Remember When...

I got married the day after my 25th birthday. Pretty smart, IMHO--you see, I will never forget my wedding anniversary...unless of course, I start forgetting my own birthday...which would mean that I would be forgetting a lot of other stuff too, so I probably wouldn't even know I was forgetting it...buttttt I digress.

Looking back, I remember how much fun it was to celebrate my birthday at the rehearsal dinner! Under a big tent (twinkly lights and all) set up outside my Granny Lee's house, surrounded by my family & closest friends, I couldn't think of a better place & time to celebrate turning 25 and starting a new chapter in my life.

I will also never forget the MENU for that night: BBQ, brunswick stew, fried chicken, hushpuppies, cole slaw & sweet tea. Ahhhh....Bullock's...I do love you so.

Fast forward several years, and that brings us to my 11th wedding anniversary. I can't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate it than by going to a BBQ (read 'pig pickin') with my family and friends. Our neighbor's friend set up a big grill in the cul-de-sac, and cooked a hawg all day. By dinnertime, tents were up, shielding us from the hot summer sun, and tables lined the top part of the cul-de-sac. Women came, bearing all types of side items and desserts. We had all the traditional fixins': cole slaw, baked beans, hushpuppies, corn on the cob, and mac n' cheese casserole. Of course, there was sweet tea...you didn't even have to ask, did you?

What a fun night! We ate, drank, talked, played corn hole, ate some more, laughed and danced!!!
Most importantly, I got a chance to "remember when"...to go back to when it all started. My friend Claudia was making the playlist for the night, and I asked her if I could surprise Bryan by playing our wedding song during the party. She agreed, we downloaded it from I-tunes, and then neither one of us thought about it again (we had food to cook).

Later that evening, when the party was starting to settle down--our song came on. I was actually already out on our makeshift dance floor (um, driveway) dancing with my sister and the kids. When I heard the first few notes, I immediately started looking for Bryan. He had just finished up a game of corn hole. It took him a minute, but it was so much fun to see the moment of recognition on his face. He looked over to me, and immediately walked over to embrace me. It was a sweet moment for us. We danced to the wonderful song, Yours, and I couldn't help but think about how much I loved this man. And how after all this time, the lyrics still ring true:

I am passionately...

Yours
And the saddest eyes are
Yours
And the softest skin is
Yours
And the hope I borrow is
Yours
So won't you let me in I'm yours
All that I begin is yours
Every prize I win is yours
At your feet again I'm yours
All I am is yours

I love you Bryan. Happy 11th Anniversary!