The Wedding

We got married July 27. It was an intimate ceremony at my parents' house. Last summer was rainy and cool and on our wedding day it drizzled off and on all morning.  The plan was to do everything outside: Get married, play cornhole and enjoy our shredded turkey sandwiches in the sunshine.  I was stressing over the sporadic rain but when it came to "I do" time, it stopped. We had our ceremony, took pictures, and it started up again.  I feel like God stopped the rain just for us.  The photos below were taken by a local photographer, Mearleen's Photography. She also made us the most amazing DVD. The DVD was very important to us because Vernon's parents were not able to be at the wedding. I told Mearleen how we wanted it done so that my future in-laws didn't miss anything. She delivered exactly what we wanted.  We couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding day.

Salon 323

Perennial Gardens

Vernon, my daughter and nephews decorating the sign for the four wheeler.

We wanted an eggless cake and a local girl who bakes as a hobby sold her first cakes to us.  She went above and beyond to find the most amazing eggless cake recipe and then perfected it. 

This handsome couple graced the top of my parents' wedding cake many years ago.

Perennial Gardens

We did a "first look". Then I put on his boutonniere

I was trying so hard not to cry.

I love this girl!

Ok Ok, I had to throw a little bit of Yooper in there.

I can't believe we all fit inside. My family did an amazing job moving everything into the house.

I wish we could do it again.

Love is an Open Door

A selfie I sent to Vernon on Valentine's Day

I'd like to post more often than I do but I don't always have the time so I thought I'd post various songs that have some relevance in our relationship. Some for the both of us, some more for me than him and vice versa.

Ever since I saw the movie Frozen I fell in love with the music.  Had to get the soundtrack immediately.  I listen to it every day on my commute to and from work which is about a 50 minute drive.  I know these songs and I sing along. This particular song reminds me of me and Vernon, our relationship and how fast it grew.  We are in sync with each other and have had similar experiences, much like Anna and Hans.  I absolutely love this song.

Two New Years and One Valentine's Day

One of the things that make a long distance relationship difficult is a holiday.  People want to spend the holidays with their loved ones, whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, or in this case, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day.

New Year's Eve is when couples share their first kiss of the year.  Vernon and I had an amazing 2013 by getting married and introducing him to my extended family who welcomed him with open arms.  We are excited for 2014 because this is going to be a great year for the both of us.  Our kids are becoming adults and we are enjoying calling each other husband and wife.  We celebrated 2013 and watched the fireworks over Big Ben and the London Eye.  Vernon turned the computer around so I could see and he sat on the floor.  We were in a silly mood, and had a toast at Midnight Greenwich Mean Time/ 6pm Central Standard Time.  We both had a root beer.

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Then... 6 hours later at Midnight Central Standard Time we had another toast! I was just planning on going to bed after talking to Vern earlier and he says, "I'll set my alarm early tomorrow and we can see in your New Year".  I wasn't even going to ask him to get up early so I was happy that he wanted to do this.  We had a second toast, root beer for me again and I think he had coffee. I had fallen asleep from 11 to 11:30 so I was not as silly as I was earlier. He caught me dozing too as he tried calling me and I didn't pick up right away. He knows me too well. 

Vernon has not missed one Valentine's Day.  He is always so thoughtful and gets me something wonderful every year.  The packages arrived a week early and I was anxious to open them.  A small box from Amazon and a bigger box from Barnes and Noble cried my name every day... "Kimberly! Open Me!" No matter how much I begged, he would not let me open them.  Then finally, February 13, late at night I got to Google Hangout with Vernon while he got ready for work and I got to open my presents! They were perfect!

Leave a comment below and let me know how you celebrate New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day with your loved ones.  I'm curious to see what will happen on Valentine's Day if we ever spend one together. 

"Do you want a slow dance or not"

Fourteen years. We have been together for fourteen years.  Sometimes I just can't believe it has been that long, and yet I can't seem to remember a time when I didn't know Vernon.  It's as if he's been with me my entire life.  Vernon's been working on a project going through our old emails, trying to get them organized. He found a very important one, one I really don't remember typing, yet I remember those feelings like it was yesterday.  I sent him an email after 2 1/2 months of exchanging letters, emails and what I think was one phone call where I paced up and down the living room holding note cards with things to talk about because I didn't want him to think I was a moron. I was shocked to see the date of this email, because like I said, I remember the feelings, it's everything else that's a bit of a blur.  This email defines our relationship now.  This email really expresses our connection to each other at such an early point in our friendship.  I've omitted the babbling and boring bits.

 To:  VERNON PHILLIPS
Date:  8 December 1999, 00:48
I hate this!  I really hate this!  Vernon, aren't we supposed to be JUST
pen pals?  I am having a bad week.  This is going to be unlike any email
you have ever gotten from me.  I am having a bad week.  I am lonely.  I
am very lonely.  It has been a really REALLY long time since I felt
loved, secure and happy.  Then you had to say you wanted to dance with
me, "slow".  My stomach took a jump when I read that.  No one ever said
that to me before.  Not even my husband.  I don't want to fall for you
but you are not making it easy for me.   You are too damn nice and
really funny and easy to talk to.  I don't even know what you look like
and I don't care.  I was really sad this past weekend when you didn't
call.  Really sad.  I'm crying now.  I am also getting the impression
that you are falling for me.  I hope not.  It would be impossible, just
impossible.  We are too far apart and we both have kids that really
can't leave the country.  Sometimes I find myself daydreaming and it's
of me and you and i am in your arms and we are dancing so close and so
slow... Also, if you are falling for me, guys are different than
girls, you may not like the way I look.  I'm not skinny.

 ....You are so wonderful to me Vern, I really
like you.  I guess I just have to get out and meet some friends up here
in Michigan.  Then maybe I wouldn't feel so lonely.  I love your emails,
you are so sweet.   

....I think you are very special and I
think of you all the time... all the time.  I just felt like spilling my
guts to you tonight.  I miss you and hope you write soon.
Thinking of you...
Kimberly xxoo

Now this is Vernon's response to my gut spilling email.

To: Kimberly Jimenez
Date: 9 December 1999, 20:00
Our relationship, being what it is, prevents either of us from falling
too far. I do think about you a lot, and it's clear from reading your
letter that your thoughts have echoed mine, with regards to the
impossibility of our relationship ever going beyond a certain point.
We both have our own lives, our own families, children etc. I would
love to think that we could meet one day in the not so distant future,
but I don't want you to think that I am messing with your mind. I'm
sorry that you are lonely, I know that feeling all too well. 

 ....As usual I am unable to spend the right amount
of time on this letter, and for that I apologise. You deserve a better
effort from me, but before I write again I have to ask, would you
rather I was JUST a pen pal. Your friendship is important to me, and I
don't want it to end, but I don't want to become a problem for you, so
I suppose it's a question of "Do you want a slow dance or not" :-)
Until the next time,
-Vern.

Well, you all know the answer to that question.

Teeny Tiny Penises and CUPCAKES!

I had been busy planning the wedding and the closer it got to the big day the more stressed I became.  My friend Heather asked if she could throw me a bridal shower and bachelorette party.  I immediately said no, it just wasn't necessary.  I felt I was too old, I don't have any bridesmaids to help out and I didn't want my friend to take on this burden alone.  She insisted and convinced me to have these gatherings.  Boy am I glad I listened to her!  What fun they were. My girlfriend put together the nicest parties I could have asked for.  I also really needed the "me" time because I hadn't done anything for myself in months.

The bachelorette party was pretty low key, at my request.  We had my favorite...pizza! There was a game of pin the kiss on the shirtless guy and penis shaped swizzle sticks, (because she couldn't find penis shaped straws at the last minute).  We did have fun with the penis shaped swizzle sticks.

Another wonderful day was my bridal shower.  I couldn't have asked for a nicer time.  Heather and her girls really went all out.  The food was amazing and she came up with such clever games.  Everyone there had a great time.  There was only one slight mishap.... we had to search for safety pins in a bowl of rice, blindfolded.  When it was my daughter Heidi's turn we placed a frosted cupcake in front of her instead of the rice... let's just say I ended up with cupcake all over my dress from a hostile shower guest.  It was great! At the wedding expo I signed up to register at Presents of Mine and I'm so glad I did. I got a lot of really beautiful items for our future home together. 

I felt so blessed and so loved after this amazing weekend of a girls night out and then an afternoon of great food and laughs.  I don't feel I could ever thank Heather enough for everything she has done for me.  What a wonderful start to the wedding I've been waiting a long time for.

We Watched a Movie Together!

Vernon and I don't get to do normal traditional every day things that normal married couples get to do, like cooking, eat breakfast together, or watch a movie on the weekend.  Vern suggested we watch a movie together. We tried to do it before at my request and I felt like Vern really wasn't into it and we never were able to get it together.  The idea was just forgotten.  Then last week Vern suggested we watch a movie together, he seemed excited about the idea, told me to get a list of movies together and he'd check what he had for streaming.  I rented the movie Fargo. I have never seen this movie and neither has Vern.  It's a classic, won a bunch of awards, it's time I see this one! Wow was it good! He and I really enjoyed it! How did we do this you ask?  This is what we did....

We were on a Google hangout, as always. I had a dvd, he has a streaming subscription to Love Films and Now and maybe Netflix too.  He found this film and we pressed play at the same time.  It was awful! They were several second out of sync, I couldn't understand my TV because Vernon's TV was so loud (due to his hearing problem).  I then had the idea to mute my TV, but it was out of sync and kind of annoying.  After several quick pauses and short FF I got it synced PERFECTLY! It was about 10 minutes into the film but it was great! We could talk to each other during the movie, laughing and commenting on it to each other, and I really felt like we were together.  Vernon was amused by the way they spoke.  Yes it was a bit exaggerated but VERY similar to the way they talk up here in Da U.P. Eh. and the way they go about their lives and how they are so laid back and easy going. Yup, that's us in the Midwest! It was so much fun.  Vernon was amused by the scene I posted in the clip below. If you haven't seen Fargo I suggest you do very soon. It's great!

Missing Him Terribly

We got married!  The wedding was small and beautiful; and the reception was a fantastic celebration where he could meet my extended family and friends.  I promise I will post details, photos and video later.  I regretfully got away from blogging and I do miss it very much.  Things have been crazy and my mood hasn't been the best. Today's post will be a short one, but an important one.

One day last week a song came on the radio as I was pulling into the parking lot at work.  I had to sit in the lot for a while because this song made me cry.  It made me think of Vernon and I miss him so much.  Every time this song is on the radio I cry.  I absolutely love that it is by the Goo Goo Dolls, I have always loved their music.

He went back home to the UK just a couple days after the reception. It was a very sad day for the both of us and by far the most difficult goodbye we've had to do. Since then it's been back to the usual, chatting for a short time every day and video hangouts on the weekends. I cry a lot more because it's been 14 years and we are finally married but still apart. There are many factors both obvious and personal as to why we are not together, but one day we hope that will change.