Happy Anniversary Baby!

June 14, on Flag day, Mr. Mecham and I were married in the Manti, UT, (Sanpete County) LDS temple. It was a lovely day, indeed. The photographer forgot to show up (because dad had pre-paid him) but other than that there wasn't even a glitch! And besides, everyone had a camera anyway so we had tons and tons of pictures!
14 years later here we are... still celebrating that beautiful day! Except we are happier today than we were nearly a decade and a half ago... because we've had time to figure out how much we actually really do like each other. And I must say, I wouldn't like to live another day without Mr. Mecham. I hope we never have to find out what that is like.
This year we do not celebrate in much style... Although the ever romantic Mr. Mecham did call in a special order clear from Poland to have Sugar Mama's deliver a little treat. And he promised me we would have a real celebration... perhaps in Paris or Prague to celebrate our union. And then... he sent a love not from Europe. And though I did edit it a little bit, I am going to share the romantic side or Mr. Mecham... because it makes me so happy to read it.

Rebecca Suzanne,

First of all, you may have received my custom-ordered 'magic' anniversary gift. I mean, seriously....only once in a lifetime do you celebrate 14 years of marriage on the 14th day of your wedding month, and I find myself on the other side of the world. Curse. Don't fret, my dear...I will get to be with you again very soon, and someday soon I will be able to take you to celebrate in a proper fashion. enjoy.

Happy Anniversary!!!

Part I:
With much joy and fondness do I sit down tonight and reflect on the blessed and happy state of my life with you. Today marks the completion of 14 years of marriage to you, and I wish like a dish of tuna fish that I was next to you to say this in person...but with my weakness in communicating, would I say the things I want to? Hard to say, Clark. One thing I do know is that things happen for a reason, and I firmly believe that I was lead to you. You were like a magnet for me. Once I saw you, I knew that I had to know you. Once I got to know you, I couldn't stay away. Period. I joke about marrying way above my head, but that couldn't be more true. The problem with that, however, is that you must tire of constantly dragging me along. Everything worthwhile, lovely and of good report related to my existence on this earth ties directly to you. Period. (I say that a lot...I think) You are my foundation of hope, happiness and pure joy. I cringe when I reflect on some of my past actions and attitudes related to our relationship, my career, my role in our family, my view of our family and the way I have treated you at times. I think our thoughts can be assembled in such a way as to create our own framework of endless misery and woe (I don't know how to spell woe, to be honest with you), and for me, thinking of those things does that to me. I doubt you had any idea of the amount of work it would be to have me in your life. Oh how great the hope that eternal life gives us, that we can be in a constant state of improvement and repair, always becoming better than we are...not settling for what we are now, but striving for what we can become. I am sorry it has taken me so dang long to appreciate you for all that you have done, all that you are and all that we can become together. Dang. That sounded good. Way better than any stupid card at Fry's or Wally-world....and I had to break from my stupid tradition of buying you some slightly (or not so slightly) suggestive card that was as shallow as all get out. :)

Part II:
Things I really, really like about Rebecca Suzanne Mecham (in no particular order):
- The sultry sound of her voice on the phone after a long day.
- The way she flips her lovely blonde locks off her shoulder when she is giving a kick-fannie presentation.
- The way she tilts her head when she is listening to what you have to say.
- The way she can whip up the most decisious meal in the world with nothing but vegetables, some left-over rice and a couple of cans of beans.
- The way she can sight read music better than most folks can play after practicing.
- The incredible way she smells. I am not kidding at all about that lotion applicator position...
- Her patience with her children, which far and away exceeds the great majority of the population.
- The way she sticks up for her children - always.
- Her desire to be a noble and obedient daughter of God.
- The way she says 'k'den' when she needs to make a point.
- The number of books about ancient prophets within an arm's reach at any given moment.
- Her honesty.
- Her passion about those things that she cares about.
- Her beauty.
- Her grace.
- Her soft spot for anything about the Royal Family, a Coke with lots of ice, and cadbury eggs.
- The wall of pillows erected every night to make the cursed (Sunday purchased) mattress even half-way comfortable.
- Her talent with hot wax.
- The way she can turn a trip to the gas station, grocery store or indian reservation into a reprieve from the world's troubles.
- Watching the way other people love her and react to her.
- Pulling the blanket up around her after she has fallen dead asleep on the couch, knowing that she may or may not sleep in her bed that night.
- Watching her manuver around a cooler in the back of the van as she distributes a fabulous meal to the family going 75 mph down the highway.
- Watching her manuver the tiller (her favorite power tool) around the garden or chicken coop.
- Listening to her play the piano in the evening just for the heck of it.
- Watching the reaction she gets from both the chickens and cocketiels. She really is the Bird Lady.
- The way she takes care of people recovering from sickness or surgery.
- The way she never makes fun of people coming out of surgery by making them say dumb stuff.
- The way she covers for people when they get sick at the sight of a needle or the wiggle of an IV thingy.
-

The way she makes me feel when I am with her....my oh my.

I love you, Becky.

That is just a part of why I love Nate... I think its funny that he thinks he has "mis-treated" me... Like... when I think of that I think of people hitting other people. Or Maybe people saying something mean. He hasn't ever done any of that... But whatever.

My response... to that lovely letter:

Mi Amore,
No way, not ever, Will there be a card or letter written to beat that one. NEVER EVER! laughing and crying... And I don't think I could ever top it. You just hit a major home run... so tell me again, why are you 10 trillion miles away tonight?
I love you. I miss you. EVERYTHING about you. Everything.
Becky

I was so consumed trying to forget that yesterday was my anniversary, since I didn't get to spend how I would have liked to... and so I didn't post this little blog until the 15th. Oh well... Atleast I won't forget it.

I love you come rain or shine

Truth is... Cole inherited redish hair from me. And I can't lie any longer, as here is absolute proof of my redness.... But my hair is quite blond at the same time... depending on where the sun hits it and how much bleach I've recently dumped on it! It is ever changing in color. But until I dug these photo memories out, I had forgotten how red my hair used to be.

Anywhoooo... that is not what this little postage is about because I just celebrated a dozen blissful and sometimes blustery years with my one twoo love. It's true. On Flag day.

And I didn't write about it on that exact anniversary because I was celebrating!

I think Mr. Mecham was my soul mate in the heavens before this earth. There were just too many little things that matched us up perfectly to make me believe other wise.

I share this story so I never forget it. And besides I believe in miracles and there is reason.

From the time that I dressed up in my princess dresses and pretended the white dish cloths were the veil that draped my wedding head... from the time I was swooned by the husband that I dreamed of while talking to Mr. "invisible" but knowing someday that empty space would be filled... from the time that I played house and pretend with dolls and imaginary friends... until that time that it all became real... I always wanted to be married in the Manti, Ut temple. That same temple that sits on the ground that was dedicated for it's building centuries earlier by Moroni himself. It stood as the castle of dreams in my mind. And I was determined to get there. I even carried a picture of it in my scriptures for the 20 years before I wed and still do today.

And in that same vision that I had created for "the perfect" wedding celebration, I saw a garden reception and beautiful flowers everywhere!

And so I planned for such a day.

After our engagement Nate's father instructed him that "this is the bride's day" therefore, Nate was to let the bride decide where we would seal our union... even though Nathan had his heart set on one special place that his own parents, grandparents and most of his siblings had wed, and even though he had fond memories of visiting and playing where his grandparents had served a mission years ago... and a dream to take his bride to that very place, (the same place his progenitors had wed) he took the advise of that wise old dad of his. He surrendered the idea of "where" and made peace that it was eternal. Then he asked the question... "what temple would you like to be married in?" and without skipping a beat I declared, "Manti". And at that moment I couldn't have known the joy in his heart since I was naive to the for mentioned truth regarding his own desires. And I would have never known that Manti was his dream too since he was determined to let this be "the bride's day". But that captivating smile absolutely spoke to my heart that he dreamed a dream of sealing our nuptials in that very place.

It was magical.

The weeks leading up to our union were wet and cold outside. I had reserved a beautiful garden to greet our friends in celebration on the evening of our wedding. I was instructed to "reserve the church next door in case of inclimate weather". But I knew what I wanted and a church gymnasium didn't have a place in my plans. So I declined the suggestion. And I had 1,000 wedding invites made up that didn't have that church address on it at all.

Well... the week of matrimony approached. It was unusually rainy. But I was certain that I still was having a garden wedding... outside... in a garden! And so I did not stress, though my poor mother must have lost sleep over the whole thing. After all, the forecast was "rainy through the weekend".

The eve of my marriage arrived. It was rainy. We enjoyed a lovely dinner (inside) hosted by the Mechams. The food was incredible. And after departing to our separate homes one last night, I realized that it was raining. So I fell to my knees. I explained the whole dream I dreamed the plans I had made and reminded the all powerful and kind God of Heaven that I was being sealed to my husband in the morning at 11:00 in Manti, Ut and then I asked a hugemungous favor. One I don't know if I will ever be worthy of. But I was ever so desperate. And so I asked for an evening that wouldn't be rainy because I really wanted my garden reception. And then I even more boldly (but humble enough to realize that I needed help.. like really bad...) requested that I know by a sign in the sky come morning. And I couldn't have been more specific than when I asked, "please let me know by a blue, cloudless sky so that I can enjoy the day". And if I didn't see it in the morning, I would know that it was time to reserve the gymnasium. And then climbed into bed and closed my eyes.

I was awaken the next morning by the song of my father who was singing about "blue skys shining on me". I sat up smiling... but I had to see for myself if it was true. So I dashed up the stairs and flung open the door to the most lovely bluest blue sky I had ever seen. There was not even one puffy white cloud anywhere in sight. My heart leaped. My eyes overflowed. I was most grateful. I had asked for and had seen a miracle. And at that moment I decided that I would live the rest of my life knowing for certainty that prayer changes things and that it is my life line to the heavens.

As the day went on the wind picked up. In fact, it was quite blustery in Sanpete county when we came out of the temple as Mr. and Mrs. Mecham for pictures. The sky had turned grey. As the day went on rain clouds landed hard and rain ripped out of sky like nobodies business! Seriously! My mother must have questioned me a gajillion times. We had invited 1,000 people to this event and it was pouring rain! So Nate and I drove to the garden with our windshield wipers on full speed. In my mind I knew what I saw that morning. More importantly, in my heart I knew what I felt. And I believed in the Almighty more that day than I ever have in my life. We parked in the church parking lot... the one that I never reserved... and when we turned off the car the rain stopped. So we hopped out and walked into the garden(without an umbrella) where the owner sat bright eyed. She announced that the rain had stopped an hour earlier in her yard but that it was raining all around her. Funny thing to say! When we looked up the sky was blue. So we got ready and everyone arrived. And wouldn't you know, that blue sky was like a bubble over that garden for the entire evening. And wouldn't you know that it was so amazing that it stole "the bride's day"! There were hundreds of people that walked through and said, "it is raining everywhere but in this back yard"... And I would smile and reply, "God is good".

And God is good... because a dozen years ago he not only stopped the rain from ruining my garden reception, He also answered my prayers and dreams of an eternal companion...

who I look forward to walking another dozen + years with and whom I love...

Come rain or shine.