Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Happy Anniversary

August 20, 1983
Teri & Tim

My sister has been married, today, to my Brother-in-Law, Tim, for 25 years. Their Silver Anniversary. It seems like it was just yesterday, that they married, at The Webber Street Church of Christ, on a hot-hot August day, she in long, lace sleeves, and him, so handsome in a tux. They now have 2 children, Brandi, 22, and Dane, 18.

I traipse down memory lane as I think of their marriage, their life together. As I look back, the word "laughter" comes to mind. Through good times and tough times, laughter prevails.

When I think of my sister, of course, memories go back B.T. (Before Tim). We laugh now how we fought, as children, worse than any boys. I swear, kicking and rolling around on the floor, biting and pulling hair.

Our favorite stories consist of Teri's putting bite-marks into her own arm, screaming her head off, and telling Mom that I bit her.

"Mom! Lori bit me!"

We still remember Mom simultaneously driving down Main street and trying to spank me at the same time, while I darted around the back seat, dodging and swearing that I hadn't bitten anyone.

Another popular familiy story is one of my pestering Teri, in our teen years, while we sat in the back seat of Dad's suburban. "You better stop," she warned me. I DIDN'T stop though, and she finally, simply reached behind the back seat, grabbed a torque wrench from the tool box, and cracked me in the elbow with it.

A torque wrench = not a small wrench.

CRACK! I mean, she CRACKED me in the elbow with it. The wrench-to-bone contact was so audible that it scared the bejeesus out of our mother. I was left writhing and laughing my butt off on the floor, while Teri sat back and said "I TOLD you to knock it off."

I never pestered her again. Would YOU?

And by the way, it was also a running joke in the family that only SHE was allowed to beat me up. She was otherwise fiercely protective of me, slapping crap out of any pig-tail pulling boys on the playground.

And Tim. I snapped at him the first time I met him, for telling me where to turn, on the way to Lake-of-the-Woods. I wanted to go MY way! I had no idea where I was going, but I didn't want any instructions! Dammit!

Teri, riding in the front seat, gave me a look that fried me like one of those cartoon people that get struck by lightning.


I decided right then and there that I'd better get about loving this guy, because my sister sure did.

And I did. And I still do. Tim has made me laugh my entire life-since-he-married-Teri, telling stories of our parents at every holiday event, and running the video camera while I drank straight out of Mom & Dad's milk jug. He always threatened to do a slide show with photographs of 1) my hair-do's and 2) all of the guys I dated. Apparently he thinks there were too many of both.

He's my singing buddy. Many's the year we awed annoyed the family at Christmas with our famous Barry Manilow Medley Duet. Let me tell you: It's really somethin.

Ah. It's 25 years now, that they've laughed together, and invited so many to laugh with them. I'm so proud of them, and so happy for them.

I wish I had a copy of their wedding photo, but it seems that I do not. I'll leave you with this one, then, taken a few months ago.


Leave a shout-out for them here, if you'd like, or drop me a line for their e-mail address.

19 comments:

  1. I noticed that you cropped the picture to hide the bite mark scar. Good plan. My brothers and I fought a lot but I usually won. Except for the time I punched my brother in the head and broke my hand. That hurt. Happy Anniversary guys.

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  2. Happy Anniversary Guys!

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  3. Happy anniversary to both of you and here's to making it to 50...

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  4. Anonymous9:08 AM

    Daaaang, 25 years is awesome. Certainly a milepost!

    Congrats you two lovebirds!!

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  6. How great to hear of your laughing, loving 25 years together....I'm wishing you many, many more...

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  7. Happy 25th Terri and Tim!

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  8. Anonymous9:52 AM

    Congratulations on 25 years Tim and Teri. In my book, making it to 25 years of anything is caulse for celebration.

    You are both in my thoughts today.

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  9. Ha ha ha ha ha...I giggled 'til I almost wet my pants. FUNNY sibling stories! I can totally relate. And the torque wrench?? Priceless!!
    Happy anniversary, Teri & Tim!!
    I'm high-fiving you from Oregon :-)

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  10. Anonymous1:12 PM

    Happy 25th! I just hope I'll have as many great years with my husband as you've shared together.

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  11. Happy 'Versary Teri & Tim!!

    Laughter is the perfect word to describe your smiley family!

    Congrats!

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  12. 25 years !!! Thats equal to 75 years in New York City and 1000 years if you are a hollywood star !! So DO NOT move to either of those cities and keep that streak going til 50 !! I will extend 25 NYC yellow taxi double honks (50 total)randomly through the evening in tribute to those years, may it echo through the skyscrapers to wherever you are.HONK HONK !!

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  13. Twenty-five years! That's nearly as long as I've been alive! Happy anniversary to you both.

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  14. I will send an email personally, but I want to wish you 2 the very best.
    But you need to catch up with me,
    Dec 7 (easy to remember)will be 30 years! "Pearl Harbor" wasn't the only place that got bombed it happened in Denmark 30 years ago also...


    Love ya, Richard

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  15. Anonymous6:27 PM

    Happy silver jubileeeeeee!

    Spending 25 years together is one thing and spending it with lots of laughter and joy is another.
    Kudos to you guys! Keep smiling and celebrate many many more of these milestones :-)

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  16. Happy annivesary Teri and Tim!

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  17. Nice tribute to your peeps. Happy Anniversary to 'em!

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  18. You always write soooo well. I laughed through reading this entry. 25 years eh? Amazing:)

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  19. Congratulations! Happy 25th!!!

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