Entertainment at my expense :-)

My husband and I met when I was very young, I was still in high school in fact. He had graduated and was working a full time job already! He is 6 years my senior, and at the time, it was kind of a big deal…he was 21 I was 15, but I digress. Just last month we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary, and I cannot wait to see what the next 21 (hopefully more) bring our way!

To give you a little history on Mark, he is known to be a bit of a prankster. Even as a kid, according to his mom and younger sisters, he was, what is classified as “ornery”.  It didn’t take me long to figure this out on my own! Over the years, I have been on the receiving end of many of these pranks, but don’t worry, I have had my retribution:)

One of my favorite stories to remember, one that makes me laugh the most, happened when we were still pretty new into our relationship. I am TERRIFIED of snakes, to the point that I feel like I could have a heart attack and die if I was startled by one! So, we were driving around in his pickup and we needed gas. We pulled into a gas station and he asks me “Would you like a drink or snack?” I said, “Sure, I don’t care what, whatever you want is fine, get something we can share.” He finishes gassing up and goes into the station. 

The weather on this day was beautiful, we drove around with the windows down, it was sunny, but cool. It was fall, and the air smelled like harvest. The trees where shades of oranges, reds, and yellows, and with the gentle breeze, leaves were beginning to fall. The pick up was a 1976 Chevy with a bench seat, and of course, I was in the middle.

He comes out of the station and he’s carrying a bag, that I could tell, only contained a single bag of chips. My first thought was, that’s strange,why would he get a sack for a single bag of chips? As he handed me the sack through the window, I noticed that he was kind of smirking, and he had a twinkle in his eye. He stood beside the pickup for a few seconds and finally he asks if his selection was ok, I said that it was.

It was about that time that I was reaching in to open the bag, I put my hand on the bag and tore it open….only to end up screaming at the top of my lungs and flinging the bag out of the window into the parking lot!! I turn only to see Mark belly laughing and waving at the attendant inside! Why, you ask? Mark thought it would be funny to buy a very small plastic fake snake and put it in with the bag of chips, head up!! So when I reached in and opened the bag, when I looked down, guess what I saw!! That’s right…a “fake” snake! While he was making his purchase, he clued the clerk in on his plan and even told her to “watch this “. 

Mark leaned over and picked up our snack and walked around to his side and gets in, still chuckling. While the snake was fake, my fear was not! I can only imagine the look on my face, which I’m sure was the source of most of the humor (for the spectators), that and my tossing the chips out the window! When he got in, he put his arm around me, kissed my cheek and told me he loved me. 

We look back on many of our pranks now and we share some laughs over them. This is one of the many things that I love about my hubby. Fair warning, no one is exempt to his pranks!! What’s even better, is when he gets pranked back, he doesn’t get mad, he just starts plotting his “revenge” 🙂  

Some people would not appreciate this type of thing in their relationship, but I happen to love it for one reason, it creates absolutely wonderful memories! Memories that are full of fun and laughter. 

“You live and learn, and if you can provide perfect strangers with a little entertainment along the way, so much the better.” ~Tracey Englebreght

A “First” for Mom

Well I hadn’t intended to post today but, it was the first day of school here.  This is the first “First Day of School” in 13 years that I haven’t had any kids to send back to school.  My oldest daughter, Anna, who will be 23 in November, will be starting college classes on October 5th…I guess I could go visit her and take her picture on her first day of school.  Wouldn’t she be thrilled?!?!

I know that there are other parents all over out there that have gone through this same thing, and I also know that it is not the end of the world, in fact, I would say that it is just the beginning.  It will be a whole new world for all 4 of us.  For the kids, it will be a new sense of freedom, not having to “report” to mom and dad all the time.  However, I hope they still keep in touch…at least once or twice a week!!  As for my husband and I, we will also have a different kind of freedom.  We will no longer be known as , “Anna and Alex’s parents”, but as Mark and Becky.  With that being said, we would not change being Anna and Alex’s parents for the world, it is the most wonderful thing ever and where ever the road leads our girls, they are bound for greatness!!

I don’t know where the road will lead the 4 of us, but I am excited to find out, and no matter where we are when we gather together, we will be home.

Here Goes Nothin’

So, the youngest of my 2 daughters started a blog a couple of days ago, which was interesting to me because I had been wanting to start one as well for about the past year, but never did.  When I mentioned this to her, I was not surprised by her response..”then just do it mom!”  Now, here I am, “Just doing it” and I am hoping that somewhere along the way by doing this that I might help someone.  It might be someone I know, or perhaps a total stranger.  Either way, I am hoping that this blog will benefit others as well as myself.

I am not sure what all I will write about, I’m sure that some things will just pop into my head and others will be carefully thought out posts.  One thing that I will share with you from the very beginning is that I was adopted, this is one of the things that I plan to write about later, but I just wanted that much of my background to be known from the very start of this process.  My adoption was the best thing, short of my wedding day and the day my kids were born, to ever happen to me.  My parents are wonderful people, we don’t always see eye to eye, but I’d say that is normal in any family.  As I said, more on that topic later!!

For now, I just want to invite you to join me on this journey.  I don’t know where we will end up, but it will be fun getting there!!