Happy 17th Anniversary

I was under the weather yesterday and did not post about our 17 year anniversary. That's right - Carp and I have been married for 17 years. The story . . .

Carp and I met at BYU. Yep, we are one of those couples- but not so typical. I worked in the Cannon Center bakery and our fix it guy was on vacation the morning the plug to my mixer blew up in sparks and flames. The fix it guy from Deseret Towers was covering for him and headed on down to my building with his student assistant. That student assistant was set to task fixing my mixer plug. While we worked he engaged me in typical BYU coed conversation, "Where are you from? What's your major?" Etc . . . The conversation went along jokingly with fun punches until I asked where he was from. Lancaster,PA you say? That's were my Dad is from.

Stop in conversation.

There was a definite change in this student assistant's demeanor when he found out my Dad was from Lancaster. He had all kinds of questions for me. Where did he grow up? What high school did he graduate from? And so on and so forth. He continued our chat session until he was done working. See ya later. My thoughts on the conversation: Hum, I wonder if I should call Trent (my boyfriend) when I get home? Actually, I did mention to my roommate I met a cute guy at work. She might find him interesting.

It's strange, but after that day I saw more of that student assistant around the Cannon Center. No biggie - he said "hi" in passing and started up a small conversation occasionally. I figured he must have just started working at D.T. and was hanging where ever his boss went.

Note: This student assistant had been doing fix it stuff at Deseret Towers for quite a while. The fix it boss from the Cannon Center and the fix it boss from Deseret Towers thought it would be a good idea to push him into asking me out because they thought we would be a good couple. Little did they know that the student assistants RED personality only allowed him to do things on his terms.

Back to the main story. Speed ahead about 6 weeks. I was working a double shift (summer)and was not feeling very well. Trent and I had broken up the night before - hence the not feeling very well. I was at the end of my second shift and the student assistant shows up to ask me out on a date. First thought: What the #$^%&! Second thought: I look like *%&U%#! (I was after all, working in a kitchen.) Third thought: Yeah right! I'll go out with you - men are slime - go out with you, use you and throw you to the side. So, I said yes.

As you can see, it did not start off very well. That first date Carp took me to see Ford Fairlane - a woman bashing movie. He laughed through the whole thing! The rest of the night was just as bad as the movie. I really didn't think I would see him again. I did. It was a summer fling. I didn't expect to see him again after he went on one last outing to Arizona before school started. I was actually quite relieved at the thought.

Then the call came.

Carp broke his leg and was going into surgery. Later he told me he wasn't going to call me when he got back from Arizona. He wasn't even sure why he called after he broke his leg. I felt bad for him and helped take care of him. The fix it guys finally figure out we were dating. Took them a couple months!

A year and a half later we were married.

It was a rocky start and a rocky first few years of marriage. I am grateful I went with it though. Carp is a wonderful man and a great father. He is funny and kind hearted. I can't imagine what my life would be like without him. He is my life!

Here are some pics to peruse. (I love the word peruse - it's so cool to write.)

Carp and I visited my parents and grandparents at Thanksgiving in 1990.

Carp had just got a haircut from my roommate. I don't know what I am doing in this picture.

But I sure know what Carp is doing in this picture! (Preference 1991)

Half the reason I married Carp is because he has a great family. The other half is Carp! ;)

(At the farm in PA Christmas 1990)

We were engaged in this picture. August of 1991 we went to Yellowstone with Dale Aston and Lanette Lagerstom. I'm not sure which is more disturbing - my balloon shorts or Dale's polk a dot pink shorts.



The Wedding - January 4th 1992

Carp's sense of humor. How many of you have a picture of your husband sticking his tongue out at you? The reason he's doing it is because my brother-in-law was trying to get "serious" picture of Carp on his knees looking at me. Come on! How could I keep a straight face during that! So - he stuck his tongue out at me!

I don't know, it kind of goes well with his tux.

Carp swooped me up for a picture. I tried as quickly as I could to cover my buttock with my beautiful flower arrangement.