RE: ohai.

Awwww . . . sweetie . . . it seems just like yesterday we decided to elope and get married on a North Carolina mountain-top as Cheryl (my friend and maid-of-honor) and Roger (your brother and best-man) were our witnesses. (Canna getta AMEN?) You helped me pick out my my $80 wedding dress at Kaufmanns, which was on sale, and fit me like a glove. Then we picked out our cheap-ass weddings rings to just "hold us over" until we got our "real ones". Funny how after all these years I still wear my $10 ring . . . and girls need diamonds to be "happy". Hmmmmm I really doubt that.

For all those who don't remember, or just because I love to tell the story again . . . and again . . . and yet again . . . a girl loves her romance. Bryan and I only knew each other for about 4 months before we tied the knot. Before I met him I was committed--I was "never going to get married". "Why?" I thought. Bryan and I felt the same way about relationships and marriage. Well before you know it, "it" had happened. We (Bryan, myself, Cheryl, and Roger) had all decided to head to North Carolina for a vacation. It was a vacation--just a vacation--and that was all. Before you knew it . . . the vacation turned into . . . a wedding!

We broke all the rules (and we continue to do so). Bryan saw me the day we got married (another rule broken) . . . heck we were all staying in a cabin in North Carolina. It was brother Roger who said your "Mom [is] going to kill you" for getting married without her knowing about it. Well after 8 years I think we can both agree that . . . Bryan's still alive. Yeah . . . anyway . . .

We drove up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway to get to Grandfather Mountain were our ceremony took place. It was so surreal and crazy, yet it seemed so right. I chose to pick my bouquet from the mountainside . . . until I found out most of the flowers were endangered species (didn't stop me). Okay, well dandelions were okay, too!

Everthing was unplanned . . . this is why it worked out perfectly. And, all who know me know I AM SO [FRIGGIN'] PLANNED!!!!!!! Our chauffeur and car was my friend Cheryl with her Jeep Wrangler. [RAMBLE: Did I mention I have a Jeep Wrangler and still can't get rid of althought it is so old and I love it death?]

Our honeymoon was not the Bahammas, Fiji, or Hawaii. It was in Tennesee, Gatlinburg, to be exact. It was one of the best times ever [RAMBLE: and to think it was all on credit at that time. It's funny to think about it all now . . . wow . . . on-and-on-and-on], love is so simple and sweet!