Ten Years and Counting

My favorite photo from our wedding.
It still hangs in our home.

On this date ten years ago S and I made it official. We got hitched. In a big wedding ceremony and party after. All at once it seems like a long time ago and just yesterday. To celebrate the occasion, we're going to get the heck out of Dodge, er Dallas, today through Monday to spend some time together.

Our first Christmas together.
S hated those leggings I have on in this photo.
He said it made my legs look "tattooed."

To celebrate here on Ate Up Amateur, I thought I would reminisce a little. And share some photos of the two of us from the past 10 years and before that - we met in college, and dated for almost six years before we tied the knot.

At Thanksgiving at S's parent's house - early in our dating life.

We met a few years before we started dating officially, at SMU. We had a geology class together and drove up to Ardmore, OK together on a class trip, because we were in the band and had to leave earlier than the rest of the class to get back to Fort Worth for a game against tcu. S drove his 1982 Buick Regal Somerset Limited. It was two-toned tan and navy blue. And it had really comfortable seats. Big, plush seats. I slept all the way to Ardmore in one of those seats. Seriously. I did. I'm great company on a road trip. This little ritual has not changed.

At a formal my senior year. One of my favorite photos of us, ever.
Look how young we are!

On the way back, we stopped at a 7-Eleven north of Fort Worth and changed into our candy-striped uniforms. We walked through the tcu fan parking lot in said uniforms and into the game on time without being mauled. I don't remember who won, but saying it wasn't SMU is a pretty good bet. So, we'll just go with that.

At that same formal.

We started dating two years after that. I wasn't much into dating anyone at the time S asked me out. I had gone through two years of months-long relationships and dated some other folks along the way for short stints here and there. And I was on a "let me be me" kick. Damn the men. I don't need them or anyone. I was finding myself. And S came along and wanted to date me.

One more from that formal.

I remember on one of our first dates S brought me a bottle of wine. I told him thanks and put it right into the refrigerator. My college roommate found it the next day. I said, "Oh, S brought that to me last night." She said, "Uh, you're supposed to OPEN the bottle and DRINK it, sister." Oh, OK. Got it.

At S's undergraduate graduation.

Man, was it HOT that day. At least there was a breeze!

I tried to avoid getting into this relationship with S - I really did. I avoided going out with him. I avoided meeting his family. I made myself difficult to reach on occasion. It wasn't S at all, it was this need I had at the time to be "free." One day, when S had invited me over to his parent's house for a spaghetti dinner, I was groaning about going. I think I said to my roommate, "Oh, I have to go over to S's house for this meal." And she turned heel on me, stopped me and said, "No, you GET to go to S's house for a meal. Lose the attitude." Oh, OK. Thanks again, Cathy. Got it. I even set up some meeting about two hours after the meal so I had an excuse to leave. I did. I really did.

S and me in Austin.

Anyway, we dated for a long time. He was persistent and I finally realized what a great guy I had on my trail. We lived in separate cities for a while. I was in Austin, teaching, and he was in Dallas.

Outside my church in Austin.

At Niagara Falls, on tour with my school from Austin.

Also on a school related function.
No, I was not part of a pentecostal congregation. Looks like it though, huh?
Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just wasn't.


A "professional" photo we had taken when I lived in Austin.

We even "broke up" for a short period of time but then got back together. Then we got married. You can see more photos from our wedding here and even here.



Ten years ago, it was the summer of weddings. My best friend and college roommate Cathy got married three weeks before us. That's us up there at her wedding. Then, she was in our wedding. And so was my cousin Robin, and then I was in her wedding in Indiana three weeks after our wedding.

S and I after our rehearsal dinner.
We're in his uncle's 1960 pink Cadillac.

Our wedding was a big affair - about 500 people. I knew about 28 of them. The rest were all of S's Italian relatives. I still don't know some of them. It was a big party. Big Fat Italian Party!

This was on our honeymoon - ferry from Vancouver to Victoria.

We went to Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria for our Honeymoon. It was July, of course, so we planned to go someplace where a jacket was required. We still do this - go someplace each summer where it will definitely be cool. And not like Dallas. It was a wonderful honeymoon.

S and Ellie when she was a pup.

The Christmas after we got married, I worked at Dillard's wrapping gifts on my break from grad school. That was a HARD JOB. I know I sound like a pansy saying that, but sister, it was a hard job. I promise. I lost weight during that December, and I was eating the fattening food from La Madeleine for lunch every day. Anyway, the SPCA had a kiosk there for the holidays and I totally fell in love with getting a dog. We ended up adopting Ellie. S was not totally sold on it but she had him wrapped around her little paw in seconds. Seconds. She and S are best buds.

And a year later along came Echo.

We have lots of great holiday memories in 10 plus years.

This was at S's brother Michael's wedding.

Self portrait last fall at Cary and Jennifer's rehearsal dinner.

And, from their wedding. S was a groomsman.

From my niece's wedding last April.

In ten years, there have been plenty of weddings and funerals. And family gatherings and reunions and birthdays and stuff like that. And I'm sure there are many more to come. Here and in Indiana, of course!

Another graduation - a few years and pounds later - for S from grad school.

I looked and looked for a photo of the two of us from either of my graduations. I know they exist. But I couldn't put my finger on them last night or this morning. So, S's graduations will have to do! They were very proud days for me!

And we've got great vacation memories, too. This one - Chicago - reflection in the "bean."
That was a quick long weekend vacation a few years back.

The thing is, we aren't very good at getting photos of the two of us on vacation. We need to work on that. So, a reflected photo is one of a very few!

Last year, in Corleone, Sicily

We took a trip with 29 other members of S's extended family to Sicily in March of 2008. I keep planning to post more about that fabulous trip on the blog here, but newer stuff always comes up and gets in the way of my posting about Sicily. We visited the towns where S's family used to live. And saw the churches where they worshiped. And the baptismal fonts where they were consecrated. And lots of other cool stuff too. Of course, since there were other family members there, we did get some photos of both of us together. Thanks Lynn.

And, we've had some great adventures.
Of course, this one from these fat cyclists' first outing just last month.

And, I have to say, to all of you newlyweds out there, 10 years is a great place to be. I mean, being a newlywed is great. But, being married for ten years is even better. It's happy. And comfortable - in a really good way - and filled with solid love that only comes with time and understanding. And choosing to love one another over and over. And building a life together through the ups and downs. I can only imagine that it'll keep getting better!

So, S, thanks for being so persistent in the beginning. Thanks for putting up with me for ten years. Thanks for all the memories and for this life we have. And here's to many, many more anniversaries! Happy 10th Anniversary, my love.