Twenty-three Years Ago Today

Don't we look like children?  I was twenty-two and Dan a year younger. Children. 

But we grew up pretty fast.  A year hadn't gone by before we were parents.  It was all such a whirl, I have a hard time now distinguishing all the facts of the first few years as individual segments of my history.  It all happened so quickly.  One minute I was a busy, giddy college student, the next minute, I was a wife and Mommy, feeding and cleaning up after a handful of toddlers.

 To tell you the truth, I don't even remember a whole lot about our wedding day.  The trappings weren't important to me at all.  I didn't even pick out my wedding dress or bridesmaids' dresses; I let my Mom do it.  And they were perfect -- as much as I can remember.  I remember that noone remembered to put my veil down over my face before I walked up the aisle and I was glad of it.  I remember Dan standing at the altar, so pale.  Lots of handshaking and hugs.  Running hand-in-hand down the church steps to the parking lot (where the one photographic record of my expensive satin shoes was taken).  Then through the rain to the car.  And then the reception at my parents' house.  The rain changed the venue from a back yard reception to an in-the-house reception. 

My parents' house was not particularly big -- but everyone who came to the wedding came to the reception.  It was packed!  I could barely move around in my big dress -- and didn't even think to take off some crinolines and hitch up the back.  The music guy (a friend of ours from college) didn't show up.  And the Kentucky Derby ran.  Half the guests were down in the family room watching, but I couldn't get through the crowd to see it, so listened to the running from the steps in the living room.  We cut the cake.  Dan smashed it in my face even though I politely gave him his.  But, my father-in-law said he missed the picture, and gave me a chance to get even.  And I did.

Then, somehow, the afternoon passed.  With lots of laughing and fun and food and an open bar.  And we were on our way to our honeymoon in Estes Park.  We stopped down the road to take the cans and paraphernalia off the back of thecar.  And, as it turns out, we stopped right in front of a house where another couple were having a wedding reception in their home.  Imagine.

And here we are.  Twenty-three years later.

Still a little bewildered.  Still in love.

Happy Anniversary, Dan.  It's been amazing!