Paiges Petals: Happy 25th Anniversary to Us!

Today Pat and I celebrate our 25th anniversary. This is a lot to brag about! I remember years ago thinking how far away our 25th would be. It came in such a hurry. I have never written in the blog how we met. It is a really cute story, and a memory I love to play over and over in my head. I was 19 and in between my freshman and sophomore year in college at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. I was living at home in Madill and working at Lake Murray Lodge as a reservationist. It is a resort near Ardmore, Oklahoma. On July 8th, Pat came in to the lodge to check in. He was a “business man” with the corporate car and was in sales. According to him, he was to go to Mexico with a friend that backed out at the last minute, so he joined his mother, Aunt Virginia and his sister, Dianne and her boyfriend. Pat arrived early and because he was so good looking, I was trying to impress him and I upgraded their small villa to a large villa. After all, this was one of the most major requests that we had with our visitors. He proceeded to hang out in the lobby and wait around on his family. By the way, he had on hirachi sandles (what I call Jesus sandles). That struck me as odd because I had never seen any guys around my town wear those. Oh well, he still had my attention. You know what he noticed on me? My yellow pants. Now, I would like to think I could be remembered by something else like my perfect hair, or my wonderful personality. Nope….just the yellow pants or as Pat calls, britches! We kept making eye contact while he hung out in the lobby. His Mom finally arrived and she came to check in. I informed her that her son had already got the keys and I had the pleasure of upgrading he reservation. Bad mistake! She got furious with me and really let me have it. She said that she did not want the large villa because she did not want to hear Pat's Aunt Virginia snore. So, I fixed the reservation. A little while later, Pat called to ask for a roll-away and before he hung up he asked if I was able to date my tenants? Yes I said. So, he asked me out on a date. Well, I had some fixing to do as I had already accepted a date earlier that day with a guy named “Matt” who hung out at the lodge a lot. I had to break the date. I told him that I had to go back to Madill and return money to my mom that I borrowed. After I broke my date, Matt and Pat were playing pool or something in the game room and Pat said “I got a date with that girl up there". Matt's reply was“oh really?” Matt confronted me and I was caught. Oh well! Pat and I went to Ardmore and ate the Pizza Inn. It was great date as we got to know each other. It was Friday now and Pat was leaving to go back home to Arlington. I asked him if he wanted to go to a rodeo and watch my mom ride? He said yes. We went to watch and then he came home to my Mom’s house and spent the night. I must say that looking back on this, this was totally out of Pat's character to spend the night at a strange house with people he barely knew. We continued to have a three year long distance relationship as I finished college. I was cheerleading and involved in sorority for a while, but eventually dropped it and made many trips to Texas. Three years later on April 24, 1984 he proposed and I said “yes” and I would say it all over again!

This is our engagement announcement and picture that