Canadagirl asked how I meet my beloved since I am a Canadian and he is not.....The easy answer would be on vacation. But the whole truth is I may have been born in Ontario Canada, but I was raised on the beach of Southern California. My daddy, My granddaddy, my granddad (really great Uncle that raised my mom) and a few Uncles and cousins ALL worked in the Motion Picture industry. So that is where we lived. They were mostly Prop men, greensmen etc. So when I watch TV I tend to be somewhat critical about misplaced props and bad set decoration. When we were doing very well ( the Quinn Martin Production years) we lived on the beaches. Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica Beach mostly. So I am more a California girl than a Canuck.

However I married a Mountainman that cannot body surf and would rather cliff dive into a raging river! I met him at a time in my life were suicide was just around the next corner. God knew I needed Michael and I believe he needed me as well. The reality of my mistakes was becoming more than my Christ starved heart could handle. I had been very ill for about six weeks so my guidance counselor said, take off the rest of the semester and we will throw in a couple classes during the summer. (I had more credits than I needed). So I did.

My mom sent me to visit my sister Teri. This was because she was upset that my sister Carolyn had come home from Germany and she could not see her. So I was the "cheer her up present" and I wouldn't be under foot. God's plan was very very different! He would bless me because I went.

Teri had a small Mother-in-law cottage on her property and My Beloved' s sister was living there. (That is TOO long a story to add here). So Lynda called her brother and said I was visiting and he should come meet me. He almost didn't come! His best friend Rocky was going to come instead, so being competitive in nature he rushed over before Rocky could!

So there in my sister's backyard in my neon chartreuse bikini playing badminton with my three nieces came this gorgeous boy. My heart stopped the moment I laid eyes on him. My sister brought us lemonade and took the girls inside and we talked. One thing I remember him saying is "I probably won't et married until I am 25!" Obviously he hadn't counted on my charm! He offered to show me the town, so I went and got dressed....and he drove us to town, a block of shops. THAT"S all! And he bought me a little cedar Treasure chest bank that said Paradise Ca on it. I was holding his hand (I still do that ) and waiting for him to at least try to kiss me ( I still do that too). When he dropped me back off at Teri's I leaned in and kissed Him goodbye (I still do that as well!) 

The next day we went swimming at his friend's Lake (yes it is their very own lake) and I met his friends. They were all in a garage band together. VERY cute! I flirted with him all day, he kept being very shy and that absolutely drove me crazy. The next day he had to work so I wouldn't see him again until the following day. That day he would take me to the fair!

Rocky came with us to the fair and we also had to take Michael's baby sister (she was 11) with us. This was very important to God's plan.... Because Sheri would be the one that went over to one of the local craftsmen booths and came back teasingly as only an 11 year old can to her brother and said " Ohhh You know what he Has over there? He has wedding rings! You should go look a one for B- Ah BEEE!" at which I smiled and said "That's a girl Sheri you just keep right on hinting!" And she did, for the next hour!

That is how long we stayed at the fair. Then we went for a drive up Honey Run drove to his mom's house and while sitting in the living room He said, "Would You?" and I asked "Would I what ?"cause I would have said yes to anything at that moment." "Would you marry me? I love you and I want to be with you forever." And I kissed him and said "I thought you would never ask!"

So that was our three day courtship! Now getting married wasn't that easy.

Teri threw an immediate wrench into our plan and made me get on the bus the next day and go home! I was devastated! I ran to the place Michael was working at just before I left and wept bitterly as I said goodbye.

My mom, always glad to see me Go, would have let me leave right away. But my daddy said "No way!" But being the manipulator I was trained to be, I got him to let me go and "get to know Michael better" by staying with my sister Teri. Michael picked me up at the airport and I moved right into our place. Once Teri told my daddy, he sent my mom to sign papers for me to get married.

Mike had to talk one of his parents into signing for him, he was already living on his own but still needed a signature (he would also need a signature AFTER we were married to join the Military!) Now you would think those were the hardest hoops to jump through, but we had to find a pastor that would council us and marry us as well as go before a judge and get permission from him too! Somehow God blessed it and they all said yes!

We tried to get married the 4th of July, the 11th of August and finally the 18th of August was the only day available.

I just discovered that SuzyScribbles and I were married on the same day, literally! Very awesome.

And that, my friends, is how God has a Canadian girl marry a California boy and grow into the man and woman God designed them to be.

Yes it was every parent's nightmare! Warning Kids do not try this at home! Leave this to the professionals!

Also see still swooning

and our wedding picture