family - Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Nineteen years of marriage! On May 25, John and I will celebrate nineteen years of marriage! My, how time flies when you’re having fun! Why, it seemed like just yesterday when…

…I explained ever so lovingly to my sweet Daddy that I would like to have my two brothers walk me down the aisle when John and I married. Daddy had the honor at my first wedding, but he had become more feeble over the years. I knew I would be the one holding him up, if he escorted me.

If you know me, you know I can cry real tears at the drop of a hat. I inherited that tender-hearted trait from my Daddy. I could well imagine him sobbing, hanging on my arm, and shedding rivers of tears, all while I’m carrying him down the aisle and trying not to cry!

In addition, I wanted my two brothers as a “show of force.” I had been through one divorce, and I wanted to make sure John was absolutely positive this would be a “forever” marriage. I’m pretty sure he imagined the brothers with guns hidden under their jackets! And that’s ok. …We looked back at our weddings pictures, and saw a stranger! All my family from Mississippi had driven over to Louisiana for the nuptials. I couldn’t wait to see the group shots with my whole family. Every single person!

Turns out, my great-niece had brought one of her little friends along to keep her company. This friend was in EVERY SINGLE family picture we took. As a matter of fact, she showed up in my in-law’s family picture, too!

What a memory! After nineteen years we still laugh about our “adopted” relative in the wedding pictures. …I burst into tears on our honeymoon.

No, it wasn’t the nightmare you may be imagining! We went to Natchez, MS, a very historic and quaint town, with many antebellum homes and a slew of antique stores. John and I love to browse through antique shops.

On the way out of one store, I glanced at a picture hanging above the door – and promptly burst into tears! It looked just like a framed picture my Mama had in our home growing up. I had such fond memories of that picture, and eventually Mama gave it to me. I never hung it, because my ex-husband didn’t really care for it.

After the divorce, I had a garage sale, and sold that beautiful picture for $10. Money was tight, and I knew I would need to down-size. A month or so after the sale, I was visiting friends and saw the picture! It was the same, except with a different frame. I asked about it, and they told me it had been in their family for many years. I told them the story of my picture, and selling it for $10.00. They almost fainted. “It’s an antique! It’s worth much more than that!”

When I saw that picture in the Natchez antique store, all the pre-wedding and wedding emotions came pouring out! As we walked around the block, I flooded my new husband with tears, and told him the story of “my” picture. He went back to the store and bargained with the owner to buy the picture. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough cash with us! Not to be outdone, John and I walked up and down the streets of that little town looking for an ATM – and found one. He purchased the picture and gave it to me as a wedding gift! Mama and Daddy had not known about me having to sell their precious picture. After the honeymoon, I did finally had to ‘fess up. I cried, my Daddy cried, Mama shed a few tears and I think John may have cried a bit himself. Mama and Daddy had loved John from the get-go, because he always opened my car door for me (still does). After they found out he purchased “my” family picture, to be hung on the walls of our home, they loved him even more! Yep, time sure does fly when you’re having fun!