23rd Wedding Anniversary

Our story began before I was born. We have had our up's and our down's. It has never been a smooth ride. But it has been interesting, very seldom ever boring. But it is our story. And I love it. I was the first child out of 8 children. It had been many years since my mom had been around a baby. She wanted some practice taking care of a baby before I was born. So she called Betty Brown. Betty had just adopted a little boy named Bill. Bill was born 6 months before I was. So my Mom kept Bill for the day and practiced taking care of a baby. When we were sunbeams Fruitland and New Plymouth went to church together in New Plymouth. Bill kept pulling my piggy tails. So one Sunday I got sick of that and went to the Bishop and told on him! When I was 12 Fruitland went to church in Payette. My Grandma and Grandpa Stokes lived in New Plymouth. One Sunday we were at their house visiting. Bill came over to collect fast offerings. I hid in the back room and peeked through the door at him. I thought he was so cute! I didn't see him again until after my Mom died. A couple of days after she died Bill and Leisa came to my Grandma Winegars to give us a pie. I was 15 years old. After they left I asked my Grandma who that was. She told me it was Bill Brown. I told her that I wished he wasn't married! She said, "he's not, that was his sister Leisa!" Shortly after that he called me. We talked for awhile and then he asked if he could come over and take me for a ride. On my 16th birthday he took me on my first date. We dated for 2 and a half years before we were married.
It is hard to believe that we have been married for 23 years. It seems like just yesterday that we were a young, struggling married couple. And then there is another part of me that thinks Bill and I have been together our whole lives. He is my life. It is hard to picture my life without Bill. He is a big part of who I am today. We were married at the age of 18. Now I can't believe we did that! So we have literally been growing up and changing together. We have had our share of marital struggles. But I am happy that he is still a part of my life. I am not sure if I could survive without him. I never want to find out. Marriage is not easy. At least for us it has'nt been. But we have learned. We have grown. We have to make it a daily process. I love Bill more today than I did 23 years ago. Whenever I look at him, I still think he is so handsome. I feel lucky that he chose me to be his wife.