Valentines Day 1994

I came home from work, the table was set with our new wedding china, new crystal candle sticks, new wine glasses and a new table cloth.  Bj told me dinner would be ready soon.  I sat down at the beautiful table and started sipping my "apple cider" (since I wouldn't turn 21 until March, I definately wasn't drinking wine).  Bj brought out spaghetti with sauteed shrimp, salad, and bread.  He went back to the kitchen and brought out a large bowl of mashed potatoes....yes, mashed potatoes....hmmm wasn't expecting that. 

The dinner was great and I'll never forget our first Valentine's Day as a married couple.

A Wedding Memory

There are many wonderful memories from my wedding, but there's one in particular I want to share.

It was time to cut the cake and Bj was the first to feed me a bite...he wasn't nice about it.  I ended up with cake everywhere...up my nose, down my dress, all over my face.  Then came my turn, I remember aiming for his nose and smearing cake all over his face.  We were a mess!

I went to the bathroom to clean myself up.  While I was in the bathroom, Bj's Great Grandma Thompson thought she'd lend Bj a hand in the clean-up process.  She grabbed a napkin and started wipping away the cake mess...the photographers captured the moment and it's one of the sweetest images from our wedding.

Grandpa Jim

Bj's Grandpa Jim was a cranky man.  There wasn't much that made this man happy, but I was lucky enough to see him smile (or come pretty close to it) a couple of times.

I knew he'd accepted me into the family one Saturday morning in the spring while Bj and I were still dating.  The plan was to go into the mountains to shoot guns.  Gary (Bj's dad), Bj and I were going to sight in rifles.  When I got to Bj's house, his Grandpa Jim was there.

I walked in and said hi to Grandpa and we had a brief conversation.  Then I asked him if he was going with us to shoot guns and he said no.  He was too busy and didn't want to drive to the mountains. 

Gary told us it was time to go and as I headed out to the Suburban, Grandpa looked at me and said, "I didn't know you were going."  After, I told him I was going, Grandpa looked at Gary and asked if there was room for him in the Suburban. 

I knew then that Granpa approved of me and I also knew then that underneath his rough exterior was a man with a heart of gold and I was lucky enough to see, more than once, how much he loved me and Bj.

Our First Date

"Would you like to go fishing?" he asked me. 

I responded with, "I LOVE fishing, that sounds great!" 

(I love fishing???...I don't know that I'd ever really been fishing before...what was I thinking...oh yeah...I like this guy and don't really care what we do) 


Bj picked me up in his truck, the boat was hanging out the back.  When we got to Lake Desire, he loaded the boat with poles and a tackle box, and launched (or shoved) the boat into the water.  The weather was grey and cool, but the water was smooth. 

Bj prepared my pole, threw the line in the water and said, "When the bobber goes down, start reeling in your line."

"What's a bobber?" I replied.

After a brief lesson on fishing, he was able to get his pole in the water.  We trolled slowly around the lake for several hours.  I don't think we ever caught anything, I'm not sure we even got a bite.  I really wasn't paying too much attention to that bobber thingy.  I was more interested in the conversation we were having. 

I remember talking about everything and laughing. I remember it was easy, there was never an awkward moment, I remember having a great time (even though I thought the "fishing" part was rather boring)...

Who knew that first date would lead to where we are now...we'll be celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary next weekend and I've learned to enjoy fishing.

Bj bought me this figurine sometime after our first date.
It's titled "May We Never Drift Apart."
I thought it was a perfect gift!

This memory isn't one I actually witnessed first hand.  It's one that was told to me, so the details may not be exact, but I think I can do the story justice.

For several years, when the girls were small (Kelsey was about 2 and Hailey was almost 1), I worked in the hotel business and often had to work the night shift which left the girls in Bj's care.  One particular evening, Bj was busy getting their dinner ready (it was probably mac & cheese...he made this often...an easy dinner for daddy to make and something the girls enjoyed) and the girls were supposed to be playing in their room, which happened to be next to the bathroom.

When it was time for dinner, Bj went to get the girls and noticed they were not in their room, but in the bathroom.  The bathroom drawers were open and Kelsey had a pair of scissors in her hands.  Bj asked her what she was doing and she told her daddy that she was giving Hailey a haircut...sure enough, Kelsey had snipped a rather large chunk of hair from the back of her sister's head.

Eventually the hair grew back and everything was ok...who knows maybe Kelsey will follow in her Gramma's footsteps and become a hairdresser.

Bernie

It was Memorial Day weekend 1994.  Bj and I had only been married 4 months and we were at a BBQ with some dear friends.  I noticed this little peanut of a puppy running around the yard, full of energy and asked my friend about the puppy.  She said it was her sisters and he was only 8 weeks old.  Over the course of the day I had several opportunities to play with the puppy and thought he was the cutest thing ever. 

My friend's sister saw me playing with him and asked me if I wanted him.  I looked at her with a confused face and asked, "What are you talking about?  He's your puppy."  She explained that her and her boyfriend didn't realize how much work it was to have a new puppy and they didn't like being woken up in the middle of the night.  She said that if she could find a good home for him, she'd give him up.  It didn't take long for Bj and I to say yes.

I remember the drive home with him.  He was so small, fitting easily into the palms of my hands, and slept in my lap all the way home.  That first night was a challenge.  He didn't want to sleep in the bed we made for him (a box with blankets) and finally fell asleep when I brought him into my bed (he liked to sleep on my pillow above my head).  His favorite toy was a pink stuffed animal.

Hmmm...small problem.  We were living in an apartment at the time and were not approved to have pets.  The apartment complex would allow pets, but it was a $3000 deposit...a lot of money for newlyweds, so we chose to "hide" him in our apartment, which wasn't hard to do since he was only about 5 pounds. 

He instantly stole my heart.  Bernie was a loving, playful, cuddly dog.  He adjusted easily to all of the changes in our lives (moves, new pets, children...although in the end when we got Chip he was absolutely disgusted and pouted for days.  He was also quick to teach Chip who was boss).  Bernie loved everyone, but he and I had a special relationship...and preferred to be with me if given the choice.

Bernie was a part of our family for 15 years.  He died Memorial Day weekend 2009.  I was able to be there with him as he took his last breath (I'd always told him to not put me in a situation where I'd have to make the decision to put him down, and I was very thankful that he didn't).

You Don't Like Chicken?

Bj's great-grandmother lived in Auburn for many years before she passed-away.  On the weekends many of us would head to her house to help her clean, fix things and do yard work.  We usually had a good time and always walked away with stories to tell.

One particular weekend we were working a way and Grandma decided to treat us to Kentucky Fried Chicken.  She asked Kami to go with her to help pick-up lunch (riding with Grandma Thompson is always an adventure, but I'll save those stories for another time).  About an hour later, Grandma and Kami safely arrived at the house with chicken and all of the fixing's in hand (no small feat).  The table was quickly set and food passed from person to person as we filled our plates. 

Now, many of you know, I don't prefer to eat meat...although I love KFC, not for the chicken but for all of the comfort food (mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, etc).  Rarely do I go hungry when eating at KFC. 

Anyway, we were eating and enjoying each others company when Grandma noticed my plate and in her thick southern accent said, "Well now Shannon, you didn't get any chicken, Bj, pass that chicken over to Shannon so she can have some!"

"Grandma, it's OK, I don't like chicken," was my reply.
Grandma, in her Tennessee accent said, "WHAT! You don't like chicken!?  Well, you should've said something, I would have bought you a sandwich."

We continued to eat and chat.  A few minutes went by and Grandma, again, noticed my plate and said, "Pass that chicken down here, Shannon didn't get any chicken!"

"No thank you Grandma.  I'm OK, I don't like chicken."
"WHAT! You don't like chicken!?  Well, you should've said something, I would have bought you a sandwich."

A few more minutes passed as we were eating and giggling when Grandma looked at my plate and in horror said, "Kami, pass that chicken on down to Shannon, she didn't get any chicken!"

At this point, no one could hold in their laughter and many had to leave the table before food flew out of mouths and people started choking.

The moral of the story...when Grandma offers you chicken, take some.