Now...before anyone hurts themselves trying to figure out how to make that math work out...let me explain!
Ten years ago on August 23rd, Marion and I had our first DATE! Yes indeed...it has been 10 years since our first date and Marion says that honestly...the first date with me was more meaningful in some ways than any of our wedding anniversaries thus far. When I questioned him about that, he said, "Our first date was when God brought us together and by the second date, I knew you were the one for me!"
Isn't he so sweet!
So, for several months now, Marion has been talking about our 10 year anniversary coming up. And even though today is NOT the 23rd, he figured since it rained he'd better jump on the chance to do something. SO, my beloved husband made a trip to Downs and extended that trip to Osborne to make some arrangements. Then he called me and said he'd be home for lunch in a little bit but would need me to help move a pickup around after lunch.
After lunch, we started loading the kids in the van and he told me he'd drive so I could read my book (which I was doing while I finished making the tortillas we had for lunch). I put the book down and hurried outside to the van thinking he was frustrated with me for reading. When I got in the van I apologized for slowing him down getting back to work and he just smiled at me and asked if I was sure I'd shut everything off. At that, I gave him a questioning look as we headed out of the drive way. It was then that he said, "I'm kidnapping you!" I made a quick mental note of what was on in the house and assured him we were in the clear to leave.
As we got to the top of the hill I noticed our 1st year dating scrapbook at my feet. He explained that he'd brought it along for us to reminisce, so we started looking through it. When we got to Osborne, he pulled up in front of Harvey's Coffee & Kitchen - a great little place that has amazing coffee & food and has no equal for nearly 50 miles around! (you can actually get REAL lattes, cappuccinos, and the such) I was very moved that Marion would go all this way to bring me to get a coffee!
As we walked in, I noticed that there was a beautiful bouquet of roses on the coffee table and thought "Oh how nice, Mr. Harvey must have bought his wife some flowers and they brought them to the store to enjoy." We walked up to the counter and ordered getting cookies for the kids and deciding to get a smoothie for Marion and I to share since we had remembered we had smoothies on our first date (after looking at the book that is).
As I stood and waited for the order, Marion wandered off and started looking at the pictures hung around the place. Finally he said, "Hey Melanie, come look at this." So I turned around and he was standing in front of the roses. I walked up beside him and noticed the card was written in HIS handwriting:
YEP...the roses were for ME! I couldn't believe it and had to fight not crying. Mrs. Harvey (which isn't their real names but I don't know their real names so we'll go with this) said she saw me eyeing them when we walked in as she smirked at me. I told them that I hadn't gotten a DOZEN roses from Marion since our 1st Dating Anniversary just before we got married! Mr. Harveys said when Marion had left after making the arrangements to have them there, he told his wife, "Men like him make me look bad." We all had a good chuckle!
We took the kids to the park in Osborne for them to enjoy their cookies and for us to reminisce some more and then we headed home. Once home, I took this picture of the roses sitting on the table...I think it turned out very neat:
THANK YOU HONEY FOR THE ROSES, THE MEMORIES, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS! We've had our ups and downs, but I wouldn't want to be with ANYONE but you! I love you!
