Eight Years Ago Tonight...

...I was enjoying the company of almost all of our family. I lived in Albuquerque at the time and our back yard, on this evening, was transformed from a dusty desert mesa to a beautiful, candlelit garden oasis.

We had spent hours making tamales and chocolate dipped strawberry’s along with carne’ adovada, guacamole’, and all the local flavors. We had strung lights throughout the back yard and decorated with tiny candles hanging from the porch and on all the tables. It was absolutely stunning. Sadly, I can’t lay my hands on any of the pictures.

Most all the women were in the kitchen making last minute adjustments for this occasion. My best friend from college was trimming sparse grass with SCISSORS. It’s the desert, mowing is rarely necessary. My best friend is a bit OCD when it comes to perfect environment and I love him for it! Paul and I also had a friend in town, from my years in Baltimore. All my immediate family was present and all Paul’s immediate family was with us as well. We even had some extended family in town for this evening.

This was our rehearsal dinner. We were preparing to enter into marriage and I’m happy to say the very best years of my life.

My favorite memory of our wedding was our rehearsal dinner…because I remember it. I barely remember the actual ceremony. I know my brother (who performed the ceremony) spoke about Adam and Eve and the first ‘marriage’ and he cried and I was very touched and moved and so very hot! I remember bits and pieces from the overwhelming reception that had grown from my ideal small wedding of 70 to about 150-175 people. My husband has a LARGE family.

But the rehearsal dinner was this low key event where I could spend time with people and actually visit before the rush of activity the following day. I was able to give my sister a very special ‘scrapbook/journal’ of our journey to this day and we cried together reading through the book. I was able to visit with each person there at length, something I was unable to do at the reception. I didn’t have to pose for pics or smile for an audience. I could just sit back, enjoy the music and ambience and visit.

My husband and his ‘crew’ left a bit early to go out for an evening of fun and frolic and I had opted out of the “girls’ night out” festivities choosing instead to visit with these dear friends and family of ours. We stayed outside til late in the night and while I still didn’t sleep a wink all night, it was a magical, wonderful evening.

Tomorrow I celebrate eight years of wedded bliss with my wonderful husband Paul. He has taken the evening off and we are going to see a new musical “The Rock and the Rabbi”. I had mentioned it to my husband in passing some time ago and he purchased tickets for our anniversary evening. I was floored! I figured we’d squeeze in dinner and a movie on the weekend before or after….oh no…my wonderful husband is missing work and school to take me to a musical (not his favorite thing to do in the world).

I can’t imagine being any more happy and IN LOVE than I am at this moment and yet I know beyond a shadow of a doubt our journey is nowhere near over. Our love will grow and I look forward to each and every day…til’ death do us part…

Happy Anniversary Honey! You are the very best of me!