Those 70ish Girls

Have you ever been truly surprised?

We had been really busy that summer planning our wedding day.

The date that had seemed so far off, was only a month away.

The invitations had all been sent and the Church knew we were coming.

The location of the momentous event was Casper, Wyoming.

We had both been married before… ten years each, to be exact.

With two kids apiece (and three dogs)…our new home would be jam-packed. 

Kip called me at work on a day that everything had gone wrong.

He said there was someplace he had to go. Why didn’t I ride along?

“You won’t have a chance to change,” he said. “I’ll pick you up in a few.”

I really didn’t want to go, but there was no good reason not to.

As we drove, we talked about our day. I didn’t ask the destination.

When we pulled up into the driveway, I asked with some consternation,

“What are we doing here? This is where Carolyn (my boss) lives!

Are you doing an appraisal review? Come on…tell me, what gives?”

I knew her house had been for sale and Kip was a real estate banker.

“Does she know we’re coming for dinner? You apologize and I’ll thank her.”

I was laughing as she opened the door. I thought she’d be so surprised.

It turned out, the joke was on me. It was a shower she had organized.

(Carolyn caught this picture as a co-worker, Ann, opened the door.)

Heidi (13) Heather (11) Mason (8) and Craig (3) were all a part of two households. The youngest, Craig is now 40 and Heidi is ten years older. I love the picture of her sleeping at the end of the big day. She still had the baby’s breath in her hair. I joined Heidi, Heather, and Craig who were all asleep on a bed at the Ferguson’s who invited everyone over for a celebration after the ceremony. Mason and Kip were the last to give up. The other photos are of our first home together in Casper, and our first Thanksgiving there with Mom and Gus and Kip’s sister, Karlyce and her husband. (Come on Mary, I’m sure you looked lovely.) The last picture is of me with our first grandchild, Michael, born a few weeks before we moved from Colorado to Texas.