Don't Hate Me Because I'm Dutiful*

Gary and I are celebrating our 18th anniversary this month. We got married on May 17, 1991 in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a beautiful spring day and we were celebrating the beginning of our life together as eternal companions. We had family and friends (even the missionaries that had taught and baptized my family back in 1977) there to celebrate with us. It was a perfect day...except Gary was late because he lost his keys when he stopped to get gas in the car on the way to the temple. He had a little freak out moment, but then discovered he had put them in his back pocket (who puts their keys in their back pocket?) Anyway, he made it and we had a beautiful wedding.

Later that evening we had our wedding reception. I don't know if other people are like this, but I had been dreaming of my wedding reception for a long time (picture Princess Diana's wedding). There would be beautiful decorations, lots of yummy food, throwing the bouquet, cutting the wedding cake (no shoving in each other's face), we would change into our traveling clothes, we would wave to all of our family and friends, there would be rice thrown, and then we would drive into the sunset with "just married" painted on our car and cans hanging from the back. It would be PERFECT!

Enter reality! There were beautiful decorations and the food looked yummy. I never got around to eating so I'm not sure if it was. We stood in the receiving line for 3 hours greeting everyone. We never cut the cake although we do have a picture of us pretending to. I think someone did it for us so our guests could have some, but I don't even know if it was good. Later in the evening, I threw the bouquet then we changed into our traveling clothes. Then...wait for it...we cleaned up the entire church. You see, my husband is the responsible sort, and he felt bad that others had to clean up so he wanted to stay and help. So we stayed and cleaned up. There was no rice, all of our friends had left and it was dark. I have this picture in my head of going out to a very dark parking lot, saying goodbye to my mom and climbing into our car at midnight. The car did say just married and had cans hanging from the back, but someone had also stuffed oreos in all the heating vents and the car was cold. Oh, and there was also a very young bride with steam coming out of her ears and a very responsible groom with some explaining to do. Ah...marital bliss.

So 18 years later, I ask my husband if he would like to go away for the night. I tricked him by asking him if we could go to the temple and since it was going to be late maybe we could stay in a hotel and come back the next day. A nice little romantic get away to celebrate our wonderful marriage. Well, he heard the word "temple" and couldn't say no because his responsible side stepped forward. So we made arrangements for someone to watch the kids, get them home from school, feed them and stay with them for the night. He even booked the hotel room! So as we are packing to go he grabs his Sunday School lesson, Priesthood lesson and scriptures. He says he is bringing them so he can study his lessons so he will be prepared for Sunday. We are only going away for 24 hours! So I get my offended look and say that we are going on this trip so he can pay attention to me and help me to feel loved and adored by my husband. He gets his "quit being unreasonable" look on his face and then the kids run in the door. I could see the look of relief of his face...crisis averted, thanks kids.

So, half and hour later, we are on the road. Only this time I am the old married lady with the steam coming out of her ears and he is the responsible husband who has no clue what he did to make me mad. Well, I spend the next hour or so of the trip telling him. We were in Buda (a town about an hour south of Austin) before I quit ranting and that was only after I found 4 Reese cups in my purse. I saw the longing of chocolate on his face and snapped at him. "Don't even think about asking for one!" He asked anyway and I said "no!" Then I felt a little ashamed of myself. I dug around in the bottom of my purse and found two M&Ms that I let him have. I know...I am such a giver!

Then he says, under his breath, "I'm so glad we can go on these romantic getaways so I can be criticized for the first two hours of the trip." Luckily, by this time the chocolate therapy is kicking in. Then he says, "don't hate me because I'm dutiful." Yes...that's why I love him. He's responsible and funny!

Happy Anniversary Gary! Thank you for a fun trip. I can't wait until the next one. I'm already taking notes. Maybe you should bring extra chocolate next time.

Oh...and guess what Gary is doing until the wee hours of Sunday morning! Yep...preparing his lessons. He didn't have time on our trip. He was too busy trying to figure out what happened to that sweet girl that he proposed to back in 1990.

*Does anyone remember the 80's Pantene commercial? "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."