Happy Anniversary to Me!

Today, I'm celebrating 12 years of marriage to the man who can drive me crazy like no other...He can make me laugh, he can make me swear - and he can really, really drive me nuts sometimes. But all in a good way, of course!

Twelve years ago, we had been engaged for about three months, and I hadn't even thought about picking a date for the wedding ceremony. The thought of planning a second wedding - and blending two families - was enough to make me groan and stick my head under the pillows and not want to come out.

My first wedding hadn't been something I had really enjoyed; it was more of a "show" to please my mom - and she pretty much got her way in the entire planning of it. I really didn't know how to go about planning a second wedding that would be more my style - and not my mom's. If you know my mom, you would know what I mean.

So, here it was, March...we're engaged...but I've done nothing - NOTHING, I tell you - in the planning of a wedding.

That last week of March 1999, Hubby and his co-workers had some business in Las Vegas, and they invited all of the significant others to join them. On the flight, everyone's settled in...reading, snoozing, chatting...and I was having a silent conversation with myself in my head that went like this:

"Well, here we are, on our way to Las Vegas. Joy."

A few minutes later, the next thought that went through my head: "Well, what can one do in Las Vegas, besides drink or gamble - neither of which I enjoy doing...??? I have no idea."

So, I sat and pondered on that, and then - EUREKA!

"Wait a minute....we could get MARRIED in Las Vegas!!! And no overbearing-but-I-love-her-anyway Mother to take over things!!!!"

I looked over at my not-yet-Hubby and asked, "Hey! Wanna' get married in Vegas?"

And so we did.

After securing our license at City Hall, we found a delightful little Victorian wedding chapel off of the main strip. We were asked, "Civil or sacred ceremony?" and we answered, "Sacred." They ran next door to a church, asked the minister if he would come and perform the ceremony, which he did - and voila!

It was done.

We were married.

We packed a picnic lunch and then headed into the foothills of neighboring Red Rock Canyon for a delightful, quiet afternoon, away from the glitz and clutter of Vegas itself. It was wonderful.

It was the ceremony of my dreams...simple, small and sacred. No big party. No big fanfare. Just two people, declaring their love and commitment in front of the minister and a witness. And God, of course. That was all that was needed.

So, Happy Anniversary, Hubby! You're my soul mate - and I wouldn't change anything.

Here's to the past twelve years - and many, many more yet to come!

Peace.