All This Time

Prom 1997

It all started way back when.  Meaning way back in da high skool dayz.  See how young we looked?  My, how time just seems to fly right on by.  I didn't even feel the breeze.

I don't think that either of us thought when we first began dating that we'd end up still being together all these years later.  We were just kids, hanging out, having a good time.  We started dating in 1994.  Had some ups and downs, but still managed to muddle our way through the vast maze known as high school.

We talked about getting married, but never more than a passing conversation.  I got pregnant with our son, Neil-age, in 1999.  The nurses at the hospital were not too happy with me when I told them that my son would have his father's last name.  I was shocked at how vigilant and forceful they were while trying to get me to NOT give him that last name.  They even tried to discourage me from putting his name on the birth certificate!  I think we finally started to really talk about the whole marriage thing seriously after that.  Suddenly, doctors, nurses, etc. were calling me Mrs. Bewley and I was having to correct them.  I wasn't Mrs. Bewley.  I was still Miss Garrison.

September 15th, 2000

Then one day we just decided, it was time.  On hindsight ('cause hindsight is so damn clear....) we should have done more planning.  And by "more planning" I mean any planning at all would have probably been the way to go.  No, we just decided that that day was the day.  We called anyone who would listen (mostly just family) and said, "Hey, we're getting married today."  To the courthouse we went!  There were several signs that this wasn't a good idea, including the lack of anything that resembled an actual wedding.  At the courthouse, they issued our marriage license, but the judge was gone to lunch.  I had forgotten that I had to work that evening.  Some family couldn't come.  Yet... it all worked in the end because Chris' step-dad just happened to be working at a church where there was a pastor who said he'd be happy to marry us.

That was a whopping 10 years ago!!  We look too young in that photo too!  What were we thinking?!

So now here we are, ten years of marriage and two kids later.  Still muddling through whatever comes our way.  I'm so glad to have him in my life.  I know that I can count on him for anything, anytime.  He's a man so sometimes he does some of the most ridiculous things, but I know that no matter what is going on, we're always there for each other.

2010