Summer Fun and Then Some….

What did I tell you, two weeks into summer and I’ve already missed 2 blog post deadlines. I knew it was bound to happen. So, I decided to put out a special post for Thursday.

This post is on a more personal note then any of my other ones, chalk full of iPhone photography lol and personal family info.

I hope you enjoy it!

Sunday, June 1st was my 12th wedding anniversary.

Twelve years! Honestly in some ways it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long but in others it feels like we’ve always been together and always will be (God Willing).

We met through an online chat room while we were both in high school. I know, risky, stupid, and usually a recipe for disaster. Back then (1998) meeting someone online, no matter the circumstances, was taboo.

We lived over 700 miles apart so it took months before we met in person but when we finally did, we locked eyes, smiled, and just knew. It took 4 years, graduating from high school, moving in together, and learning how to live with each other and our families, for us to finally walk down that aisle. By the time our wedding day came we had been through hell and back and knew without a doubt in either of our minds that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, no matter what.

So, your probably wondering how we spent our 12th wedding anniversary….

We spent it together building a desk for my mother lol it wasn’t all that bad really. It needed to be done before the week started (because she works from home) and we had fun doing it. I even wrote this post on my Facebook account

“I think the fact that we can assemble a piece of furniture

while laughing and flirting with each other after 12 years

is a good sign that we’ve got one hell of a marriage!” 

Of course, the next night we went out and celebrated our anniversary the right way 😉

Building a desk wasn’t the only thing we did Sunday. We also went out, as a family, to Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area’s  24th Annual Native American Culture Festival (sheesh, that’s a mouthful!).

It was our first time attending the event and we were not disappointed!

The event had great historical native american artifacts, wonderful vendors with native american weaponry, jewelry, art and items for your home and amazing Fry Bread. The festival also had speakers that taught about native american games and languages. There was beautiful flute music and exciting Dance and Drum presentations along with blow gun and archery experiences.

I’m half Native American (Piscataway and Cherokee) and half German. Growing up I attended our local Powwows (that my great uncle would organize)  but I haven’t been to a single Native American gathering since leaving high school.

I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I walked into the festival and smelled the herbs smoking in the breeze, heard the flute music calling me to the circle and felt the drums beat within my sole.

I almost cried, I was so happy! 

Here are some pictures from the event.

I want to give a special “Thank You” to the Sycamore Shoals State Historical Area Park Rangers, the vendors, artists, dancers, drummers and singers that made this event special.

Stay tuned for my regularly scheduled blog post on Friday.

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