Happy Anniversary!

Today is our anniversary! We have been married for 6 years, and those six years have flown by. Meeting J was one of the happiest days of my life. I am lucky to be married to such a wonderful man. He is the man of my dreams. He is my rock. London is lucky to have him as a daddy and I am blessed to have him as my husband. Here is a little tribute to our marriage. This brings back so many wonderful memories. Hope you enjoy!

1. Where/How did you meet?We were set up on a blind date. I was in a sorority and one of the girls wanted to introduce me to her cousin from Dallas. I didn't really want to go, but once I met him, we had a great time and the rest is history!

2. How long have you known each other?We met in Stillwater, Oklahoma on March 27, 1999.

3. How long after you met did you start dating?We really hit it off the night we met. But once he went back to Dallas, I didn't know if I wanted to be in a relationship. I was in Stillwater, OK and he was just so far. So, we started a phone relationship for awhile then I realized how much I really liked him and was ready to start getting serious.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged?We dated about a year before J proposed.

5. How long was your engagement?
We were engaged for a year. I needed plenty of time to plan our wedding.

6. How long have you been married?6 years today!

7. What is your anniversary?July 14, 2001

8. How many people came to your wedding reception?About 120 people.

9. What kind of cake did you serve?It was a beautiful 3 tier cake. It was a white cake with white icing, and there were two little cakes on either side of it. The cake was huge! It had a beautiful candle underneath it and the whole thing seemed to light up. J's cake was chocolate with chocolate icing. J is a huge hockey fan so his cake was supposed to be in the shape of a hockey puck...but the coordinator forgot!

10. Where was your wedding?We got married where I went to church, Mustang First Baptist. (in Oklahoma)

11. What did you serve as your meal?We had a huge buffet. We had sandwiches, a vegetable platter, fruit, little tequitos, egg rolls, little smokies (wouldn't be an Oklahoma wedding without them!) and a cheese and cracker tray. I think that was it! J and I didn't eat at the reception but our coordinator packed us some food so once we got back to the hotel...we inhaled it!

12. How many people were in your bridal party?I had 4 bridesmaids and he had 4 groomsmen. We had a cute little flower girl and a little ring bearer, but he didn't make it down the isle! Poor thing!
We also had some close friends and family as our ushers. One of my friends from my sorority sang during the ceremony, and I also had a friend play her cello while I was walking down the isle--it was beautiful!

13. Are you still friends with them all?Yes and I wish we just had more time to talk and hang out. I miss them so much. We all live in different states now but they are still very close to my heart. (with the exception of Michelle, we live close by and are best friends!)

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?J got a little teary-eyed. He is a very emotional guy anyway so I know he was feeling excited, nervous, and of course so happy that he was marrying the woman of his dreams! :)

15. Most special moment of your wedding day?The entire day was so incredibly special for me. I was marrying my best friend! The whole day was just perfect and I was so proud, happy, and excited. Somehow, I talked J into writing our own vows...so that was extremely special and probably my favorite part.

16. Any funny moments?The pastor (he was my youth minister) was telling us to repeat some of the "typical traditional" wedding vows and he asked J to say, "I thee endow" at the end. J gave him this blank stare and said, "What?" The pastor had to repeat it again while everyone laughed! Poor J!

17. Any big disasters?None--it was a wonderful day.

18.Where did you go on your honeymoon?We went on a cruise to the Bahamas. We actually didn't leave until about a week after our wedding. We went home, got some rest, opened up all the presents, and just enjoyed being married. So, when we went on our honeymoon, we were rested and ready to go!

19. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?The only thing I would change would be my bouquet. It was huge! It was very pretty, with a ton of flowers but I would change it to something very simple. Sometimes simple is better!

20. What side of the bed do you sleep on?I'm a righty. It seems that no matter where we are, I like that side the best.

21. What size of bed do you sleep on?We had a king for a long time but when we bought a new bedroom set we downsized to a queen. (Sometimes I think we need our king back--Bailey takes up a lot of room!!)

22. Greatest strengths as a couple?I feel that J and I communicate really well. We talk to each other on the phone throughout the day, we email, and it seems that we just do well at talking. We really try and talk about things even when we are mad or upset. I am lucky to be married to a man who is open and not afraid to share his feelings.

23. Greatest challenge as a couple?Our greatest challenge is time. J can be so busy at work and travel a lot that it's hard to find time to just be together. Now with London thrown into the mix, it can be even harder. So, time is definitely not always on our side.

24. Who literally pays the bills?We go round and round on this. J does, but he wants me to do it. We pay most all of our bills online. I don't know why, but I just like the old fashioned way...mail in your payment. I can't get used to doing the online thing, therefore I don't want to do it. I know, I'm a baby!
25. What is your song?
No one has really ever heard of it but it's a sweet song in the movie "8 seconds." It's called Standing Right Next To Me by Karla Bonoff.

26. What did you dance your first dance to?The same song---Standing Right Next To Me.

27. Describe your wedding dress.Well, of course I have to say it was beautiful. It was the second dress I tried on and I knew it was "the one." I could see myself walking down the isle in it. It was a white satin gown with spaghetti straps. It was fitted through the body and flowed out. It had swirls throughout the dress with small pearls connecting the swirls. (This is hard to explain!) My veil hung in the back. One thing I can remember about my dress is the day the tailor called and asked if she was really supposed to cut off that much of the dress. I remembering laughing and telling her yes--I am really that short!
28. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?We had lots of white roses everywhere. I love flowers! We were so shocked to find out how expensive they were though! We had daisies, lilies, and periwinkles. I would have done so much more, but we were on a budget and we stuck to it....well, my dad may have a different opinion on that one!

29. Are your wedding bands engraved? If so, what do they say?
Mine is not but J's is--it says, "Love you forever."

30. Any special traditions?Not really. We do always take out time and do something special for our anniversary. Now that we have London though, Christmas will be a special family time for us first...then everyone else.

31. What have people said about your wedding?One of my dad's friends said it was so emotional and that he even had tears in his eyes. I think we got everyone when we said our own vows. It was pretty touching and I am so glad we did that!

Happy Anniversary J! I love you and look forward to making many more wonderful, happy memories with you!