My dear husband is currently on his FOURTH wedding ring.

He lost the first while doing yard work in my parents’ yard.

He lost the second while camping in my parents’ yard.

He wore out the third, green is not a nice color on your finger.

He received the fourth from my parents. But, there is quite a story behind the fourth.

One of the things I truly love about Bret is that he is a minimalist and really doesn’t need much. He didn’t want me to spend our hard earned money on a new ring for him….but as he was leaving for New York for 2 weeks, I really wanted him to have a new ring.

I call my mom and ask if she’d be willing to get him a new ring for our anniversary. She talked to my dad and they agreed. But, the thing was, he might be a little hesitant to accept it. So, she comes up with a poem/story that had him convinced…

Here is the poem, which was in our anniversary card.

“Happy anniversary “three”
What shall we give to thee.
The traditional list says leather,
or crystal if you like that better!
My mind is tumbling round and round.
What can I give you, what can be found.
I’m thinking and thinking of just the right thing!
Hmm…maybe…a ring!
Bret, I know you need one, Jen would you be pleased?
To see a ring of leather or would crystal be better!
Nah…leather’s just too cheesy and crystal’s too much bling…
Oh my goodness, I’ve got it…I’m going to look for that ring!
Bret was camping among the outdoor pines…
if I could only find it…oh…what a find!
So out I went to sift and stir
The pine needles, dirt, leaves all in a whirl!
Oh my, oh my…what’s that I see…peeking out
over there…in the dirt by the tree!
A bit dirty, lacking luster,
to clean it would take more than a duster.
Now…off to a jeweler – could he make it look new
So on your anniversary I could give it to you?
So now that you have read this first
tell Jen to give you what’s in her purse!
So now you may open that little box
Does its reincarnation knock off your socks?
I know it’s not leather or crystal you have,
But a symbol of what a blessed marriage you have.

Love you both! Happy anniversary, love Mom and Dad.”

When Bret returned from New York, I noticed he didn’t have the ring on…so I said, um….where’s the ring? And he’s like, oh, I took it off the first day…it might be in my backpack….then I got a big “oh no” look on my face and said, “that was a brand new ring!” And told him the whole story of the “found ring.” So funny. He did find it in his backpack later. 🙂