so proud of myself. I pop the dinner rolls into the oven and serve dinner. As I am buttering my bread, I notice that Scott has taken a bite, but hasn’t said a word. Not. One. Word. I finally take a bite, and it is awful. Somewhere along the lines, I used WAY TOO MUCH pepper. I look at him and proclaim that this is awful.

The look of relief that came over his face was noticeable. He told me he was so glad that I was the one to say that.

We left that crap on the table and went and grabbed a hamburger at Carl’s Jr. (That is known as Hardees for all of you reading this that live in GA)

16 years have passed and I am a much, much better cook.

Except for stew.

I just can’t master stew!