Before I Became A Girl Named Kelly Kelly The Final Chapter

In October 1986, there weren't grocery stores on every corner. There were just a few convenience stores between his house and mine. He couldn't find an apple pie, but he brought over ice cream. He never asked about the game and I sure didn't mention it. I was as humble as the apple pie that he couldn't find. Up until yesterday, believe it or not, he never even knew who it was that I took to that game.

We worked through the issues that brought us to the breakup and it was a complete forgive and forget. We continued dating like nothing ever happened.

By the middle of December, we started talking about getting engaged. Seems like we didn't date very long before we were ready to get married. That's because that's the way it was. When it's right, it's right.

For our first Christmas together, I gave him a watch. I don't know why I chose to give him a watch. He doesn't even wear watches. But I guess I thought he needed to keep up with the time or something. Anyway, he wore the watch until the battery went dead and never bothered to get another one. As you may remember from the comments he left in this post of mine from January, he still carries it with him every day.

We got engaged in February 1987. I knew exactly what kind of ring I wanted and I knew I wanted an emerald cut diamond. My dad knew a jeweler and when he pulled that diamond out of the safe, I knew it was made just for me.

I loved his family and he loved mine. Back in those days, Jeff's mom cooked lunch for the whole family every single Sunday after church. I remember so well, one Sunday before we were married, leaving his parents' house and he told me that things just couldn't get any better. But that turned out to be untrue.

We got married on July 11th, 1987 at Mount Carmel Christian Church in Decatur. That's the church that Jeff grew up in and it made his mom so happy that one of her boys got married in that beautiful church.

I must say that I think that your wedding day is one of the most exciting days of your life. At least it was for me. We didn't hang around the reception too long, we had things to do, don't you know. But not the kind of romantic things you're probably thinking. No, we had to go to Southlake Mall because I needed a bra. Why I needed that, I don't remember.

We went to Panama City Beach for our honeymoon. We hardly had any money because we had used every bit we had for our new house. Jeff had been feeling sick for several days before our wedding and by the time we were on our honeymoon, he was really sick. All he wanted to do was sleep. I'm on my honeymoon, away from my parents' house for the first time ever, and all my new husband wants to do is sleep!

We took him to a doctor in PC and he was instantly diagnosed with mono. Our honeymoon wasn't one of our more romantic trips to say the least.

Thankfully, you don't need a fabulous honeymoon or a really long engagement to make a marriage stick. I always cringe when I hear people say that marriage is such "hard work." Hard work isn't fun to me. Being married is fun to me. I'm no marriage counselor for sure, but in honor of my 22nd wedding anniversary, here's a little list of things that I think make a marriage work.

1. I'm not perfect and neither is he.
2. Patience and tolerance. God made individuals. Even though I love him more than anything, he and I will always have different ways of doing things. (Mine's always right) We'll have different opinions (again, mine's right) and just see things differently at times. That's okay.
3. Humor.
4. Give and take. This is a must in my opinion. And I include this in ALL areas of my marriage.
5. Get mad, get it out and get on with it. When we fuss, I yell. Sometimes he yells back, sometimes not. Either way, we get the source of our frustration out and we move on. No grudges allowed.
6. Remember the love you had in the beginning. I've never, not once considered not being married to him. I just think sometimes people give up too easily. But who am I to judge. I've not walked in anyone's shoes but my own. I'm just saying don't forget that you loved each other in the beginning.
7. Share your life. Maybe not every, single minute detail, but most of it. I think that's one of the things I enjoy most about being married. Communication is another must in my mind.
8. Pray. And when and if you have kids, pray some more. When they start driving, pray even harder.
9. Find the way to his heart and show him the way to yours.
10. Live, love and laugh. Together.

And that's how I became A Girl Named Kelly Kelly.

Till tomorrow, when I'll be an old married woman for 22 years, Happy Friday.

Us. July 11, 1987.
The getaway car. Best Honda ever made.

Thank you notes with my new name.