Dedicated to My Jungle Stud, from His Amazon Temptress

I am a little embarrassed showing these now and then, before and after pictures. I was such a babe 14 years ago! But this handsome guy still thinks I'm a hottie so it's all good. I am late with this anniversary post, but I am just getting back into blogging so better late than never. We celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary on August 12. How did we celebrate? He sent me flowers the day before. We webcammed in the morning (night time for him) and then I took the kids to the dentist (all 4 of them for cleanngs) and then shopping for myself and watched the movie Wall-e. Happy Anniversary! WooHoo!

This picture was taken by one of the kids in our backyard before we took him to the airport to return to Iraq after our wonderful 19 days of R&R last Spring.

Some friends' blogs have had a Q&A thing for their anniversary so I thought I would do the same. A lot of my friends and, of course, the family know all this but why not share with strangers?!

Where did you meet your husband?

It was an arranged marriage. No joke! We were both living in Europe and met each other's families at youth conference and Girl's Camp. Our older sisters were best friends and said we would be perfect for each other. I was 13 and he was 14. When I met him at age 14 or 15 we weren't impressed with each other. When I saw him again at age 16 (he was 17) he was sitting outside the Manti LDS temple when his sister got married. With his perm and glasses I thought he was so cute! HaHa! We were destined for each other. LOL

My sister told him to ask me out and we went out a couple times after that and talked on the phone. He stood me up. We were friends anyway.

What was the first thing you said to your husband?

I think I was too shy to talk to him until my sister had him actually call and ask me out. I had to go to a Stake Youth Conference dance since I was on the committee, I told him to go and he brought his brother and a friend. So I hurried and invited 2 friends. He danced with all these other girls and finally me on the last song. What a dork!

Where was the first date? First Kiss?

Well the dork dance was our first date I guess. But we wrote his whole mission and had our first kiss a week after he came home. The first "date" we went on when he came home was to see the movie Three Musketeers with his parents the day after he came back. A week later I took him on a picnic and a drive and he was too chicken to kiss me until we were in my car outside my apartment. It wasn't the MOST romantic in a Hyundai, but dang! he was a great kisser and I knew I never wanetd to kiss anyone else ever again! He still melts me with his kisses.

Where did you get engaged?

Well, luckily it wasn't in my car! But almost as bad! It was sitting in his bedroom he actually asked me. I have given him a hard time about this ever since. I told him he should have at least given me my ring a cool way, but no! He just showed up at my aunt's with it on his pinky finger. I am still disappointed he never proposed a special romantic way, but he has been doing romantic surprising things for me ever since, so maybe I will let him off the hook... eventually.

How long was your engagement?

We were engaged March 27 and married August 12. We HAD to be married August 12 for traditional reasons so it was a very good length of time. My sister got married 4 weeks before me so my mom was a little annoyed at first to do 2 weddings in one summer. But it all worked out great.

Where did you get married?

We were married in the Salt Lake City Utah LDS Temple. It wouldn't have mattered which temple we were married in but I really wanted the picture behind the Joseph Smith Memorial Building of us in front of the temple. My grandparents were married in the same temple 48 years earlier on the exact day, and Lee's grandpa was a temple worker there and it was special to his family.

How did the receptions go?

We had a reception at his parent's church in Ogden and another one in Sequim at my parent's building. They were both very lovely. A friend from highschool sang at the Ogden reception and Lee's aunt made an awesome cake with a pink fountain in it! Beautiful! ( remember you youngin's, I was married in 1994. This was tres cool!) My aunts sang at the Sequim reception Temple of the Father which is a familiy tradition. At both receptions I sang "Because of You". This was sung at my parent's wedding luncheon 25 years earlier on the exact day! (did you catch we were all married the exact day?) I had so much fun at the receptions seeing so many old friends and family members.

How was the honeymoon?

WooWoo! Can I say here? JK We spent a night at a great B&B in Logan UT and then headed to Afton Wyoming for a night at the Corral Motel! And we went to see The Lion King. Can you feel the love tonight?

Then we spent 2 nights in West Yellowstone and our days fighting traffic in the park looking at moose and petrified trees. Then we were out of money so we rushed to WA and stayed with my grandma. My sister stayed there after she was married too so we were calling it Grandma's Love Shack. We also went over to Victoria B.C. for a day with his parents and sister and bro in-law. We went to the Buchart Gardens and were tourists. Then hurried back to Ogden after the reception beause he had to work and I had to find a job.

Sometimes it is hard to believe we have been together this long. We were married young so I feel we have really grown up together. All the kids, the moves, the good times and the bad times. All the times he is away and all the awesome reunions. All the different sizes and different hairstyles I have had. One thing has changed the most: I love you even more now than I did then. I miss you so much, Lee. Happy Anniversary! I love you more.