Wedding Anniversary

Hard to believe that 16 years ago we were making our lifetime marriage commitment to the world.  

I met a carefree handsome young man in the summer of 1994 while at TMBC.  God orchestrated that I would be called in as a replacement for some girl that got a job in BC (how ironic is that now?) and Gregg was 17 years old and on the prowl for his wife!  Thanks to his best bud, J, for telling him to get his body to camp and do something productive with his summer.  Poor J, Gregg was very productive in one thing...getting the girls attention and finding a wife!  ha ha.

Isn't he adorable?

Wish I had photos here that I could post of our dating days with Gregg in his tattered cut off jeans, work socks and boots with holes.  He was a wonder to behold with his shaggy hair, overshirts and sunglasses.  It was his smile that made me know he was different.  It lit up the room and still does.  I am so proud of my man, he is mine and I am his.  If someone has a photo of us handy, email it to me and I'll post it on here, no matter how embarrassing!  hee hee, I may regret that!

For those who know me, or have read previous blogs, you probably have put together a bit of a timeline of my life.  This part is more interesting to me now, that I am older and wiser (ha).
June 1993 ~ Graduated grade 12 MCI
July 1993 ~ moved (alone) to Wpg to start a 12 month college course
August 1993~ sister killed in car accident.  She was to be married on my 18th b'day.
Sept 1993 ~ roomies moved in, thank GOD!  They must have looked after me, because I don't remember most of that year at all.  I do remember one panic attack that felt like a heart attack when I laughed for real the first time afterwards.  Good ole' Dutch Blitz to get the body going again.
July 1994 ~ Graduated my course somehow and realized being sad and depressed was not going to bring my sister back and I needed to get through somehow.  Asked God to take the pain away and help me through.  He gave me the gift of tongues, though I didn't know that was what it was then.  I just began to pray to God in words I didn't understand.  The pain started to lift and I could see sunlight again.

Gregg with cousin I, July 2010 Love my man's laugh!

July 1994 ~ called to fill in at camp.  Gregg and I were assigned not only to the same table group (2 counselors per table of kids every meal and for games times), but also to work at the "BARNS!"  yikes.  The only time we didn't see each other was night time.  Love took me by surprise.
August 1994 (after camp) had our 1st date at the Buzy Bee Drive Inn in B'vain.  Looked at the damage a tornado had done down the old #3 Hwy.  He brought me Sweet Peas and we drove with the top down in his little red Fiat 2 seater convertible...same vehicle would later leave us stranded going to our honeymoon!

Engagement photo taken outside my Grandma Unrau's house

November 11, 1994 ~ Gregg asked my Dad's permission and blessing to marry his daughter.  Dad said something like " Jolene knows what she wants, and if that is you, fine by us"...just kidding...

May 27, 1995 ~ it was a late spring and we had cherry blossoms for flowers instead of lilacs.  I was ready early (Unger style) and the day went off with 1 hitch ~ ours for life!  How blessed we felt to have found each other so young.  God surely blessed us and Gregg and I are so thankful.  Many had doubts, as they should have with youngun' getting hitched.  With God in it though, it works.

Wedding Photo

Acting very serious 2010

We were just talking about how many discussions we worked through without arguments, how our personalities work so well to be practical yet loving.  I am thankful for a man who recognizes emotions and has brought them out in me as well.  Knowing my background, I hid a lot of myself as a protective measure.  So thankful for friends who stuck by to see the other me.

So thankful for a man who has made me giggle and for memories of him blowing up our air mattress at 3 am because we were waiting to buy a real mattress for 6 months.
So thankful for a man that saved himself for me, and me for him.

Fin Creek Summer 2010

So thankful for a man that cried with me and held me when things didn't go as planned.
So thankful for a man who didn't care if supper didn't turn out right, as long as he could hold me tight!
So thankful for a man who taught me to drive stick shift.
So thankful for a man who doesn't fight dirty, but discusses and comes to solutions and will give and take so effortlessly.
So incredibly thankful for a man who has built my self-esteem for nearly 6,200 days!
So thankful for another family that let us be ourselves and welcomed me in, even if I was foder for many teases from little brothers.  They also introduced me to the Looney Tunes!
So thankful to have someone by my side who thinks like I do, even if others don't understand, we can stand together.

1st house, Sept 17th photo, had Mei right afterward.  Gregg in nursing school.

So thankful my man changed diapers and burped babies and taught me how to breastfeed...hee hee.
So thankful for a man that will watch chick flicks and action movies with me.
So thankful for a man who doesn't have too much of a sense of smell...very handy while watching a movie after I've had milk products!



So thankful for so many good role models in our life ~ everyone in our life can teach us something if we are only open to it!

Gregg's folks showing you can have fun!  39 years!

My folks, holidaying for their 25th 2010

March 20, 2010 Friends wedding goofiness

So thankful to God for a man who is so much more than I could have ever asked for!  He continues to amaze me and amazingly loves me more and more too.
This post is getting very long, as I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my man...now everyone go look for an embarrassing photo!  hee hee
Happy 16th  Anniversary
(and happy birthday Dad and S.R. too)