1 Year Anniversary

One year ago today I was pregnant. I was waitressing. I was attempting to juggle housework and finances and one child and a fiance. Then the afternoon rolled around and I gained a husband.

We woke up like any normal day that the hub and I had off. Had breakfast, sat around. Like always, attempted to catch up on housework but that never works out as planned.

We decided to go into town and fill out our marriage license a few days prior, just to have it. I mean, I was pregnant, not covered by ANY insurance, he had insurance and I could be added to it. Sounds like a silly reason to get married but it was our reason at the time. At that point we had been together 4 years and had a 3 year old daughter. Whats the difference whether we're technically married or not? We knew neither one of us were going anywhere. We love each other. But yes, I did need insurance since I was expecting.

My mother works out at a tractor store in another one of those little po-dunk towns around here and it just so happens that one of the guys that work in the office with her is a judge as well. I called her up at work about noon and asked if we could pop over and have him just sign the license so that I can get put onto the insurance policy.

The woman thought I was joking.

We showed up about an hour later to the tractor store. Said our hellos to my mom and her co-workers and wandered into the judges office. He looked at me and at the hub and said, "Well I have to say SOMETHING... You do? You do? You are." Mom signed as a witness, another friend of hers in the office signed as a witness and it was done. The whole time this was going on there was just laughter. No one could actually believe that we were technically getting married at a tractor store.

My moms friend handed the hub a newspaper and said, "Well here, I didn't get you a gift, so here it is."

Mom wandered around the shop grabbing up promo items like keychains, pens and chip clips as "wedding favors."

And as quick as it happened, we got on our way, we made a pit stop at the deli on the way home and got some sandwiches. We say that was our reception. The next day I picked up a little chocolate cake and we said that was our wedding cake.

Its still a joke that whenever I wear the sweatshirt that I had on that day, that I'm wearing my wedding dress. And go figure, it was a sweatshirt with the tractor store's logo on it.

About 2 weeks later I went for my initial OBGYN appointment and yep, it was covered by insurance.

Now one year later, we have added a child, changed jobs, stopped working, became 1 year sober (again) and have passed birthdays, holidays and switched insurance. Its hard to imagine that the hub and I were ever NOT married.

I'm happy married. The peice of paper doesn't make much of a difference to me in terms of how I treat my family or what I think of my husband. It doesn't make me any different of a person. But it does make me happy to share the same last name as the rest of my family.

Now with tax time approaching we'll have some extra money and we'll be planning an anniversary party, or like a delayed reception for our "wedding." Soon I'll be looking into casual venues, real favors, food, clothes and I'm sure much more. We'll see just how sane I stay with all of that!!