"This day I will marry my friend..."

This day I will marry my friend;
the one I laugh with,
live for, dream with, love.

Twenty-one years ago today, Joe and I said, "I do". The above quote was used on our ivory and mauve wedding invitations and the mauve (it was during the "country blue and mauve" craze!) napkins. In some ways it's hard to believe it's been that long, but in others it seems like it's been longer. I think that's just a normal thought the older we all get and the faster time seems to go!

I planned my wedding the summer after my 7th grade year. I wrote it all out, but was only 13 at that time. I even wrote it for June 18th, which became our wedding date six years later, in 1988! I kept the same colors as written in my plan: ivory, pink (mauve) for the bridesmaids and gray tuxes for the groomsmen. The only thing that changed was the "groom". I had not yet met Joe Waugh, but did later on that summer, at QMCC.

Joe and I didn't start dating until 1985, even though I saw him every summer at camp. By then, I was 16 and he was 22. The age difference now seems big, especially since we have an almost-15-year-old daughter! But, some of my family knew his family. His granddad, Albert Trent (a preacher for 53 years), served as my grandparent's preacher for many years. The camp session where we met was his uncle's session and a lot of his family was there. The year before we started dating, his granddad was at a funeral of one of my relatives and I said, "I know your grandson, Joe." (I didn't say, "I have a huge crush on your grandson, Joe!") His granddad said, "Hmmm, we'll have to see what we can do about that!" Boy, was I excited!! Unfortunately, Joe's granddad passed away two weeks after we started dating. He might have heard we were dating, since Joe lead singing at the congregation where his granddad preached at that time.

We married at 2:00 p.m. on that hot June 18th afternoon, so we were ready to leave for our honeymoon around 6:00 p.m. Unfortunately, Joe had a "friend" from high school (I had never met this "friend" and Joe hadn't even seen him in years) who decided to be a prankster that day and filled his car with rice, even in the air conditioner vents. It was everywhere! We couldn't take his car because of all that had been done to it, so Joe's sister and our brother-in-law offered their vehicle to us.

After we got in their vehicle, I realized that I had left a bag at my parent's house. We drove around the block and headed to the house, which was very close by. This "friend" followed us and didn't realize were were actually going somewhere specific. I guess he thought we were just roaming around the neighborhood sort of "playing" along with him, so as we slowed down to pull in the driveway, he didn't. He crashed into us from behind and we went into the neighbor's yard! All I remember is seeing their newly planted little tree going down as we drove over it. It smashed the vehicle's back window and crashed in the back. We found out later that their vehicle was totalled. To tell you the truth, I have no idea what we drove to Amarillo that night!

The wedding reception was only a few blocks away, so most of our family heard the crash and they came immediately. I was crying and none of us were too happy with the "friend". I know he was sorry. He called apologizing for months and months and months, even though we told him it was okay. We weren't hurt, thankfully. I had whiplash and bruising and Joe was a little sore, too. All I can say is it's a lot funnier now than it was 21 years ago!

Yes, 21 years ago, I married my friend! The one I laugh with, live for, dream with, and love. Happy Anniversary, Joe.