Happy Anniversary, babe!

I know I'm a little early but I'm truly excited...date night Saturday night!  Woo hoo!  LOL!  The hubs and I are headed out to Rick's on the River to celebrate our 10-year anniversary by doing what we did on our first date...eating oysters on the half-shell and drinking cold beer.

Wow...10 years.  So many felt in the beginning that it would never last.  True, we've had our moments and I am surprised at myself that I finally settled down.  I wouldn't trade any of it for the world though, not one bit.

My dear lovely and I started off working down the hall from each other when I was still active duty Air Force.  Our paths rarely crossed except for the occasional trip out to the smoke pit.  We actually knew each other though for about a year before we went on our first date to Sandestin.  We had no place in mind to go so ended up going into an oyster bar.  We each had a bottle of beer (him Miller Lite, me Bud Light) but that's where the differences ended.  He asked me if I liked oysters and I said yes so we sat there with a dozen between us.  We both have detailed methods to eating raw oysters...and found out they are the same!  Saltine cracker with an oyster on top, squeeze some lemon juice on it and sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with a dallop of horseradish and a couple drops of Tobasco...VOILA!  Yes, involved but exactly the same...yet one of many signs that it was meant to be.

We had talked a little here and there about maybe getting married but did not finalize any plans.  Then the tragedy of 9/11 occurred.  Shortly after Randy found out that he had made Chief Master Sergeant.  In January 2002 he had Chief's week, a week of events sponsored by the major command combining classes with other activities such as a visit to the Enlisted Widows Home and a golf tournament.  The week culminates with a formal induction ceremony.

We knew that Randy would be deploying to Afghanistan early-2002, his mom was coming to visit for his Chief's Induction, I was going to San Antonio for a month and would not be back until after he had left...that left us with the week of his activities to find a quick moment to go to the courthouse.  Problem was?  The week was so jam-packed there were no free minutes, even their lunches were catered in.  But we did find one time in the schedule when he might be able to get away...

We had decided ahead of time to limit the people we told.  I told Keri (Jordan) McDonald and he told Michael Mahowald and they met us at the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon.  Randy was in the middle of a golf tournament at the golf course on Hurlburt Field and left his foursome on the 7th hole, met the three of us at the courthouse in Shalimar, exchanged vows with me and quickly returned to Gator Lakes Golf Course before his group had finished the 9th hole.  No one had a clue where he had been.

It's funny to me the things that I remember from that time...I remember the flowers mom and pop sent to us, a huge and absolutely gorgeous bouquet...I remember the phone call from Bobbi Jo Stumpf that night telling Randy and me that she and Brian were having a son...I remember getting up the next morning and driving to Tennessee to get my now-mother-in-law and not telling her at all what had happened...I remember her seeing the flowers from my folks and asking us what they were for but not being able to remember what we told her...I remember Katie coming to the house on Friday to get ready for the induction and not telling her either...and I remember at the induction when Randy's name was called I was introduced as his escort.

My handsome new husband at his Chief's Induction, January 2002

With his mom Judy and daughter Katie at the induction.

With the Maginel's and Engberg's.

Two days after the induction I was on an airplane to San Antonio and Randy returned to work.  Less than three weeks later he deployed.  Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from his deployment there.

My handsome operator.

With then-Colonel-now-Brigadier-General Michael Kingsley, a great commander and friend, after being promoted to Chief in Afghanistan.

I think this speaks for itself!

So here we are babe, ten years later and still going strong.  Who would've thought...between us one son, 4 daughters, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law, one granddaughter and one grandson.  I love our family, I love our life, but most importantly I love you.  Here's to fifty more!