Ballet Reprise

When I was Emma-Caroline's age, I took ballet and tap at a little dance studio just around the corner from where we lived. I loved it, and still remember the recital dances and songs we did that year. I've kept those costumes, a hula and cheerleader outfits, all these years and just recently spotted them hanging in the closet, shimmering in the light as if to say, "It's time for Emma-Caroline to wear me!" So out they came and pics were made in the same pose I did as a 4 year old for the recital pics. What wonderful memories to be able to share with my own little ballerina!

Me as a 4 year old ballerina
Emma-Caroline in my hula costume

I'm a hula, hula, baby . . .

Football Cheer costume. The "M" and color combo is for Memphis. I suppose if I had lived in Knoxville as a 4 year old, my costume may have been UT orange with a big orange T.

Such is Life!

Howie and I were both working on our Master's degrees before we were engaged. I was getting mine at UT and Howie was attending Arizona State University (ASU) in Phoenix. We moved Howie out to Phoenix in the hottest part of the year. I have never before felt like I was actually standing and walking around in an oven. It was very surreal. After boarding the plane at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, I cried as the plane left the ground, knowing that Howie and I would spend the next year or so apart as we both finished up our Master's degrees at our respective universities. On one of my trips to visit Howie, I was surprised by a proposal.

(Our first home in Phoenix, Arizona. Howie looks angry in this picture, but it was just the sun in his eyes )

Howie took me to a beautiful restaurant called "Such is Life". We had planned on becoming engaged, but the time and place of the proposal was to be determined by Howie. I was convinced that it would be on this trip, but as the time grew nearer to my departure, I was increasingly convinced that this was not going to be it. At the restaurant I, as my Scarlett O'Hara self, was bitterly complaining about how hard it was to be apart and to not know when we were finally going to have an official engagement. Suddenly as the violins serenaded us at our table, and I pouted with tears streaming down my face, I looked up to see a little black box with my engagement ring. The rest is history. Howie had wanted to make sure that his proposal was a definite surprise. Although I don't like to admit that I was so pouty, I am glad that our engagement was a surprise.

Avery House Beginnings

Howie and I met each other in the summer of 1995 while we were in college at UT. We were both RA's and in training before the start of the new year. In those days, Howie wore his hair long, tanned for the better part of the day and spoke with a very thick New York accent

(A picture of Howie that I took when we first met.

This was not his car, but don't you think it should have been?)

The moment I saw him and heard that New York accent, I was in love. We became friends and later started dating. Our first date was at the Hermitage room at UT on Howie's bonus bucks. It was a wonderful first date, and I will always treasure the fact that Howie didn't let his lack of money keep him from wanting to take me out to lunch and show me a good time. As we are getting ready to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary, I am so happy that I met that boy from New York. It has been a wonderful 14 years and counting.