This week is both happy and sad for me in many ways. First I am so happy to say that on Friday February 11th Miriam and I will be celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary. Time sure does fly when you’re having fun. It seem as it was just yesterday that we were at the temple waiting for the wedding to happen. But even better for me she has put up with all my silly silly ways for all these years. Many people have had us tell the story of our wedding day and some of the crazy stuff but with the cold snap in the weather I felt so much like the day 16 years ago I wanted to share with anyone who is up for a long story.
We were getting ready for our wedding in February and this says to most of the people who live in Colorado that February = SNOW well it sure did and it snowed good. That week of our wedding it seemed to snow every day. Best yet the day before our wedding it came down hard and left many people stranded in their cars and on busses around the city. At the time I was driving a wonderful 1978 Ford Pinto (had a hard time getting traction in the snow even with great tires) and ended up getting stuck in a snow bank. I was picked up by my father and we went home leaving the Pinto at the parking lot that it was stuck in. As days go it was not much fun but the feeling of excitement was flowing in my heart knowing that in a few hours I would be marred to Miriam. I called her and told her about how I was stuck and that my father was able to get me, she continued to get ready for the next day’s events. Later that evening I was getting all my stuff together so that the next morning would be smooth at the wedding. When I remembered that I had forgotten the wedding license in the Pinto. So after having a conversation (one sided on his side and loud) with my father about going to get the license we headed out to get it in the blizzard. During our trek my father’s two way radio was going off about busses that were stuck and other fun caused by the weather making him remember that he had forgot to bring home the slide projector so that at the reception we could project slides from his work. So we made our way over to his work to pick it up good thing we were already out for my forgetfulness (hahah looks like it runs in the family.) Our small adventure ended up taking several hours and by the time we managed to get home it was very late so we went right to bed. The next morning was early and because of all the snow we needed to get an early start over to the temple. When we arrived we were about the first ones in the parking lot but that was good so that we had plenty of time to get ready. I went in and changed my clothing and was ready for the wedding to start (this is when it gets good do not give up on my story yet) but a small problem I was without a bride. After several minutes one of the brothers helping with the wedding stepped over to me and said “Brother Staples, the wedding is to start did you bring the bride?” Well at that minute my already throbbing chest dropped to my knees. I responded with “My Bride, we live in different areas and she was going to come up with her family…..I, I, I, do not know where she is”… At this point I was sure that I was being stood up at the alter because when I call her house I was not getting an answer and they were very late. Remember this is before cell phones were around for everyone so I had no way of just calling her on her phone. At that point they could see that I was beginning to get real worried so they had me sit down and wait a little longer. About the time I was about to get real panicked in to the front doors my bride walks with her mother in tow behind talking a mile a minute about not being ready. I went over and asked what was going on (I am sure that at that minute I must have not had any color in my face because Miriam gave me the look like she was seeing the dead) and Miriam rolled her eyes and said that “Mom was not ready so we had to wait” now to a man that was sure that he was being left behind by the woman he loved this was a minute that I felt many feelings that we will not discuss today. I said that I was grateful that she was ready now and that she should take her mother back and get ready because we were already late. At the time I did not quite understand the situation but now after being in the family this many years I understand how it is that my then future and now only Mother-in-law was not ready. I have grown to love my Mother-in-law and now see her need to make sure that everything is perfect, this is who she is and who she raised my wife to be so I am blessed for her methods. The wedding was amazing and the fun was only beginning, I have had 16 years of fun so far and I cannot wait to see what happens in the future.
To my bride, wife, and only:
I would be nothing without you, I take every breath in amazement that you with your wonderful spirit picked me to be your husband. Every day you have the chance to choose me or not to choose me and yet every day you pick me. THANK YOU! To you and all your special ways from taking care of our home, to being the best wife anyone could ever have or want you are truly special. When you work on your crafts my heart is happy, when you play a game, my heart is happy, when you are even just in the same room my heart is happy, you make my heart happy. You are a chosen daughter of your heavenly father and carry within your little body an enormous spirit that has the tenderness of a saint built in to it. That spirit is what keeps me in love with you and know that you will be the most wonderful wife for time and all eternity. I want you to know that every day when it is time to come home from work to be with you I get so excited that it is as if I am on my way to pick you up for our very first date, you make my heart flutter in excitement and joy and I am as a love sick puppy when I see you. (I need to stop all the mushy stuff or everyone reading will be sick)
Last thing for this post is WE NEED A CHILD… My wife the woman of my dreams will be the best mother but in order to be a mother we need a child. So this year is our year we are going to do everything we can to make this happen so if you are reading this we need your help please spread the word, tell everyone do not let Miriam’s mothering skills go another minute without a child to be a mother to. Pass it on.
MIRIAM I LOVE YOU FOREVER
