....oh...and Happy Anniversary!

About fourteen and a half years ago, SHE...

met HE....
...in a very respectable drinking and eating establishment. (oh yes it was!!!) Even though SHE spoke very little Japanese and he spoke even less English, he had a car and liked to take drives it was a very special relationship from the very beginning.
(Actually....this picture is from the second night they met. There were no pictures documenting the "first meeting"....and that's a good thing...they could probably be used for blackmailing purposes. Let's just say that SHE had been partying pretty strong with her very special foreign, gay friend...they met the HE...both thought HE was pretty cute...there was an intense game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" when it was discovered that he was single...no one is really sure who won. Since the HE doesn't play for "that team", I got him.)

So SHE and HE spent a lot of time getting to know each other...searching for words in the dictionary...driving all over the island (or so it seemed to her!!)...and laughing...always laughing and having a very good time.

Even though SHE had only met her a couple of times, his mother was kind enough to make a yukatta, a summer kimono for her.
Since high school, HE has always been in a band and hung out with other musician-type people. Even though SHE pretty much sings for crap (IMHO), HE and some of those friends decided to make a band for a "one time only show. (Thank you, Jesus, for that!!) SHE didn't really want to do this, but HE was pretty damn persuasive and SHE thinks that HE still owes her big time for this!!! (That's HE on the keyboard.)

Along with taking many drives.....HE and SHE would also go to concerts and other types of musical shows. One of their favorites was a reggae concert they went to. The met up with many friends here....one of them had just a. bit. too. tight. of. a. grip on him. But SHE understood how charming HE could be and let the bitch the friend off the hook. SHE also knows that HE understands that SHE feels she needs to {{hug}} most everyone she knows. HE and SHE had a pretty damn good relationship!!!

So....one day...while on a drive on a cold February day....HE and SHE had stopped for some hot coffee and steamed bread....without any kind of warning whatsoever, HE informed her that HE thought they should get married. SHE, not really realizing that this is where the relationship was going, (Really, SHE didn't!! Actually, SHE never really saw herself as ever married...a mom, yes, but married? No.) couldn't answer for about 35 kilometers...and then SHE finally came out of her shocked daze and mumbled that SHE would marry him.

So....on August 24, 1996, in a small church in her hometown in Colorado, HE and SHE got married. It was, to say the least, an interesting wedding.

First of all....SHE was escorted down the aisle....by her mother.

(Can't imagine where SHE got her smile, can you??)

It was....a colorful day.

To sum up the day very quickly.....

(a) there were usherettes, not ushers...three girls SHE loves dearly

(b) SHE has too many friends and couldn't decide who would be the lucky ones to stand up with her....and HE didn't want to put a financial burden on any friends to come and join them, (they also had a BIG party in September, here in Nagasaki.)...so instead, they had "Best Men" and asked the two most special men (besides HE, of course) in her life to stand up with them. (Still wondering where that one on the right was looking at and what was going on!!)

(c) SHE had 3 very cute nephews and one cousin who were the "Matsuri Boys" ('festival boys') (d) the two absolutely darling candle lighters belong to one of SHE's BFFs (who also did the flowers!!)...SHE loves those girls and their mom dearly! and

(e) HE was quite tickled that the minster came to the wedding with jeans on under his robe and cowboy boots.

All in all....it was a very wonderful day.

And 12 years later....HE and SHE are doing quite nicely....they still drive all over the island, but now with Son #1 and Son #2 tucked safely in the back seat. HE still doesn't speak much English (but HE understands a lot)...SHE should be much better at Japanese, but....HE understands what SHE is trying to say (most times)...and it is still a pretty damn, good relationship.

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