11 Years and Counting on Forever…
“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.
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.
40 Comments
Mica
What cute pics! Happy anniversary! I didn’t know you’d been married 11 years! We are currently 11 years, 12 years later this year. The time really does fly! 🙂
Hope that you are having a wonderful weekend 🙂 We went to the rainforest again yesterday, the kids had the best time!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Mica! Time really does fly! I don’t have any idea where 11 years has gone, but I do know that my husband has made me laugh all through the years and there’s nothing better than that. The rainforest sounds like a lovely place to visit with the family! I hope you enjoy the weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
I love this story! Everything about it. Interestingly, I made the first move with Dan too. Timid girls need to get over that shit!
Happy Anniversary!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Michelle! You just made me laugh out loud! I think Jeff may have been too drunk to make any moves at all so if I didn’t do it, it may have never happened!
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin
Love this story and the facts about your dates – so great!! Happy anniversary!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tamar! I am glad you enjoyed my story! Have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Happy anniversary Shelbee and Jeff! I hope the two of you will be having many more happy years! This is for Jeff: thank you for making my dear blogging friend such a lucky girl! You must be a amazing person!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Nancy, thank you so very much! My Jeffrey really is such an amazing human and has spoiled me beyond my wildest dreams over the years. I often wonder what I did to deserve such a magnificent person by my side. I just read your comment to him and he blushed a little and said, “I try my best!” I hope you have a fabulous weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jacqui Berry
Loved hearing your story of how you met. Congratulations on 11 years Shelbee. Some 35 years for me this year – I don’t know where the time has gone. Enjoy your anniversary and the years ahead of you. Jacqui x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jacqui! Time really does fly when you can laugh with your favorite person every single day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Shauna
Happy Anniversary! We are celebrating our 11 year this October. Doesn’t it go SO fast?? Enjoy every minute of life with your guy and I’m so happy you got blessed with a good one!!
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Shauna! It really does go so fast! When you can laugh every single day with each other, that’s what happens! And you clearly got yourself a good one as well!
xoxo
Shelbee
Barbara
Congrats from over here as well! 23 January is a very unusual yet beautiful wedding date. And your son is born on the first day of Spring, so it’s all good:) most ppl just always say the same thing : marriage is hard work …and other clichés. But the above giddiness in your story makes it sound you really are very much in love with each other. Bless you
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Barbara, thank you so very much! My husband and I have never really found our marriage to be very hard work at all. Life, however, is hard work and we are both so grateful to have each other as we trudge through the craziness of it all! I hope you are having a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Great story. Thanks for sharing it with us. Very nice pics. Happy anniversary to you two.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
Happy Anniversary!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Amy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ellie
Happy Anniversary!! I enjoyed reading how you met and fun facts with the numbers/dates. We just had our 22nd anniversary last fall!
Congrats on his retirement news too!
Ellibelle’s Corner
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ellie! I have always had weird number associations connected to important events in my life! I got married 22 years ago for the first time as well! Haha. Congratulations to you for making it last that long!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rockslide
Very nice love story! Congratulations!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so very much, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy
You two are so damn adorable! I love the story of how you met, Shelbee. You really made me chuckle, with your saucy pick up line lol!! Isn’t it funny how the universe works?
Big hugs
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, my friend! We are definitely a very unique and entertaining couple! Haha. We definitely have not followed any traditional ways on our journey together!
xoxo
Shelbee
Angie
Happy anniversary, Shelbee, and many more! – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Angie, thank you so very much!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sheila (of Ephemera)
These pictures are so fun, Shelbee – it’s obvious that you two are still deeply in love and are good friends besides. My husband and I are coming up on our 24th anniversary – check out what we did last year (as I didn’t know you then, and I suspect you will get a kick out of it): https://sheilaephemera.blogspot.com/2020/03/vampire-anniversary.html.
I love your story of how you met – I was dating one of L’s friends when I meet him, but we amicably split up and L and I started dating a few days later. We moved in together after 6 months, I proposed 6 months after that, and we got married (one day off your son’s birthday!) 6 months after that.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much! Jeff and I definitely make a perfect match and we have a blast all along the way! He literally makes me laugh every single day. And that won my heart a lifetime ago (well, actually only like 12 years ago)! Our timeline is very similar to yours as well! We met in September 2008 and moved in together in February 2009. We got engaged upon my request (“Hey, what do you say, should we get married?”) in November 2009, married in January 2010. I was pregnant that September and along came Archer in May 2011. It was all very fast, but here we are stronger than ever and still laughing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Christina Morley
Congrats! Thanks for sharing your love story with fun photos and linking on Amanda’s Books and More!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tina!
xoxo
Shelbee
Dee | Grammy's Grid
Oh my goodness, the other guy didn’t show up is how I met my husband!! Anyway, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and may you two continue to have love and happiness for many more years ♥
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Dee! I love that your story is the same! The universe really does know what she’s doing sometimes.
xoxo
Shelbee
Dee | Grammy's Grid
For sure and I wrote a short story about it using a prompt.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ah, I love that!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nicole from High Latitude Style
Congratulations. Great wedding photos. Thanks for sharing them with us. Isn’t it amazing how fast time flies?
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Nicole! Time really does fly when you are enjoying life!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Happy belated anniversary! What a fun “meet- cute” story. I honestly don’t remember the day my husband and I met… pretty sure we were in grade school at the time! Wishing you another 11 year and more of wedded bliss.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Joanne! How great that you met your husband in grade school! I am still very close friends with my grade school boyfriend although we married other people!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rena
A very sweet and funny story. 😊
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Rena!
xoxo
Shelbee