....how did I get here....

in Vail, Colorado...on our honeymoon...

At the end of 2005...after many years of purposely concentrating on raising my kids and my career (not because I aspired to have one, but because I needed to have one to raise my large -in todays standards - family)...I decided that '06 was going to be "my" year. I felt that I was finally at a point that I could be a little selfish, not only because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life alone, but because all of my kids were graduated and well on their ways to making lives of their own, I had a home, made a decent living and I had gotten to a place in my life that I had something to offer somebody else.

I'm sure at some point I'll write the story of how we met, but for now...let's just say the saying "timing is everything"...certainly rang true in this story. We became fast friends...spending the late hours on line or on the phone talking and laughing. I didn't realize until I met him how little laughter I had in my life and I was having a blast. Because of the fact that we had so much in common, our conversations turned from what movies are a must...to "what would you do in this situation..." After several weeks of this, we decided to meet up. The problem with this was that I had already fallen in love with this voice over the phone. Honestly...as long as he didn't look like Frankenstein...I was a goner. I felt that this was a problem because Greg found himself single in a much different way than I did and he was really looking for friendship more than anything else.

We met up and with out a glitch...our comfortable and fun phone conversations easily slid in to comfortable and fun face to face conversation. And like I feared...I was a goner. After a couple more months of daily contact by phone and periodic visits to each others town...we decided that it was okay to introduce our kids in to this picture. So it was decided that I would go to AZ and meet Rachel. She got home from school and we were nervously introduced and quickly sent on our way to get to know each other. I planned a mani-pedi for our first bonding experience.

I haven't told very many people this because 1... things like this just don't happen to me and 2... because it's rather personal....but while on this unfamiliar road, traveling to this unfamiliar salon...I asked myself..."could I live in the desert?" And as plain as day I heard...."this is where you're supposed to be". And that's how I ended up here...

Because the love of my husband is almost always on my mind, I know that I will write more and more about how I met Greg, how we became husband and wife, how dear he is to me and the struggles we go through to mesh our lives. But for now let me just say it's been 2 VERY challenging years, but truly the happiest 2 years of my life. I thank my Heavenly Father every single day for blessing me with a companion that whole heartedly supports me, comforts me and loves me through thick and thin. He accepts me despite my short comings, he counsels me through my trials and he entertains me daily by keeping me laughing.

Happy 2nd Anniversary Greg. Obviously I'm having fun because these two years have flown by. I can't find words to adequately express the gratitude that I have for you. I still say to myself (and hope to for a very long time)..."that's my husband" when you walk in to a room. I'm proud of the steps you're making to take care of us (I'll tell you all about that after it's over...don't want to jinx anything).Thank you for loving me, thank you for genuinely caring for those who mean the most to me (kids and my brothers and sisters)...thank you for making me laugh every day!

I love you dearly!!