Most of the time it is the man who forgets his anniversary, but in our family it is me.  What woman forgets her wedding day?  In my defense, July 26th is just not a good day to get married.  So if you are considering marriage dates, don’t pick the end of July!  There will always be a family reunion, or Scout campout or family vacation at that time. And if you are really dumb and have a child two days before your anniversary you will often have a child’s birthday you are celebrating on or around the day.  June.  June weddings are much better.

The first time I forgot our anniversary we were having both a family reunion at our home AND we were celebrating Cade’s birthday on the 26th.  A woman can handle only so much on her plate in one day, people.  I totally spaced what day it really was until Rock mysteriously disappeared that evening.  I went to the garage to see if he had taken a car.  Staring at the empty spot it suddenly hit me.  He left to buy me flowers because TODAY WAS OUR ANNIVERSARY!!!  In he walked a few minutes later with a  bouquet of flowers for his forgetful wife.  I felt so horrible.  Mortified.  I swore it would never happen again.  

Fast forward a few years to the Roper family reunion at Bear Lake.  Please note that this was not the first time the Ropers had planned a family reunion on our anniversary.  There was one on our first anniversary that we decided not to go to because we wanted to spend it alone together.  But after several years of being married we were fine spending it at a reunion.  I was dealing with cranky kids in a vacation rental far away from home or any kind of calendar and it was not until halfway through the day when I walked into the kitchen to see a big beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting there that I realized with a gasp that they were for me (no card was even needed). I had forgotten my anniversary, not once, but twice now!!!  More mortification.  More promises that it would never happen again. 

Fast forward to this year.  The week before our anniversary I was in WA helping my parents.  I got home late on the 24th, Cade’s birthday, and then had to throw a birthday party the next day, the 25th.  That morning Rock’s Grandpa passed away. Our hearts were sad and our minds were wrapped up in how and when we would get to the funeral.  As if that weren’t enough we had to get Reagan ready for a 50 mile, week long campout with the scouts.  Pack check in was that night.  Oh and my sisters were staying with us that night as well. So the night we should have been celebrating our anniversary (because the actual day, the 26th, was on a Sunday) we were rounding up bug repellant and smashing a piñata.  The 26th came and almost went.  While sitting at dinner I happened to look at the calendar.  When I realized what day it was, my face turned bright red with embarrassment and then when I realized that Rock had ALSO forgotten what day it was I just started to laugh.  I couldn’t decide whether I was offended he had forgotten or glad that I was no longer the only one in the dog house!  Needless to say we went out the very next night to celebrate fourteen years (and one day) together.   I love my husband for many reasons, but on our anniversary I love him most for his numerical memory and his forgiving nature.