You're getting married???

As February comes fast upon us, I pause to remember a cold February 20 years ago. I certainly thought I was a mature woman at all of 23 years of age. I had graduated college, had the job I thought I wanted, and now I was gonna get married.

Jim and I kind of had a whirlwind romance. We met and started dating (if you can call it dating) in October of 1988. We had a few great adventures. We had the dinner and putt-putt golf (remember Putt-Putt on 39th Expressway) date. We had Sunday lunch at Varsity Sports Grill. We saw one of the worst movies ever, Moon over Parador, and I think we attended at least one singles event at Bethany First Church. Then, we got engaged in November, yes 1988. disclaimer: Kids:Don't try this home, we were trained professionals at leaping without looking, marriage should not be entered into lightly.

Getting engaged after only a few weeks seemed fun and thrilling, in fact it never really seemed scary at all. Scary to those around us...to us, not so much. My parents, who were living in Florida at the time, came to Oklahoma to meet him and give him the once over. My dad decided they thought that I had made a good choice and the planning commenced. We planned a whole wedding in about a week. You're thinking, oh please....you'll have months to get everything just right even a year or more until the date, right? Not so much... we planned for February 25, 1989. Just under 3 months away.

Did I mention whirlwind? Jim left to go on a previously scheduled trip to his visit family in Savannah for Thanksgiving, then right after Christmas we headed to Florida for my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary celebration. The whole family was going to Disney World (thus... the beginning of an obsession). We got home and got busy getting ready for the big day. It was so cold. What was I thinking, getting married in February? The day arrived and as unbelievable as it might have seemed the weather was beautiful, almost 60 degrees and the sun was shining brilliantly. People thought we were crazy, but I'll have to say so far...so good.

We've always said we'll give it fifty years and renegotiate on the next fifty years. I'd say things are looking favorable for a long happy married life.