Playing catch-up...Part 2

After Jamie and I got engaged...we started planning a summer wedding.

We ended up picking out rings together. I got a marquise diamond engagement/wedding set and Jamie got a plain gold band. Jamie gave me my

engagement ring...and he hid my wedding ring at his apartment. I would always sneak it out of the box and try it on when he wasn't looking! LOL! He'd get so aggravated! LOL!

I was a little nervous telling my parents that we were getting married as Jamie is 9, almost 10 years older than me. But when I told my mom, she said, "I always kind of thought you'd marry someone older. You're mature for your age." Whew!

We had about a nine month engagement in which all of that time was spend planning the wedding. Mom did EVERYTHING!

She was amazing.

We were on a budget. We went downtown to Jacobson's and found my wedding gown. We got an amazing deal on it because it was a discontinued style. It was regularly priced at around $700.00 I think...we got it for around $129.00 I believe. It's been so long...I'd have to look back in my wedding planner for sure. But anyway, it was a steal. I loved it immediately. What a blessing.

We were equally blessed with the bridesmaid dresses. We were planning a "floral/garden themed" wedding...and the colors were to be peach, mint green, and lavender. We found some beautiful tea length dresses in a floral print with our exact colors...amazing.

Jess was my maid of honor. Tiffany and Melissa were bridesmaids. Dave was Jamie's best man. Eric and Brian also stood up with him.

Mom did all of the flowers, decorations, food...EVERYTHING. It was amazing. The church and hall looked gorgeous.

Tracey did our cake and we got more compliments on the cake than anything else. It was gorgeous. It wasn't your typical white wedding cake. It had a lot of color on it...just like I wanted...peach, mint, and lavender. We also had little cherubs on it. It was awesome!

Amber caught my bouquet and Shaun caught the garter.

I remember the church didn't allow rice to be thrown...something I had always looked forward to...all of my daycare co-workers surprised me and they all sneaked rice to the church and threw it at us as we left. It was so sweet.

We honeymooned at Mackinac Island, the Upper Pennisula, and Cedar Point. We had a short but sweet honeymoon and then came back to the real world. LOL!

About fifteen years past due!

This blog is my attemp to share all of my love, devotion,

admiration, and pride in my sons and husband. I would have liked to have

started

something like this fifteen years ago when I first met my husband...but computers were not in the budget and...well let's face it...I had no idea how to work them! LOL!



So here goes...I really don't even know where to begin because I'm so far behind!

Since I am so far behind...I'll reach back many years into the past to play catch-up.

Jamie and I met through a our mutual friend Monica. I remember she and I going out to Chi Chi's for dinner after church one night and asking her if she wanted to go for a walk after we ate. She said she had to take her friend Jamie to the store because his car was broke down. She told me to come with them and we could all go for a walk afterward. I told her I didn't want to impose (I was really extremely shy!) and would take her up on a walk another day. She insisted I come...so...dh and I met for the first time!

Let me first say, I was not impressed the first time I met him because he was in a grumpy mood. He was in a rush to get his shopping done and just seemed...well...downright grumpy. Nice first impression! LOL!

Well...to sum things up...she convinced me to come along on many more of their outings. The three of us did alot together over the next several weeks...movies, walks, renting videos, dinner out, etc. Eventually...I got a phonecall from Jamie. He wanted to go out to dinner! Just the two of us! I was a little surprised. He took me out for Chinese, we played tennis, we went walking on campus, and he brought me flowers! It was great. I was impressed this time...LOL!

Although, because I was so shy and hadn't dated alot...he was my first actual "relationship"...he later told me that he mistook my shyness for not liking him. He said he was almost to the point of "three strikes and you're out"...LOL! He thought I was blowing him off.

I have learned over the past 18 years from many people, that my shyness back then was mistaken alot for being stuck-up. This is really hard for me to accept...as I have always had a really low self-esteem and felt so left out. I was never popular. How could people mistake my shyness for being stuck-up?!?! I am trying really hard to make sure I come across now as friendly, open, and outgoing. I never want to be misunderstood again.

Jamie and I dated for about 3 months before we got engaged. I remember the night he "accidentally" (LOL!) proposed. We were hanging out watching tv at his apartment and looking at the sale flyers in the Sunday paper. He kept pulling out jewelry store ads and asking me what I liked in there. Well, we had only known each other 3 months (although we knew each other well...still...) and I had no clue what he was asking. Did he mean what kind of necklaces do I like? Did he mean what kind of bracelets do I like? Did he mean "RINGS"!?!?! Well I didn't want to seem presumptuous...so I said, "What do you mean what do I like?" and he said, "I mean what do you like?" and I said, "Like necklaces, bracelets, etc.?" He said, "I MEAN ENGAGEMENT RINGS SILLY!!! I WAS GOING TO SURPRISE YOU! BUT YOU'RE MAKING THIS AWFUL HARD! I WANTED TO GET A FEEL FOR WHAT YOU LIKED SO I COULD SURPRISE YOU!"

Surprise...LOL!