When people ask how long we have been married I know exactly what's coming next. After the answer is given their heads jerk back while their eyes stay still in true Looney Tunes fashion.
This is always proceeded with a question about children and if they exist. The tone almost implies that the length of our marriage must certainly be tied to an unplanned pregnancy or perhaps an arranged shotgun style arrangement that has become tradition in exotic West Virginia.
In either case the answer is no or NO!
It's during these circumstances that I wish I had a t-shirt that read: I've hads me a wife and she done not preggienant or under eighteen.
Once all of the pertinent wedding history has been recited, and after being asked about kids for the second time, they kinda stare and look at your nine years of bliss as if it's a carnival freak show. Especially when they ask the wife — because of her ageless beauty they naturally assume she was married at the ripe age of fifteen.
Of course this is not so.
Too bad for them, the ones who apparently can not believe that any one would be married for so long without bearing children, as if that was the only reason to get hitched in the first place. Suckas.
Tonight I celebrated my ninth wedding anniversary to the prettiest, most remarkable and smartest person I know. I'm one hell of a happy and lucky guy.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
Gongratulation, Greg! You must be very happy and I can only wish I could find someone like that someday!
About children... that's a difficult choice. I mean, we DO need more people like you in the gene pool, but hey, it's your life! And besides, taking care of a todler will certainly mean less posting on Airbag ;)
Congradulations!
Wooah, nine years! Congrats! Have any kids? ;)
... Do you plan on having any?
Oh god! Here in .es is exactly the same.
1) If u live with a woman without getting married the first quesion: "When will u get married" ?
2) When u get married and u have been like 1 year living together, next quesion: "Kids when?"
What will be next when u have a kid? Couple when?
The neverending story!
Does this mean you are adopting?
Greg,
Definite congrats! Nine years and you still feel like you do toward your wife is a damned fine testimony to your calibre!
I know of what you speak, too: my wife (of almost two years) and I face that same damned question every day: what compounds it is that I am in my 40's, and my wife is in her late 30's; talk about guilt trips!
Truth be known: we want to have a child or two, when finances start trying to work out. We still have time... some time, that is... damn... I better get upstairs!!!!! ;-)
Families come in all types and sizes. For some, two is a wise and perfect fit. Congratulations!
Congrats!
Congratulations, Greg!
Tonight is also my anniversary of being married to the prettiest, most remarkable and smartest person I know. :)
We've been together for 10 years, and are still enjoying the honeymoon. However, we also have a beautiful 6 year old daughter that has made the ride all that much more swell. ;)
Have a great celebration, and props to you.
Jay Jones
Congrats!
Jason, yes I'm going to adopt you, start packing your bags boy daddy is coming for you.
My wife and I have been married 11 years.
We waited 8 years before adding to the family. The first few years people constantly asked about kids. After 5 years, most assumed we couldn't have them and stopped asking!
We just wanted to enjoy the 2 of us before making it 3.
Now we are 4!
My wife and I, married four years this November, get that a lot, too. We're young-ish, I guess, so various family members always ask the same thing. My wife usually respondes with, "Eww, No! Babies are gross!" while I clarify and say something like, "Eh, maybe when I'm making more than $11/hr we'll think about babies." This usually shuts them up. heh...
Congrats! Hope you two have a great anniversary!
Thanks for giving marriage some good press (for once). My sweetie and I are working on 16 months since the wedding bells, but we're loving every minute of it... and intend on keeping it that way!
Congratulations on making it this far! I hope there are many more wonderful years ahead of you two!
Congrats, too. We celebrated our 14th a week ago, 17 years total living together. Being together is like building a house together. Some days you work in the same room pounding away to finish out the room, some days you work in different parts of the house, and some days you just take off.
We waited 6 years after getting married to have little ones. I'd rather see well adjusted people with someone special in their lives (whether married or not) than people crazed by children they don't want and/or can't handle. Besides, parenting is way hard. I'm one of 7 kids and you'd think I know something about rasing our kids. I still don't.
Yes, I'll add my congrats to you and your wife as well. May you live happily e'er after!
Of course not having kids means that you are a prime target for right wing conservative groups who believe that marriage exists between a man and a woman solely to have children. As you said, "Suckas!"
It's always nice to hear a couple say they're perfectly happy being a family of two. There are more of us kidfree people around than others realize. Maybe someday we won't be regarded as freakshow denizens.
May you enjoy many more years of 'just the two of you.'
Good show, old boy. Glad to hear you kids are so happy.
Congradulations on surviving the gauntlet of the cartoon head jerk and stares.
Congrats! My wife and I celebrated thirteen years of weddedness last week. Our son is 17 months old, so we waited almost 12 years (I think that's how the math works out). We, too, were commonly asked about being married for so long sans child. Most of those who asked (including my own parents) assumed one or both of us was incapable of producing (not the case) children.
Congrats Greg!
My wife and I are due to celebrate our one 1 year next weekend. That's one year being married, NO TIME SPENT TOGETHER! We actually live 1800 miles apart.
I am in the Marine Corps and she is in the Army. I don't think there is any better way to learn about communication than when all of your conversations take place over the phone.
Hopefully in the next few months we'll both be transferring to different bases and will be able to live closer together.
Congrats to you again and have fun! ;)
Some who know us might be tempted to think that Greg has his dates a bit mixed up since this post is dated the 27th, but he took me to a wonderful (fabulous, delicious, best ever!) dinner and as such the post was not made until after midnight on the 26th.
I love him dearly.
Congrats! Nine years is a long time these days they say.
Imagine the looks you will get when you are married 17 years, have no children and look a whole lot younger than 40. That would be our life. Something to look forward to.
I always tell people that I am almost 50, but not having children has kept me looking much younger.
Me and the mis'us have been married 5 years with no kids and no plans for kids. When folks ask me "Do you have any kids?" I say, "Yep, two. Me and her."
I usually get that PC-Hour-Glass blank stare for a few seconds followed by that laugh that people do when the don't get the joke but don't want to look stupid.
Greg,
When I come and visit you can watch my three kids for a few hours. We'll see how that effects your attitude toward kids . . .
I know a few married couples without kids and they're some of the hippest people I know. Coincidence? Anyway, congratulations!
Nine years of marriage, congrats, to you and the rocket scientist.
Hey, I've had 33 years with no kids. The questions eventually stop, and I guess after a while "inquiring minds" also stop wanting to know. Congrats on 9 great years...
Congrats++
My wife and I are just beginning the gauntlet of family expectations that widely miss the mark. Glad to know that it's possible to survive it. Fight the good fight!
BIG congrats dude. Got me beat. I celebrated my 6th on the 26th. I say I becuase my wife forgot. You heard me. Full story: http://www.biggestapple.net/
My wife and I just celebrated our 5th, hasn't helped with the "inquiring minds" yet though.
Anyway, congrats from across the pond.
- Jonas
Congratulations, here's to the next nine! *gives out a free drink*
***this could be me speaking***
first off congrats on the anniversary!
secondly, my darling wife and I have been experiencing the same exact thing for several years now. Next month will actually be our 11th anniversary (gasp!) and like you, we have yet to give parenthood a go.
My wife has been in school getting her PhD for the past 5 years, so at least we can provide some excuse when people look at us with crazed eyes and arched brows.
Plus, we have the sweetest Beagle named Murphy who does a great job at fulfilling any parenting itch.
congrats again and here's to many more!