I'm still feeling the love for the Evans family I married into. In a bit it will be 16 years since I met my sweet husband. We met a few weeks before Christmas, are you ready for the story?
I was a single mom. Working a day job as a bank teller, I made $240/ week. I paid my babysitter $125 of those dollars for day care each week, so there just wasn't enough money to survive. Driving down the road one day I passed a small bowling alley, and the sign out front said "Help wanted". It was close to home and open late, so I stopped in to inquire about the job.
Bartending. I still can't explain to you why Patsy Moeller (who would later become my dear friend) hired me, it was a risk to say the least, y0ung single mom, no real experience, she must have been desperate.
So right around Thanksgiving I started bartending at the bowling alley. Saturdays at the bowling alley were fun because there was a kids league, it was a zoo! I made friends with a few of the kids, and one day one of them named Jennifer was spinning around on my bar stool and as she spun toward me she said, "hey that's my uncle out there, you are gonna marry him!"
Now let me tell you...at this point people had been trying to set me up with their nephews and friends' kids...well let's just say I was OVER the blind date/set up thing. So I laughed at her, and didn't think more of it.
A few days later her uncle was bowling and came into the bar for a pepsi, and he had a santa earring in. Hmmmm. I said "nice earring" and he said, "ho ho ho!" If you know Ted, you are smiling right now, he's so corny. Anyway, we talked a little and I'll admit it, I liked him right away.
The next day this uncle of Jennifer's showed up at the bowling alley again, and we started hanging out as often as possible, I was in love. I think the first time we hung out was around December 20, and on New Year's Eve the uncle proposed and I said yes.
Shortly after we were chilling at Ted's apartment, and he decided to call his mom. I almost fell off my chair when I heard him say " I met a girl"....."she's really nice"...."she's a bartender"....."she has two kids"...."we are getting married".....and then..."because I love her".
Oh my goodness!! Could he not have left it at I met a girl, and saved some of the details for a later phone call, or spread them out over a few months, but no...all in one phone call his parents learned of this divorced, single mom, bartender chick their 28 year old youngest son was planning to marry.
So why do I love this family? On Christmas Eve mere days after I met Ted, I spent the holiday at Ted's brother's house, with that same niece and her sweet sister, and they made me feel like family. There are a million fond memories from that home, and it's a place I still love to visit, even though the girls got big and have families of their own now.
Sometime after that I met the other brother and his wife, they were nice too! On Easter I met another sister who immediately made me feel a part of the family.
I didn't meet my future in-laws until days before my wedding because they lived in Florida. I was nervous to say the least, but for nothing. His parents accepted me and treated me like family from day one. Every one of Ted's siblings, their spouses and families came from all over the country to our wedding and each was genuinly happy for their little brother and so kind to me. If they were worried about him marrying me, it sure didn't show.
Each year around this time I get so mushy thinking of meeting my husband of 15 years. As we put up the Christmas tree, I remember back to sitting in my dinky apartment living room with him that first year we met with the Christmas lights flashing in the background.
As we plan celebrations, I look so forward to spending time with Ted's siblings and our nieces and nephews, because they have treated me like family since day one.
This Thanksgiving among lots of other things I am thankful for my husband and his fun and loving family. I miss those who live out of town, and can't wait to see the rest of them soon! xoxoxo to you all.
I was a single mom. Working a day job as a bank teller, I made $240/ week. I paid my babysitter $125 of those dollars for day care each week, so there just wasn't enough money to survive. Driving down the road one day I passed a small bowling alley, and the sign out front said "Help wanted". It was close to home and open late, so I stopped in to inquire about the job.
Bartending. I still can't explain to you why Patsy Moeller (who would later become my dear friend) hired me, it was a risk to say the least, y0ung single mom, no real experience, she must have been desperate.
So right around Thanksgiving I started bartending at the bowling alley. Saturdays at the bowling alley were fun because there was a kids league, it was a zoo! I made friends with a few of the kids, and one day one of them named Jennifer was spinning around on my bar stool and as she spun toward me she said, "hey that's my uncle out there, you are gonna marry him!"
Now let me tell you...at this point people had been trying to set me up with their nephews and friends' kids...well let's just say I was OVER the blind date/set up thing. So I laughed at her, and didn't think more of it.
A few days later her uncle was bowling and came into the bar for a pepsi, and he had a santa earring in. Hmmmm. I said "nice earring" and he said, "ho ho ho!" If you know Ted, you are smiling right now, he's so corny. Anyway, we talked a little and I'll admit it, I liked him right away.
The next day this uncle of Jennifer's showed up at the bowling alley again, and we started hanging out as often as possible, I was in love. I think the first time we hung out was around December 20, and on New Year's Eve the uncle proposed and I said yes.
Shortly after we were chilling at Ted's apartment, and he decided to call his mom. I almost fell off my chair when I heard him say " I met a girl"....."she's really nice"...."she's a bartender"....."she has two kids"...."we are getting married".....and then..."because I love her".
Oh my goodness!! Could he not have left it at I met a girl, and saved some of the details for a later phone call, or spread them out over a few months, but no...all in one phone call his parents learned of this divorced, single mom, bartender chick their 28 year old youngest son was planning to marry.
So why do I love this family? On Christmas Eve mere days after I met Ted, I spent the holiday at Ted's brother's house, with that same niece and her sweet sister, and they made me feel like family. There are a million fond memories from that home, and it's a place I still love to visit, even though the girls got big and have families of their own now.
Sometime after that I met the other brother and his wife, they were nice too! On Easter I met another sister who immediately made me feel a part of the family.
I didn't meet my future in-laws until days before my wedding because they lived in Florida. I was nervous to say the least, but for nothing. His parents accepted me and treated me like family from day one. Every one of Ted's siblings, their spouses and families came from all over the country to our wedding and each was genuinly happy for their little brother and so kind to me. If they were worried about him marrying me, it sure didn't show.
Each year around this time I get so mushy thinking of meeting my husband of 15 years. As we put up the Christmas tree, I remember back to sitting in my dinky apartment living room with him that first year we met with the Christmas lights flashing in the background.
As we plan celebrations, I look so forward to spending time with Ted's siblings and our nieces and nephews, because they have treated me like family since day one.
This Thanksgiving among lots of other things I am thankful for my husband and his fun and loving family. I miss those who live out of town, and can't wait to see the rest of them soon! xoxoxo to you all.
2 comments:
What a BEAUTIFuL story Cathy!
It made me tear up!
Isn't it so true that the little things really are BIG things in life!
All the best and Happy Thanksgiving
Patricia
I love that story. Big T is such a good man. I'm glad you found each other.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend.
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