wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge

11 Years and Counting on Forever…

January 23, 2021 / 40 Comments
wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge
wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge
wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge
wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge

“Forever….it’s a really long time.”

On this day eleven years ago, I married my very best friend in all the world, my lobster, my rock, the keeper of my secrets, and the healer of my wounds. I cannot imagine life without him beside me doing all the crazy things we do! He literally makes me laugh every single day…even on the days when laughter seems like an impossibility. And he gives the best damn foot massages I have ever known! Happy Anniversary, Jeff! I love you more than I ever thought I was capable of.

To celebrate eleven years of marriage, I figured I would share with you all the story of the night when Jeff and I met.

It was September 10, 2008. A Wednesday night to be exact. I was a server at a local chain restaurant at the time and had scheduled a date with another man after my shift had ended. We were meeting at this tiny little dive bar in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for drinks. Like women often do, I had arranged for one of my work friends and her girlfriend to meet me at the bar just in case things didn’t go so well.

I went home to change clothes after work and was heading to the bar which was about a 15 minute drive from my house. On the way there, my date called and said he was stuck at work and asked if we could reschedule. Of course I agreed. He was a very nice man, attractive, kind, polite, respectful, funny, and friendly. Everything I was looking for really. I was okay to wait a few more days for our rescheduled date. However, the universe had something else in mind for me.

wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge
wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge
wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge
wedding photo, Shelbee on the Edge

I continued on to the bar because my friends were already there waiting. As I walked in, I spotted them at the far end of the bar chatting merrily with two soldiers in uniform. I approached happily, laughing to myself as I got nearer and could hear the two soldiers relentlessly hitting on my friends. I chuckled to myself knowing full well that my friends were in a committed same sex relationship with one another and had absolutely no interest in men.

I quickly joined in on the conversation explaining to my friends that my date was rescheduled for another night. Then I turned to the soldier nearest me and noticing that he was quite inebriated, I became a bit bolder as I looked him up and down in his sexy af uniform and very calmly stated, “I like your uniform. But I think it may look better on my floor.” His jaw dropped. End of story.

And that, my friends, is how it all began!

By the way, his uniforms are currently all over my floor as he is organizing that damn Army gear to turn in for retirement!

P.S. I did end up going on the rescheduled date with the other guy a few days later, but I was already so hooked on my soldier that I had to explain what had happened the night our initial date was scheduled. Like I said, the other guy was a really good guy and he totally understood. We continued to hang out at this same bar and became rather friendly with him. Eventually that faded out and now I wonder whatever happened to that guy. I cannot even remember his name. Oh well. I hope he found his happiness!

Little known number facts about our anniversary date…January 23.

  • We share an anniversary date with really great military friends of ours. Happy Anniversary to you, Kurt and Colleen!
  • We chose January 23 because my father died on January 22, 1995, and for 13 years the entire month of January made me very sad. I needed something good in the month to look forward to. And my amazing husband agreed even though it seemed a bit morbid!
  • I wed my first husband at the young age of 23 on March 21 (3/21). That marriage ended in just three years as if we started a countdown of 3-2-1. January 23 (1/23) is more like counting upwards to infinity rather backwards from 3 to nothingness. And here we are 11 years and still counting…
  • Radical Ralphie was born on March 21, the anniversary of my first marriage. When I went into labor in the evening of March 20, my sister kept asking if they could please get the baby out before midnight so his birthday wouldn’t be on the anniversary of that fateful day. But once again, the universe works in mysterious ways and effectively switched March 21 from a “fateful day” to a day of celebration of my second born’s life!

In hindsight, I do believe that the Universe had it all planned out.

The back cover of our wedding album says, “Forever….it’s a really long time.”

Happy A-Day to my favorite person in the whole world!

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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