My Mother in Law...

I have known her for twenty-three years. I will never forget the moment I met her. My nerves had nerves of their own. Hubby to be (at that point)was very excited to introduce us. I remember how everything looked crisp and in place. My style was casual...um? She was on the phone when we got there...I am sure she was questioning who in the world I was? Probably!

Hubby and I knew each other for a VERY short time!!! We met at the beginning of August and got engaged on October 3rd. The funniest part is that we never went on date anywhere alone...don't know how that happened, it wasn't planned that way. Oh, we worked together...so technically we were alone sometimes.

When he kissed me for the first time I was stunned. Too much information but it was so sweet. I did not expect it, he walked me to my car after work...which was a short distance like down the driveway. (We worked at a group home for people with disabilities in a home setting.) My car was parked under a street light (just like in the movies...having the right lighting!) and right there he kissed me!

Got side tracked...good memories! Anyway, back to my mother in law...at that point we were not engaged yet! She was kind of quiet, like who in the world is this girl? And I do believe we should have called first to give her advanced notice that we were going to show up on her doorstep. It was a wee bit awkward, but okay. Fast forward a couple of weeks is when we got engaged.

Hubby surprised me with that question. See two weeks before I met him I prayed to God to fill the void of me wanting to get married or could he please bring me a husband. In walked hubby to where I was working, he had just transferred from a different location, and I ignored him like he had the plague!! I was determined not to get to know any single men at the point. One day it just clicked for us...what a shocker!

Okay back to my mother in law...hubby's dad was retiring and hubby asked me to go with him. I was NOT NOT NOT wanting to go with, but at that point being he wife to be how could I say no. Pretty sure I was not on the guest list either. I remember that night as well. Hubby was the only person I knew. His sister's came from out of state so I met them at that point.

Next day we were having dinner with hubby's family and I had put on my ring...he wanted to let his family know. Kind of wanting to be a little subtle, maybe they would notice maybe not. His younger sister noticed first and then hubby let everyone know. Pretty sure we shocked his mother and I was a bit shocked as well.

I know that God gave my hubby to me...hand picked and very quickly after my prayer to Him. When hubby asked me to marry him I just knew he was mine...like having a peace from God! I hadn't even told him I loved him at that point...it felt like an arranged marriage from God and I wanted my love to be not rushed into lightly.

We got married eight months later. It was a small wedding, not exactly the wedding I pictured growing up...but how many weddings match a little girl's dream? I wanted green dresses for my bridesmaids and wanted my best friend to be in it too. She was not, just my sisters and one of hubby's sisters. My mother sewed the dresses for the girls. They were peach dresses with a soft lace collar. They were very sweet and I am thankful she did that for me!! My brother made our three tier cake and it was beautiful...never did I imagine that either! Oh, my mother in law came with to pick out my dress...both my mom and hubby's mom went with me. I think I tried on three dresses before I found the one. Hubby's mom said I am sure he will love looking at you. How sweet was that!

I had always hoped I would be a very good daughter in law...it was a little rocky at times, but I tried. After hubby and I got married he changed a bit, meaning just more confident and he was the head of the household...it was great to depend on him and feel very loved and cared for! He would surprise me all the time! Then he started to drift away from his family...they lived over an hour away, so we didn't see them much. I think hubby always went along with the flow and he wanted to create his own flow and I don't think that fit with my mother in law's plans...so then it was a little rocky.

Fast forward almost twenty three and a half years and now we live states apart and don't see each other often, we do most communicating through emails and such. I send her pictures of the kids and she sends weekly emails of her week...she is so good at that, me not so much. And she really is the best grandmother...she never forgets birthdays and she sends the kids little packages. It is so sweet! Sometimes I just wish she lived closer to be able to see the kids and also help me bake!! She is a great baker and I am NOT! I told her a few weeks ago to move back so that she could have us watch over her...and I meant every word!

I am glad I have a mother in law...and so thankful that she gave birth to my hubby!