I Do!

I know this post was a little late in coming out, but on Wednesday, November 16, my hubby and I both were sicker than dogs.  We were fighting for our place in front of the toilet!  He had diarrhea and vomiting and so did I.  I don't know what we had crawled into, but it was brutul.  So, needless to say, we stayed in at home.

We are all better now, so I will do my wedding post.  We were married November 16, 1996.  We had almost a year long engagement so we could really get to know each other.  We met in an online chat group on Prodigy, which is no longer in service.  Frankie lived in Phoenix and I lived in Yuma, AZ.  It was love "at first type" so to speak.  We had our first meeting Dec. 9, 1995.  We had so much fun!  We went out to eat, drove around a bit and went to the park and spent hours laying down on the hill and talking.  Then he had to leave :(  But I knew he and I would be in communication again.  Boy, was I right!

We would talk on the phone so much that each of us had $300-400 phone bills!  And he would come to Yuma a weekend, and I would go to Phoenix the next weekend.  That year we both put a lot of mileage on our car and Frankie's Ford Ranger. And we had a blast planning for our upcoming wedding.  We chose to have it in Yuma, due to that is where all my friends from work and Frankie was real sweetie and said we would have it in Yuma, since I would be living and working in Phoenix.  I already had resigned from my job in Yuma and had a new job at Boswll Hospital in Sun City, AZ.  We figured it would be easier for ME to find work than him, since he never went to college and didn't have a lot of social skills.  Plus I wanted to live in a big city!!  I never did, so this would be a real treat for me.

My best friend in Michigan flew down for my wedding and to act as my "maid of honor."  She also was a great help to my mom with the food preparation.  That was our gift from Deb.  She would pay for and cook the food for the reception.  Great gift!!!  And the park where Grandma lived gave us use of their recreation hall for free!!  Boy, you can't ask for better gifts than that right now!!  My mom and Grandma also made my wedding dress from scraps of her own dress.  Grandma was great with a sewing machine.  Just give her a pattern and some material, and she can turn it into a master piece.  The arthritis in her hands have gotten so bad since then that she can't sew very much anymore.

OK, now on to the wedding.  The location was quite unique.  We married at the Yuma Territorial Historical park that actually was a real prison a long, long time ago.  We married on the old guard tower that was used as a real guard tower when the prison was open.  On my invitations we had fun saying we'd be "balls of chains" for life!!  We only paid, I think, $25.00 for the use of the tower and the Justice of the peace was $75.00 with a small tip.  Here's some photos of our lovely outdoor wedding:

  

  Pictured are my parents and me. (Too bad you can't see the collection of butterflies inside my stomach!)

Taken before the ceremony.  Debbie (on the left), me and my dad.

Here's comes the handsome groom!  I was so afraid he wouldn't show up!! Isn't that a fear of EVERY bride, though?

This is one of my most favorite pictures of my dad and I together.

The ring exchange.....my ring to Frankie went beautifully.  His ring to me accidently "dropped" on the tower floor, which had wooden slats that small rings can fall into.  On the ground underneath the slats was dirt and sand.  Luckily for him, it only fell on the slat and stayed there.  He picked it up and quickly jammed it on my finger!!

 

"Kiss Your Bride!"  We had NO problems following that order!!  I just was so glad to have the vow part over.  I've never been good at public speaking!!

Me, Judge Carillo and Frankie

Our Parents.  From L to R: My dad, Bob; My mom, Cindy, me, Frankie, Frankie's mom, Carol; Frankie's dad, Frank Sr.

Our wedding party: Debbie, me, Frankie and his best man (his brother), Doug.

Whew! We finally did it!!! We are officially Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schranz, Jr.  Yay!!!

We are standing at the base of the watch tower.

We are heading to our reception.  FOOD!!!  :0)

Standing by our luscious cake!!

Cuttin' the first piece of cake....

"Shove her in!" chants heard all over the rec hall.  I just couldn't do that to my nice, new husband.   :0)

He felt that way to me, too.  We were made for each other!  :0)

Starting in on the mega pile of gifts.

Someone snuck a pic of us kissing!!

Whew!  Are we done yet?  Me, enjoying my Mt. Dew and Frankie enjoying his Dr. Pepper.

We're in happily ever after wedding bliss!!

Hope you enjoyed our wedding!!  It's good to remember good times.  It makes you feel good when you aren't feeling too well (emotionally).  Frankie and I certainly have had our ups and downs over the 14 years we have been married, but I've never regretted even ONE moment of being married to him.  He's always been there for me and vice versa.  That's how marriage should be!!!

Hope you all have a great Thursday. 

God bless!

Until next post,