HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

What a wonderful day to start my blog! It's our 14th wedding anniversary! It feels like so much longer than that - but in a very good way. It seems that we've been married forever! My "soul mate" came into my life right before it all went crazy. There have been so many traumatic, life-changing events in the past 14 years, and I can truly say I don't know how I would have gotten through them without him.

Although Big John isn't a country boy, he has taken to this life eagerly and without looking back. Three months into the second marriage for both of us I uprooted him from his childhood home near Austin and moved back "home" - my home, the Texas Gulf Coast. Home for me is, and always has been, about 2500 acres of ranch land, cattle, horses, and a modest ranch house. We bought the house I grew up in after the unexpected death of my father, and have been making it my dream home ever since. Who knew he was so handy? We've made over every inch of the house ourselves, and I'm almost ready to admit I'm a lifetime remodeler. This is one project that may never be finished! Let's hope Big John doesn't read this blog!

I have to say the journey hasn't all been about me. What better place for a fisherman to live than on the coast? Four boats later, I still hate fishing, but can enjoy trips down the river behind the house in our little 15' aluminum rig that was a wonderful gift from my father-in-law! And Big John is the proud owner of a sorrel gelding, Ranger, who is a pretty good cow horse and becoming an ok drill team horse. They are learning to get along, communicate, and enjoy the ride. I might make him a cowboy yet!

Now after 14 years, I just don't get that worked up over cards and presents. I'm dead set against $50 flowers - just pick some up at the grocery store. As long as he remembers the date - and he hasn't forgotten YET - then we're good. We just returned from a trip to visit his family in Arkansas, and I made it my mission to stop and shop at every antique/junk/thrift/pawn shop on the way. We're firm beleivers in supporting the economy (our CPA said, "You're consumers."), and we get what we want/need when we want/need it. Two good jobs and no little kids at home allows us to do that, I guess. So we made a PROMISE not to buy each other anything for our anniversary. A PROMISE, mind you. We were taking the lawnmower in to get it worked on, in hopes that would make it rain, and stopped at a gun store so I could sign up for my concealed handgun class. Well, we walked out with a new back-up weapon for Big John. Happy Anniversay! The next stop was the resale shop to see if I had any money to pick up. Somehow I left there with a beeeautifullll turquoise squash blossom necklace. Happy Anniversay! For sure NEXT MONTH we're going to start saving ... for the 20' aluminum gooseneck stock trailer, the 95 hp tractor with batwing shredder, the new wood shop/craft room, the stud fee for my bay roan mare, 3 days x 2 people and horses to attend Clinton Anderson, and the list goes on and on and on!

So I hope y'all have a wonderful Sunday. I'm going to finish painting a dresser for a friend, play with the new lab puppy, work Roxy in the round pen, pet on the new hens, and maybe do some crafting! That's my perfect way of celebrating 14 years of marriage! Big John is sleeping - working nights shortens the daylight we have together, but I did beat him to the anniversary wishes - that's the game we play every year. Who can say it first? I taped a "Happy Anniversary" note to the door! I was really being selfish - I didn't want to have to wake up at 3 am and say it! Especially since a late night arrest put him home at 4:30 this morning.

Enjoy your day and send some rain our way. We'd sure appreciate it! Happy Anniversary Big John!