Lucky 13

Today is Larry's and my 13th wedding anniversary.  13 years on the 13th.  We originally had settled on Valentine's Day but that was a Sunday and the preacher we asked to do the ceremony wouldn't work on a Sunday.  I wanted a real, live, God-fearing Baptist minister to do our wedding, not some prison chaplain.  Not that they're not real and alive, they just give me a "justice of the peace" kinda feeling and that was NOT happening at my wedding!  We were married in the eyes of God with our parents as witnesses.  And thanks to my precious mother-in-law, who brought her camera, we have pictures from our wedding. 

I got my Baptist minister and we compromised and set the date for the 13th instead.  I wanted to be a June bride.  My mama was a June bride, Larry's mama was a June bride.  Ginger wanted to be a June bride.  Larry didn't want to wait.  I think he was afraid I'd change my mind, even though we'd already been together for eleven years.  Silly boy.  No way was I changing my mind.  I'd never been more sure of anything in my life.  Or since.

Like any wedding, though, ours was not without angst and drama.  Two days before the wedding, a lady in the church passed away.  Guess when her funeral was scheduled?  Yep.  Saturday.  The 13th.  Bless her heart.  The preacher scrambled to find us somebody on such short notice and he did, another God-fearing Baptist minister that I was comfortable with.  

And so we got hitched! 

My parents hosted a reception at their home and Larry's parents joined us.  Everybody was there except for my groom.  :(  Here are a few pictures I dug up from that wonderful afternoon.

The only good picture I have of my wedding cake.

Of course, this was before digital photography and Brian and Ami becoming professionals.  Lesson learned, never take a picture of a white wedding cake sitting on a white tablecloth.  :)  It was a beautiful cake.  My mama made it and underneath that yummy white frosting was her world-famous pound cake.

This little mess right here stuck to my coattail all afternoon.

It's still so hard for me to believe that she's 20 now and about to be a mama.

And here's our baby, then 4-year-old Christopher, looking on as I opened my presents.  I feel every year of these past 13 except when I look at this picture.  Chris is still supposed to look like that.

The most precious of all the pictures taken that day.  To me anyway.  My sweet Maw and my third grandma, Mildred, sitting side by side on the loveseat.  If I live to be a hundred, I wouldn't take a thing for this picture.

The number 13 is supposed to be unlucky.  We laughed when we had to change our wedding date and Larry joked that at some point we'd have a Friday the 13th anniversary.  And we have, a couple of times.  But we're not the superstitious kind.  I don't really believe in being lucky or unlucky.  I believe in being blessed and living your life.  Good things come and bad things come.  Larry and I have been SO blessed lately that it's really amazing.  God is just showering us with blessings so I have to believe that #13 may just be our best year yet!