Ten Years
A decade.
1/10th of a century.
3,650 days.
5,256,000 minutes.
That is how long ago this was:
It was the best day of my life to that point, and it has only gotten better since then.
The truth is, not that long ago, I wasn’t sure we’d make it to this point. We hit a really, really bad patch about two years ago, including a betrayal by someone I trusted and considered a friend. Kris and I had lost our connection to one another, and it left us open to that betrayal. It wasn’t easy getting it back. We almost gave up a couple of times, but thankfully we took the hard road and worked on our marriage, and our relationship now is better than it has ever been.
Kris, I love you more than anything on this earth, and I can’t imagine what my life would be without you by my side. I cannot wait to see what the next ten years bring us.
And now, for the wedding meme I stole from Morninglight Mama, who married her silly man just a week or so before I married mine.
We met at the Meadville Community Theatre, where we were working on a production of Damn Yankees – I was Gloria, the reporter, and Kris was one of the baseball players.
3. Where was your first date?
We went to see “L.A. Confidential” and had dinner at Friday’s. Unfortunately, it was an awful night. Jason and I were still dating but falling apart and were doing the whole “Ok to see other people thing”, but it just freaked me out too much, and at the end of the night, I told Kris I just couldn’t handle it. So, yeah – our first attempt at dating was a disaster.
For that matter, so was our second. Kris gave me another shot, and we dated for a couple of weeks that October. When I realized that I was developing real feelings for him, I freaked, because I was still holding on to the delusion that Jason and I could work out our issues. So, yeah. I broke up with him twice, and he STILL gave me another shot. Thank goodness he’s stubborn, because damn was I dense.
4. Where was your first kiss?
When we were at Friday’s, waiting for our table, we were sitting at the bar. He came up behind me and kissed me on the cheek. I got that fluttery feeling in my stomach. Truth be told, I still do.
5. Did you have a long or short engagement/courtship?
Heh. Met in August of 1997, dated once in September and then briefly in October. Started dating for real in November, got engaged and moved in together in February, and got married in June. You tell me. 
6. Where did you get engaged?
Depends. Sort of in my apartment, sort of at Penn State. We had already decided we wanted to get married, and we had actually gone shopping for a ring. That evening, we were sitting in my apartment, and he looked at me and said, “You know, I never actually asked you!” He got down on one knee and proposed. It was so sweet. And I made him call my dad to ask permission. (Dad said he could have me for a dozen golf balls.)
A couple of weeks later, we went to State College for a weekend to see a touring production of Damn Yankees and so Kris could show me Penn State. That was sort of the “official” engagement trip, since my ring was ready by then (The jeweler was setting the diamond and making the wrap fit the shape of the stone). Also, Kris found a bunch of logo golf balls for Dad’s collection while we were there, so it was legit.
7. Where did you get married?
We were married outside of Old Main on the quad at Westminster College, my alma mater. That’s Old Main in the background of the first picture up top. Our reception was at a restaurant (The Tavern) where Mom and I used to go when she’d come up to visit me.
8. Any disasters during the special day?
*sigh*. This is a tough one. A few weeks before the wedding, my mother called me, and told me that Kris needed to call his parents. She had called them to ask if they wanted to be included on the invitation and, if so, how they wanted to be listed. At that point, Kris’s mother told her that they did not want to be on the invites and that they would in fact not be attending at all. Kris had no idea of this. He called his mother, who told him the same thing. They felt that Kris and I were marrying too quickly and were not willing to be a part of it. When it happened, I told him that if he wanted to postpone the wedding, I was totally ok with that, but he said no. He wanted to be married to me, and he was ok with them not being there, if that was the choice they wanted to make.
So, yeah, his parents not being there? Kind of a disaster.
9. Most special moment of your wedding day?
Honestly, the whole day was pretty damn amazing. I can’t say that there is really one special moment above any others. My brother’s toast was pretty cool, though. I thought for sure that he’d say something to tease or embarrass me, but he was very sweet and just talked about how happy Kris clearly made me.
10. The song from your first dance?
We didn’t actually do the full reception dance thing – it was just dinner and chatting, because we only had about 25 people there. But we did play “Storybook Love” from The Princess Bride when I walked out for the ceremony.
11. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
I loved having a small wedding, but I do wish that there had been some people there who were from Kris’s life. We weren’t back in touch with the Penn State crowd yet, or I would absolutely have wanted them there for him. (Would have made the bar bill a bit bigger… 
) It has always made me a little sad that I had friends and family around me, and he was alone. Happily, my wacky family has wholeheartedly adopted him, and he has adopted them as his own as well. I just hope he’s ok with that.
Tags – Hmm… ok, anyone reading this who has or will hit ten years this year – you’re it! (And Hugeness, this means you, too!) Let’s hear it, class of 1998! And please leave me a comment if you’re going to answer – I want to see!
June 5th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Happy Day…:)
June 5th, 2008 at 9:15 am
First of all, a VERY happy anniversary, lovies!!
Second – Okay. Um. YIIIIIIIKES.
1. I met Travis during a production of Grease. He was talked into showing up because they needed more guys.
2. I was dating a guy named Jason at the time.
3. We started dating shortly after Jason and I broke up, went out for a few weeks, went back to being friends because we were both too freaked, then couldn’t stand it and got back together but danced around it for a while.
4. We hit a very rough patch about two years ago, was a lost connection, open to betrayal by person I knew and trusted, almost gave up once or twice, struggled through, all the stronger, etcetc. (Must have been something in the air two years ago.)
I’m pretty sure we’re your marriage dopplegangers. That bodes well for us, I think.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I love you guys!! This was fantastic to read, and it’s so cool to be hitting 10 at the same time as you both! Thanks for sharing!!!
June 5th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Happy Anniversary! And thanks for sharing all that – it really made me smile!
June 5th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Aawwwww. Congratulations. We’re at 15 years (yikes) so we’re a little ahead of you. I wish you many more decades of happiness and discovery.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Happy anniversary! You picked a great date (or I did, I suppose).
Of course, we were 6 years later.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I’m doing it – only 8 years this year… but still…
June 5th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Congrats on the 10 year anniversary! My hubbo and I will be celebrating ours in September! I guess 1998 was a good year for weddings!
June 5th, 2008 at 11:49 am
awwwwwwwww, how sweet! and quite the whirlwind romance! here’s to many more happy year together!
and also? westminster! I toured there when I was considering colleges! beautiful campus. I think I applied and was accepted, but ended up at pitt johnstown because it was more affordable and had nicer dorms
June 5th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Aw, that’s a sweet one. I’m class of ’99 so close! I’ll have to steal this one in a year!
June 5th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Happy happy day to you both! Congrats.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Happy Anniversary!! Here’s to many more!
June 5th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Happy anniversary!! I’m very glad that I am not alone in the “still getting that fluttery feeling” when my husband kisses me.
I’m class of ’99, so I’ll have to wait on this one for a few months.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Happy Anniversary!! It so wonderful to find a strong and happy couple. Here’s to the next ten years!!
June 5th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Congrats!!!!
June 5th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Awwww! I LOVE that picture of you two, you look so radiant! R and I had our 10 year back in November. I will NOT be posting my wedding picture.
Isn’t it amazing how on your wedding day you can’t imagine loving him any more than you do at that moment, and it seriously gets better and better? We’ve had some naaaaasty rough patches that I’m not bold enough to write about, but I love knowing that he and I can handle absolutely anything together.
And that meme was sweet. Yay for you two! Much love.
-PK
June 5th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Congratulations!!! 10 years is quite a thing in this day and age
That picture is gorgeous! You both look so happy!! Love the meme too 
June 5th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Cool, my husband had Storybook love queued up on the tape player when we got in the car to leave! I cried, of course.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Nope I was wrong, He actually had Romeo and Juliet queued up, but Storybook love is the second song on the mix tape.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Wow. Ten years.
Congratulations, you two.
…wuv, twoo wuv…
June 5th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Y’all are making me cry!
June 5th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Wow! That was a great post! I enjoyed the wedding meme and you being so open!
Happy Annivesary!! I wish you an overflow of love and joy for the rest of your lives together!!!
June 5th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Hugs to you both, having known you for the last 4 years (hee hee) I can say that you two are absolutely dripping with cuteness. It would actually be nauseating, um I mean hard to watch if I weren’t guilty of the same with J.
Truly, I wish you both nothing but more happiness and a lifetime of love.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Congrats! Mine is coming up in December,,, guess 1998 was a very good year!
June 5th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
That was so sweet.
I can’t wait to get to ten, so I can share my wuv, twoo wuv story! We only just hit 7, so it’s going to be a while, but I’m ok with that. I just hope I can avoid the customary rough patch next year. 
June 5th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
What a beautiful picture, congrats!
June 5th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Yay! 10 rockin’ years – congratulations!
Love you guys!
Wooooo!
xoxoxoxo
Anne & John
June 6th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Awwww how sickeningly sweet! You even gave cynical ole me hope! Congrats you two!
June 6th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Happy Anniversary!
June 6th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Happy Anniversary!
Andrew and I were married on 9/16/07, but our wedding was on 6/27/98 – so I will put mine up, too later today;)
June 6th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Gosh, what a beautiful bride and groom! Your wedding looks like it was absolutely beautiful, peaceful and tasteful.
Happy Anniversary Pam and Kris!
May you have a long and happy life together!
(Hey there are ups and downs. You’re dealing with two lives, together. People go through phases. Mr. and Mrs. Mag just had our 29th in May and we’ve been ‘on the brink’ of the D word about a dozen times in those 30 years we’ve lived together. We end up working it out and so far, so good.)
June 6th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Happy Anniversary! 10 years is quite an accomplishment. We have 8 more to go on that one.
June 6th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Happy Anniversary!
Oh how this warmed my heart while catching me up on some of the missed details over the years. I am sooooo soooo happy for the both of you! Isn’t love just… grand?
YAY!
June 6th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Congratulations on your anniversary! And here’s to many more . . .
June 6th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
It blows my mind that Chris and I have been “together” for almost 10 years (Oct 98), but we’ve only been married for five. That meme was cool … and I drive by Westminster up and down I-79 the entire summer!
June 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Happy (slightly belated) Anniversary!!! Love the photo and the meme! We hit our five-year two weeks ago, so I’ll save the meme for another five.
June 7th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Happy Anniversary! I loved that post…
June 7th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Awwwww.. what a sweet story.
Happy Anniversary!
June 7th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Happy Anniversary! What a beautiful bride you were–and still are!
I’m so glad you found your “ever after”
June 8th, 2008 at 2:37 am
Storybook Love? I would have been BAWLING! Very sweet story.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Happy Anniversary!
We are celebrating our 12th anniversary in August so I will be saving this for the occasion!