It's our ANNIVERSARY!

Grab your coffee or tea....this is a LONG post!
Today Craig and I are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary.
About nine years ago Craig and I met at the apartment complex where we both lived. At first we would just notice each other at the pool, but neither of us approached the other. (funny side note: The first time I saw him, he was sitting with an older looking man, and I told my girlfriend, that he looked gay!! ha!.....she didn't agree, and so we made a bet.....I obviously lost! Oh, and come to find out later, that was his DAD with him!! My Father in law!!.....ha!ha! I love to tease him about that still!)
One day while I was at the pool (yes! I have always loved going to the pool....this is NOT a new thing!), he came down and there were only two open chairs, one by me, and one by a mom with two kids screaming!.......he chose the one by me.
BUT, he was NOT about to start the talking.......WAY too cool for that. Apparently he was used to girls approaching him, and was a little taken back by my obvious ignoring of him. (I had already decided that he must be an arrogant jerk because he wasn't approaching ME!! .........yeah I know, I guess we were BOTH slightly arrogant! ha!.....) ANYWAYS, I really don't remember who talked first, but OBVIOUSLY we started talking. From there we developed a "pool friendship" that just stayed at the pool. I didn't even know what apartment he lived in.

When the pool season started coming to an end, I wondered what was going to happen to our friendship because up to this point, there had never even been phone calls between us. Well, he must have thought the same thing, because on one of our last days at the pool, he asked me if I wanted to go to a movie with him that night. Okay, here is where I need to back up the story a little....during this friendship that I had been developing with Craig, I was completely 100% OBSESSED with another guy that I was SURE I would marry. The only thing is, I'm pretty sure the other person didn't EXACTLY feel the same way, because he had stopped calling me, and I had heard that he had been dating someone else!! ha!ha! BUT, that didn't stop me from still thinking that we were going to get back together one day, and I was continually telling Craig this when we would talk at the pool. He thought I was a nut case!

That's okay though, I had already dubbed him as a playa!

So back to the movie thing. When he asked, I was like "is he asking me on a date?" "I'm pretty much engaged to someone else, should I go?" ,"I wonder if @#$*# (the "other guy") will be there, surely by now he's REMOVED the restraining order on me", "but maybe he WILL be there, and get jealous". Okay I was going!

Let's just say that the movie thing wasn't the best of times (he acted like a jerk the whole night barely talking, and I didn't talk to him for about two months after that. Though my mom would keep asking me what was going on with this Craig guy, and if I was still talking to him. To which I replied, he's a jerk, and NO we are not talking.)

One day in the Fall, we ran into each other at the mailbox getting our mail. He could tell that I was being cold to him, and so he asked what was wrong. I told him that I thought he had been really rude that night at the movies. He said he was trying to not make me think that he wanted to be more than friends, because I was SO sure of "ending up" with another guy! To which he coyly asked something along the lines of "how's that working for ya anyway?"
By this time I had reluctantly come to grips with the fact that my "other man" was nowhere to be found and definitely wanted nothing to do with me. Of course I told Craig that I had changed my mind on that whole situation!! hee...hee...

He invited me to come watch football with him, and pretty much that's the end of the story...kind of....... We quickly found every and all excuses to spend time with each other, though neither of us would call it "dating". We were "just friends". This is partly my fault. I had been SO sure about this other guy, and then when Craig and I started hanging out, I had numerously told him that I only wanted to be friends with him. Yeah yeah, I was TOTALLY sending the mixed signal thing.....WHATEVER!

THEN, one night IT happened! (NO! not that, I'm not at the first kiss YET!)

It was a girls night, and my friends and I were going out. We went to Joe's Crab Shack, and about halfway through our meal, guess who walks in? UH HUH, the "OTHER GUY"! You know, the one that I had put my life on hold for.....had cried many of nights over.......yeah you know what I'm talking about. He walked over to me, and after a few awkward words (hi! you look good, no, you look good, blah blah blah) I realized that I was only thinking of one person.....CRAIG!

I got home that night and called him. He wanted me to come see him, and THAT'S when we had our first kiss!! .......Okay now THAT'S the end of the story......the rest is history right? Well, I only WISH all stories had that happy ending. The long and the short of it (because my A.D.D. has kicked in, and I am tired of typing) is that we were married in Maui the following summer, my family, Craig's family, my pastor, and a few friends came with us, and we had a BEAUTIFUL wedding.

Since marrying Craig, we have literally been "through the ringer". Our marriage started out really rough. I got pregnant within the first few months, 9/11 happened and Craig's business suffered greatly causing HUGE financial distress, and things just got rougher. Without going into major detail, it is by the grace of God and ONLY by our complete reliance on Him, that we were able to stay together. (and MANY counseling sessions with a WONDERFUL christian counselor)

Marriage is what made me grow up. I had to. With God's help I have learned, and am still learning how to work really hard at something, and never give up. I can honestly say and very happily say that Craig and I have learned how to love and respect each other, and how to LAUGH together!! THAT is very important! I wish I would have known that a long time ago, because I LOVE to laugh, and had I known it would just be better to laugh than get my panies in a knot, I might have chosen that route!

It has taken me YEARS to be able to laugh at Craig. (those who know Craig, or read this blog regularly, KNOW that he is always doing SOMETHING....most of the time inappropriate) But, I am happy to announce that I FINALLY find the humor in him, and now he makes me laugh all the time! (YES! even about the shaved head.....dishwasher....blaming his "toots" on the kids in public.....etc....etc....ETC....) In fact, he probably tries the hardest to make ME laugh at him, because he LOVES having me think he is funny too! And I will admit, he REALLY is funny! (sshhhhh.....I NEVER admit that out loud!)

One thing that has never faltered or ever been in question, is his fathering. He is truly the BEST dad ever! I'm not just saying that. If you read my blog, you know that I have a lot of "extra curricular activities" (girl's nights, weekends, girl's nights, weekends....) that he allows me to be part of. He actually encourages them, because he knows that my friends are important, and that I need them. He takes care of the kids amazingly! Even after he works a full day, when he gets home he pretty much takes full responsibility for the kids because they are DYING for him, and simply because he LOVES being with them. Basically his Fathering is "OFF THE HOOK!" Ha!Ha!

I love Craig from the bottom of my heart, and I look forward to laughing with him for many many years to come. I'm not sure that I look forward to what he will come up with next.......aaawww, who am I kidding? Of course I look forward to it! He's always reinventing himself with new tactics and trouble! Heck, Madonna should take tips from HIM! Plus it's what keeps our marriage ALIVE!! ha!ha!ha!

Anyways, Happy Anniversary babe! I love you! Now do something to make me laugh.......

Here are pictures from our wedding to celebrate our Anniversary today.

My mom and Hollie.
My sister, me, and Hollie.





My dad.

My mom.

Ha! Check out the look on Craig's face!! Now that's CLASSIC!!.........


Our Pastor and friend Johnny Hunt.

Craig's dad Stan, my brother Pete, and Craig's friend Mike.



JUST MAUIED!!!...get it?? huh? huh??