Thirty-six years today! Making our own unique story and believing we are the same youthful people today as in the picture! I am still shocked when they call me “Ma’am”. Of course my husband has that utterly irritating metabolism that allows him to eat all he wants and still wear his wedding suit! The beautiful girl pictured here is still who I see- it is she I will picture at one hundred and five! We have been continually blessed as we write the script of our lives! Anniversary celebrations have been memorable over the years. Disney World more than once, Gatlinburg maybe ten times, a cruise on our twenty-fifth, and then there was the pup tent on our ninth!

Today I have a special bag of M&M’s tucked under my pillow. No trips this year, but our love no less special. I haven’t been a perfect or easy wife along this journey and God knows he has tried my patience to the edge! However, we are happy. We are content with each other. We accepted what we cannot change and learned to be grateful for all that is good and fulfilling and wonderful.

Whenever we go and spend time with other couples we come home so thankful to be us and not them. So though I’ve thrown a vacuum and He has yelled and stomped around. I’m guilty of slamming many doors and he has waved his arms till I thought they would surely fly off. We are human after all. Three amazing children, almost two son-in laws, two grandchildren that bring us great joy and we both have a job! It was never my goal to live the “American Dream”, but today I realize we are. It started with this verse:

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:6