16th Anniversary!

Our Wedding Day! June 3, 1993.

1996 - Allan's college/ROTC days and my Barnett Bank days.

Pilot training, Laughlin Air Force Base, 1999-2000. Sitting on the ole T-37 Tweet.

So many of you know mine and Allan's story, but for those of you who don't, here it is! Allan and I met at NAS Lemoore, CA in Mrs. Wahl's 6th grade class when we were 11 years old. We had all the same classes together through junior high and started 'going out' in the 7th grade. (Don't know what they call it these days!) In the middle of our sophomore year of high school, my parents got divorced and my mom, 3 siblings and I moved to Globe, AZ to live w/ my grandparents. Allan and I kept in touch and stayed together for 2 1/2 years while I lived in AZ! (I had to get a job to pay my grandpa for the phone bills, though!) We only saw each other twice. Once for a couple of hours while I was at a journalism camp at Pepperdine in Malibu. And another time when I came to visit at Christmas break.

I graduated from high school on a Thursday. On Sunday, I flew out to California. The next Thursday, Allan and I ran to the justice of the peace w/ his parents as witnesses and got married! That evening, we went to Allan's high school graduation - yes, you read that right! Did I mention that in the middle of this all, Allan's dad was retiring from the Navy and the movers were packing up his parents house? The day after the wedding, we headed out on a cross country trip to move to Florida, where Allan's parents were retiring and Allan had been accepted to the University of Florida. We stopped along the way to celebrate w/ family. We had a reception in AZ w/ my family; then a party w/ Allan's family in Texas.

The dress has a story all its own! I had always dreamed of making my own wedding dress, even took sewing for 3 semesters. But I was terrible at collars and sleeves! So, I found this pattern for a Jessica McClintock dress that required neither! (Hahaha!) One of my mom's co-workers gave me the white sateen fabric for the underlayer as a gift. I found the top sheer fabric (in purple - my favorite color!) half off. (I was also looking for a dress appropriate for a wedding and a graduation!) But my mother took me all over Phoenix trying to find 'Double-scalloped Venetian lace'. We finally found some in this hole-in-the wall store called "Ruffles and Lace". I knew the instant I saw the lace, that was it! But my mother saw the price and was convinced it was not the lace for me. I was the one paying for the dress and I had saved so much on the rest of it, I decided I would splurge on the lace. Everyone said it made the dress!

Anyway, I hope I haven't embarrassed my dear husband too much! To Allan, having his picture taken is a fate worse than death! And yes, I remember your name is 'Allan' and not 'Daddy'! Happy Anniversary, Babe!