If you have visited my site before, and read my love story, then you know how it all really began. Terry and I met when we were fourteen, we hated each other for years…blah, blah, blah. If you would like more details then please check out my, I mean our, story. But my life with Terry legally began on our wedding day.
What?? Is it my anniversary? Well, no.
YES!
Sort of.
Sorry, let me explain. On September 11, twelve years ago, I began my journey to the altar. It took approximately four months to complete. It was…fast! I have this weird thing for dates. I remember everyone’s birthday from my elementary years in school. Okay, maybe not everyone. But I remember the March birthdays, as well as a few others. Really. We’re talkin’ about people I haven’t seen for years! Isn’t that weird?
Anyway, I have September 11, 1997, carved in stone in my memory bank. It was a clear, cool evening. I had just been offered a great promotion at Landers Buick- Pontiac- GMC. I was offered the position of “Customer Relations Manager”. The job was management – this meant I would get a DEMO to drive! Now we’re talkin’ baby! Not to mention a RAISE! Going from receptionist/telephone operator/ “go ahead, dump all your complaints on me while I grin and bear it” girl to a manager was a vast improvement! It would be climbing up the ladder at least two more rungs…I was ecstatic! I couldn’t wait to get to my church, for my college class, so I could tell my boyfiend the good news!!
As soon as my big mouth crossed the threshold of our church auditorium, the news was heard by all within, oh, at least two or three miles. Terry, though, didn’t seem too excited. He seemed…deflated. I couldn’t understand his obvious lack of enthusiasm.
After our class, he invited me to TCBY for some ice cream…er…frozen yogurt. I always got their chocolate chip cookie dough in a waffle cone…DEE LISH. His Mother came along as a chaperone. She had been in the middle of a sewing project, but Terry talked her out of it. (Although, now that I think about it, I don’t know what he gave her for her trouble…I don’t think she even got any ice cream!) We sat outside, under the stars, beside a small tree that still had some green leaves on it. It was a beautiful night.*sigh*
Out of nowhere, Terry gets down on one knee in front of me and pulls out a ring. I gasped!! (This was really turning out to be a great day!)
“Valerie,” he said, looking at me intently,”I talked to your Dad today, and he gave me permission to do this. I love you, and only you. Will you marry me?”He placed the ring on my finger, Terry’s mom was teary eyed. I was, for the first and only time in my life, speechless.
Yes, let’s pause a moment and let that soak in….that’s enough. Terry’s mom finally said, laughing, “Are you gonna say ‘Yes’?”
“Oh, oh!” I stammered. “YES! Of course, yes!” Terry leaned forward to kiss me, but his mother grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. I was gazing down at the ring and savoring the moment.
We talked a little while and finally decided to leave and spread the good news. Right before we left, a car was beside us at the drive through window. He pulled forward around a slight curve and suddenly a loud BANG rang out, followed by what sounded like air leaking out. He had pinched the side wall of his tire against the curb just right and blew his tire!We scurried on our way, I and Terry with our heads in the clouds!
We never could have imagined some of the twists and turns that God has brought us through. Eight moves, the death of my Dad, and raising four children are just a few of the mountains we’ve climbed together, and are still climbing. Some of the valleys have been very deep. I’m so thankful that I have him to lean on during the trials. I am thankful for his strength and character during each of those valleys. I am so glad he didn’t walk away when the road got rough. I haven’t always been the kind of wife that I should have been, but Terry has loved me anyway.
Happy engagement anniversary, Darling! I’m so glad you asked, and I’m so glad I sense enough to…finally…say yes! 😉
The above photos were taken back in the dark ages, with cameras that used 35 mm film! I had to scan them into my computer. The first one has that yellow line across it in the original, so it has it in this one too. I’m not familiar with my PSP X2 progam enough to know how to fix it. The second photo is in a glass frame. When I went to remove it to scan it, it was stuck to the glass. 😦 I didn’t try to remove it for fear of tearing it. I scanned it with the glass over it. Needless to say, that didn’t improve it any.
I didn’t photograph myself back then the way teens today do, so these are the only two pics that I have of us during our six months of dating. Maybe some relatives have more…I just don’t know.
Always in love,
valeriewritenow.com 