The one thing that was so different about Clay from all the other guys I dated was that he made me laugh. Uncontrollable belly laughing. I’d never met a guy so goofy, so comfortable making fun of me and himself and just so gosh darn HAPPY! His faces, his sound affects, his impersonations, the one-liners, the sarcasm and best of all, the stories. Everyday when he comes home from work I’ll ask if he’s got a good story for me or he’ll excitedly call me during his lunch break and say, “Hey, I gotta tell ya story.” I love his stories.
I love his old stories the best, some of them I’ve heard four- bazillion times, but occasionally he’ll tell me one I’ve never heard and that’s when I think, wow, I’m still getting to know him after all these years.
I know that what I have with Clay is extraordinary. I don’t take it for granted. I’m always touched when I get a comment about how wonderful our marriage is from a reader that has never met us and for that reason, I thought some of you might get a kick out of some facts about us.
1. When I first met Clay I thought he was really weird. Weird looking, weird dresser…just plain weird.
2. It didn’t take me long to be friends with Clay, because he made me laugh. I still thought he was weird.
3. I thought Clay would really like my sister.
4. I realized I was in love with Clay while watching him change a tire on the shoulder of Interstate-35.
5. I met Clay when I was 18 years old, during my freshman year in college.
6. I once said to a high school girlfriend, “I think I’m going to marry a guy from Missouri.” for no particular reason, other than I didn’t want to marry a guy from my home town in Kansas.
7. Clay is from Missouri.
8. We never went on a first date. He never asked me out on a date, we just…were.
9. I gave back my engagement ring to him two months before our wedding because he was irritating the crap out of me. Then I hid outside his open window to hear his reaction to the note I wrote him. It wasn’t pretty.
10. I got my ring back the same night. My point was made. He got a job the next day.
11. We shared one car for the first five years of our marriage.
12. We make fun of each other more than any other people I know.
13. We rarely hurt each others feelings.
14. Clay wouldn’t talk about getting married or engaged when we were dating because he thought it would ruin the moment.
15. I almost broke up with him because he wouldn’t talk about our future. He begged for me to be patient.
16. He had already bought my engagement ring when I was throwing the fit about him not talking about our future.
17. He has since realized it would have been better for him to talk about our future. He’s lucky I’m so patient.
18. One time I pointed out a beautiful antique wedding set with a round diamond in a square setting to him in hopes that he would know what kind of ring I would like. I also stated very clearly that I did NOT like a marquee setting.
19. He bought me the most contemporary ring with an oval diamond in a marquee setting. I still wear that ring, because he picked it out for me and he likes it.
20. A few years ago I asked him for a little necklace for my birthday, something small that I could wear all the time.
21. He picked out a strange scrolly thing with a bunch of diamonds. I was so embarrassed to wear it I hid it under my sweater. But, this time he knew I didn’t like it.
22. I returned the hideous necklace and bought the one I liked. I wear it all the time and he constantly says, “Wow, I really like that necklace I got for you.”
23. I have begged him not to ever buy me jewelry again….ever. He’s graciously agreed.
24. He also can’t buy me clothes or really anything for the house.
25. I do still own the first Christmas present he bought for me, it’s a men’s Calvin Klein bath robe and I really do like it.
26. I really do like him too.
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I loved this post! And I love that he got you a ring you didn’t like! And I love that you wear it!
I’ve always wanted my husband to buy me a necklace that I could wear all the time. He’s tried a couple of times, but he just didn’t get it right.
This thing sounds like it’s working to me……love you both.
This is my favorite post of all you’ve written (though it does rival your family dancing). No wonder I keep coming back for more!
Susan
Awww, yay!
You are beautiful together, and we love all your stories!
Someone who has a beautiful, boisterous laugh with someone who makes it happen. Sounds like a perfect match!
So….no jewelry, clothes or things for the house. You’re makin’ it kinda hard for him to find a 40th B-day present, don’t ya think? (My dh gave me a public Sweet Adelines serenade for mine!)
You can really “SEE” the love — congrats!!
How sweet..another lovely post…made me smile…
Beautiful…
You two are awesome.
Lovely!! I know your life isn’t “perfect” but it is absolutely PERFECT for you!! Congratulations to you and Clay on finding and keeping love! Adore your blog, keep up the good work!
The laughter that the two of you share echos through your post. It’s evident that your children also have great senses of humor. It’s really nice to hear someone talk about a seasoned marriage as if it were a new relationship – with happiness and excitement.
I don’t see how any marriage could survive without a sense of humor. I enjoyed these tidbits of information.
THANKS FOR SHARING… IT REMINDED ME OF WHEN BLUE EYES AND I FELL IN LOVE 27 THOUSAND YEARS AGO THIS YEAR. HE TOO MADE ME LAUGH AND I KNEW I COULDN’T BE WITHOUT HIM.
HUGS FROM MAINE
We have the same rules about jewelry, clothes and decor.
Oh to be a fly on the wall.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You two are perfect for each other. It’s a joy to be around people like you (in person or on the blogosphere) who clearly get so much joy out of life and out of being together. It’s easy to see that one of Clay’s best qualities is his sense of humor, and I do think that is such an important thing in life and in a marriage. He does make some funny faces, but even when he’s making funny faces right at you April, there is no mistaking the love in his eyes that is underneath it. That’s something special and rare. I know because I look for these things, and there are just a handful of couples with whom I’ve been able to see it. It’s probably there for more, but in a very few people it just shines in their faces, and it is a wonder to behold.
I’ve tried telling my girls that the weird ones are the BEST! I felt the same way about my husband and we are sickeningly happy together also!
That’s sweet. Lovely to hear about ‘true love!’
You two are so blessed to have found each other! I love your family and wish you’d adopt me. I was telling my best friend in our weekly phone call (we live in different parts of the country)about the video with Clay and the bees, and laughing the whole time I was describing it. Seriously, what you have is so special – your joy in being together is so evident in your posts, and it’s a pleasure to get a glimpse of it. Keep posting – I love you guys!
You two have got ‘it’. Keep it.
- perfect – appreciating each other is also a key element – you two are so cute!
Love this.
Great post.
Loved this. Every couple may seem perfect but we all have our little side stories, or weirdness.
You and Clay are so very lucky. I’m jealous of the love you two share. Take care of it and each other.
Awww, doggone it! I have to go call my husband and tell him how much I love him.
I have a diary that I kept from the moment I met my husband. I just kinda “knew” he was the one. It’s so fun to go back and re-read it.
Thanks for sharing!
Loved today post!! It is truely very sweet that you still wear the ring that he picked out for you…even though it doesn’t suit your taste. It is what it is symbolic of!!
My husband bought me a ring I didn’t like too! It also didn’t fit. However, I’ve grown to love the ring and I got it stretched (a couple times, but we won’t go there.) How’s that for true love.
The picture sums it all up! I love the your chicken baby
)
Okay, an hour or so after reading this my husband called me from work. I answered by saying “Oh, I’m so happy it’s you!” And he said “Isn’t it funny how after 17 years we’re still the only two people in the world for each other?”
Cue catch in throat.
True love is a wonderful thing! Many, many more years of happiness to the two of you.
So Sweet!! And funny, of coarse!
My husband has always bought me jewlery, clothes, appliances–pretty much everything.I do the decor. There have been a few things I didn’t like but mostly he has a great feel for my personal taste. On the other hand, I seldom buy anything for him.Once I bought a far out tie that he did wear occasionally. He always got complements and we would laugh.
It is a joy to see people who really get what being married and loving is all about.
Laughter is everything! Weird means wonderful.
My husband once bought me a beautiful sweather…in a size small. I’m not a small. I’m about 5’8″ and not small. He also bought me a pearl necklace. Pearls are not something you can wear very often.
OMGosh, you just described my husband and myself!! We started dating our Sr. year in high school though. He bought me a necklace that I still wear to this day the Christmas before we got married – a precious gold cross with a small diamond in the middle. I also gave back the ring about 10 months before we got married but it took almost 4 months for it to be back on my finger.
We are so comfortable with each other as well and make the most fun of each other too. He’s got old stories to tell that crack me up and he writes me poems and gives me one liners on a daily basis, maybe that’s almost hourly basis.
Now 17 years later, it’s still like a honeymoon.
Thanks April and Clay for sharing your story with us – it’s also so fun to read and relate to.
Ohh, so sweet! I’m cracking up over you hiding outside his window to hear the reaction to your note. HILARIOUS!
An absolutely lovely post!
Many thanks…
;o)
- Lee
Parents who like each other AND love each other: PRICELESS GIFT TO YOUR KIDS!
Loved it. My husband makes me laugh too..he is a keeper after 30 years!
How refreshing…thanks for sharing.
I’m lucky! Mine buys me jewellery I love!
And I still have the 1st gift he gave me, a blue fleece bathrobe that has now been through 2 kids and is still going strong
And mine is weird too. And we laugh.
Thanks for reminding me how much I love mine
Very sweet! Thanks for posting this.
Yeah, mine’s pretty darn quirky too. I knew when we were trading insults with wild abandon that this might work
Sounds like you two were meant for each other.
This is a wonderful post. Full of love. Thank you for sharing that.
So sweet…you guys are true soulmates.
In college so many of the young women wanted to marry doctors or lawyers. Me? I just wanted someone that could make me laugh. That’s what I did and I’m still married 24 years later. My friends, sadly aren’t.
I’m glad you found one that could make you laugh too.
This is such a great post! It’s so nice to see a woman who says nice things about her husband. How funny that you still have the bath robe!