How You Know Your Spouse Really Loves You

Yes, this past weekend was our 12th Anniversary. 12 years of putting up with me, of raising our children together, of allowing me to share her world.

Damn, I'm a lucky man!

You see, I am married to my very best friend, my lovely wife Tina. This weekend we returned to the scene of the crime, the place where I talked her into actually marrying me: the old Wilderness Church at Silver Dollar City. It was there we stood in the 150 year old former one room log cabin schoolhouse/church and spoke our vows before God. And Life has been wonderful ever since.

We took our oldest and youngest with us on this day. Our youngest daughter joined us there as she had been spending the week with friends and their family at nearby Table Rock Lake. We had a glorious time. We wandered around the park; took in a show or two; had a wonderful lunch and generally just had fun.

We began the day at the old church and enjoyed that feeling of standing in this hallowed location, recalling how we felt on that day 12 years ago. We spoke with the pianist and found that the man who wed us, Pastor Bob, was still alive and well, although no longer officiating over weddings. You see, he is now 92 years old. 92! When he married us in 2003 he looked just like Charlton Heston as Moses at the end of The Ten Commandments, white hair and beard and all.

After standing in the church once more, we wandered about, no set plan in place; rather simply enjoying the sights and sounds. We watched a show set on the old town square while our youngest and I played checkers on an old time pickle barrel set with a board on top (he beat me) before we headed down to the kids area where Caleb created a special cookie for himself then a frisbee complete with a cool paint job. They had a wheel set up where the frisbee would be set and a motor to spin it. Paint bottles were available for children to drizzle paint onto the spinning frisbee, thus creating a one of a kind color scheme just for him. He chose the colors, drizzled them in place himself and now has a cool frisbee to remember this day from.

Then, we decided to go take in a show. But not just any show: for the first time, the Harlem Globetrotters were in attendance. None of the children had seen their show so off we went to get into line. At noon. For a 2:00 PM show.

And people were already there. The area seats roughly 900 so we knew we would get in but really, it was quite a wait. We brought a doggie sized stroller with a cooler and drinks, some snacks and shared these with our family and our friend's family as we waited in the scorching heat. Once 1:30 came they allowed us in and we found seats close to the front but not too close. Or so I thought.

The time came and the show started and while it wasn't the full show it was full of hijinks and silliness. We became part of the Globetrotters history when we were showered with the water bucket trick that I have seen on TV countless times before. One of the players walked up our aisle and asked me if we needed any water. I knew what was coming and sure enough, it came.

They came chasing one another and up went the bucket, out came the water and we got wet. It was a hoot! Then came the second part where the bucket of paper strips made its way into the crowd. Everyone laughed and had a blast.

We took our youngest son down for an autograph session afterwards and snapped pictures will each player. Everyone was smiling widely and laughing, and this was family time well spent.

We ate a nice leisurely lunch together then went our separate ways, the other family and ours. We ended up back at the square where our youngest took his turn tossing bean bags at the dunk tank and dropping the unlucky (or lucky, as it was really hot) into the cold water below.

As I stated, a nice leisurely day spent with my family. How lucky can a man be?

But I still haven't told you how I found out just how much my wife loves me. Well, that came the next day.

We had been invited down by the friend's family to their place on Table Rock so we loaded up to head out around mid-morning. My lovely wife decided we needed to go fishing below Table Rock Dam on upper Lake Taneycomo first so we headed that way. Now, if you have never been to Taneycomo you must first realize it is a cold water fishery. That is to say, the water comes from below Table Rock Lake and is cold; I mean c-o-l-d! Like, 45 degrees F cold.

And that is where I found out how much she loves me. We went wading in 45 degree F water, casting and fishing for trout. It was in the 90's, and she stood right there with me in water less than half the ambient temperature, casting and casting for a long time with our son and I. He caught his first Rainbow Trout, a beautiful 14" with gorgeous markings. She failed to catch anything, but had numerous strikes and had a ball. I hooked one on my fly rod then handed it to our son to fight. It pulled away, he would bring it back. It ran again, he brought it back. Finally it broke the line but the smiles all around made it a success.

Then, as often happens, our day was interrupted by a group who basically had no idea of what they were doing. They came down to the bank and stepped into the water right beside us, between us, and around us. Perhaps a dozen or so adults and children splashing around, playing. Not fishing, just wading and jumping and walking so close we couldn't cast. The look on my wife's face said it was time to leave so we did. Off to the lakeside area of our friends.

Just over 30 minutes later we found ourselves on their road and followed the winding way through some delightful A frame cabins down to the former convention center they now owned. It has been retrofitted to become a more homey place complete with a pool beside the lake. Our son and I spent some time wading along the bank fishing but the water was too high and too choppy for good fishing. But he enjoyed swimming in the lake water until we headed back up to the pool where he swam some more with our daughter and her friends. Our friends showed us around and made us feel quite welcome, then we all sat beside the pool and watched the kids swim the day away. Later a poolside cookout completed the day and afterwards we waved goodbye but not before we were invited back in two weeks for a weekend of more lakeside fun.

How nice it is to have such friends.

As we drove home in the darkening skies we talked and laughed about our weekend, about how much we loved being together on these little trips around the area. And I reflected on my finding out how much I am loved by this wonderful woman. Standing in chilled water fishing for those elusive trout beside me with a smile on her face. And finding out she loved it so much we are going back for more soon!

Damn, I AM a lucky man!!!