The Fourth and Our Eleventh

(picture taken of wedding picture: photo has beem stuck to glass for years & can't find negitives)
I am in an obliging mood and felt the call to update this place in an uncharacteristic, remotely timely manner.
This past Fourth of July was not only the celebration of the US's birthday but of the 11th wedding anniversary of SailorStudMan and I.
We have discovered, after the 11 years of "bliss" as StudMan puts it, it is really hard celebrating such an amorous event on a national family holiday and are biding our time when our daughters are older and no longer want to be around us parental units for lack of a good time. Until then, we'll enjoy all the time we can get with them.



Eleven years... I didn't think we would make it past the first two months of dating once I capitulated after constant requests by his room mate Mr. President and the rest of our Rookbuddies to, "just go out with the Ewok." So I did for a year... we got pregnant, got married and when the novelty of being newlyweds wore off, one could say I was a bit bitter over a few wedding related issues the greatest of them being the Fourth of July as our wedding anniversary. The usual barrage of jokes shot off predominately by the males of our species; the sympathetic groans and rolling of eyes by the females of the same said species; I just let it feed my bitterness.


Sad, I know... and it was beyond time to get over myself and move on, remembering that the selection of the date was predominately to give family and friends the extra days for travel being the date fell on a weekend or near to it... memory fails me right now and I am too lazy to look it up. We were all poor and SailorMan and I were in the middle of college moving from a military school to home--our our own: we had nothing. Our anniversaries have been good times despite my ugliness and this past one was just as good--naw, I'm going to bump it up to even better. Taking ten years to settle into marriage, I find I am finally more comfortable with the roll and life. Not only am I married with children from the get go, but the military, and can't forget my actual husband StudMan.




(We made it on the front page of the Local section of Boulder's paper: we figured its the minority, non traditional, graduating together student thing.)
Married in the middle of college--don't advise that. Changed schools and began our Junior year of undergrad studies at a much larger and therefore more "prestigious," school as non-traditional students (married with a baby will confirm such status)--definitely do not advise that. Then we both graduate only three months behind original graduation date--hair-pulling, exhaustive experience--don't do that--well, yes; graduate, just not the route we took.


After graduating, I got to experience Navy life, while SailorMan got to experience the officer side of it after doing time as enlisted. Time together day in and day out has been sparse, but we take it in stride and discovered--when we had the chance to be together day in and day out... wow, SailorMan needed a REAL hobby and I needed to learn to leave the house without guilt and anger. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, we worked it out. He found a hobby and I found a life, that didn't involve my family for the most part, out of the house. Eleven years: home sweet home through haze grey and underway and all in between; its been quite the ride and here's to many more. Thank you SailorStudMan, I love you.
Thankx to LeFemme Aussie and The IrishOne for the fabulous Fourth of July BBQ, great company and memorable time.


Pictures posted are from wedding, graduation, the Fourth of July Paul Revere's Family Fun Run I was praying would be rained out, and of course the BBQ.