Happy, happy heart day to these two...N.I.N.E. years, unbelievable!

It's hard but you've stayed committed and you have a byproduct that is precious. It's never as easy as you think but worth it to stay the course. Keep on keeping on and enjoy the hard days as they are the memory makers.

Love you both!

Sensationally Six

Sensationally Six...well, actually today is 36, yep, unbelievable right? MiRV and I are celebrating 36 years of marriage today. Seems impossible but yet here we are. Doing life together, weathering the ups and downs and all arounds and the best part we still enjoy doing life together. And, yes, we do do life together, we are together more than apart. And honestly, I do observe others. I see many who just never seem to be with their spouse no matter where I see them. I mean how does that actually work? We do things together daily, we o things together apart, too, but more often then not you will find us together. Now don't get me wrong, some days the road we travel is bumpy and maybe I'd prefer to be a part, LOL, but for the most part it's been a mostly smooth ride and being together is good, very good. And it's not always easy! I've said it before and I'll say it again marriage is NOT for the faint of heart. It's darn hardwork, H.A.R.D.W.O.R.K. but oh so worth it if you can figure it out. We've had such a blessed life for sure!

The day. it officially started!

This would be the result of our 36 years... so very blessed.

In the last 36 years we've made our home in 15 houses and two RVs...we aren't finished yet. In fact, if MiRV has his way we might be sailing into the sunset someday, literally. 

At Big Ben in 2019

Being silly for the Bee's sake, she's a unicorn lover 2017, maybe.

It was really hard to find pics of just the two of us for this post. I think I must need to snap a few more as that's just not right. Plenty of us and a certain little girl though and some group shots but I had a really hard time finding pics of just the two of us. And there were no real big plans for today. We are going to the City tomorrow so may have some cake...today's splurge may of may not have included a cinnamon roll and yesterday we kicked off this palooza at the Grill. Lord help us by Friday!

Hopefully, soon, for MiRVs sake we will take off in ROADA and call it an anniversary trip. However, with the price of gas I'm having a hard time with that notion.  No matter you'll find us overhere hanging out together! Happy Anniversary to us!

Sensatinally Six

 There are no words to put with my thoughts today...

So thankful we all made/took the time for this trip for her 80th birthday. She was a good one. Treated my as her own from 1983 on...those teenage years I wasn't always as appreciative for her parenting as I can now see was in my best interest. She grandmothered my daughter like no other. She loved hard and big. She will be missed. And it feels like a double whammy to have lost both her and my father just 8 weeks apart. I find such comfort in knowing they are together and we will also be together again in eternity. Doesn't lessen our grief that they are now both gone but we did not lose them as we are confident in seeing them again! 

1941-2022

The HANDFUL

This was a milestone week for us. It's been a whopping 35 years since we got married. It's a bit hard to fathom this milestone since some days I still think I am in my 40s. LOL Anyway the two kids who put college on hold to get married and start a career in the United States Air Force are still together. Both of us went on to finish college and one of us over achieved with multiple degrees including a Master's Degree in Information Technology. You would be correct if you guessed that it wasn't me! The Air Force career was a 26+ year adventure that seems like a lifetime ago when in reality it only ended in 2013. It was an adventure in which we made homes out of 17 various situations from duplexes to apartments to RVs in eight states and three countries. While in the Air Force we were apart the good majority of at least 6 years for various TDYs and other job related travel/training. That's a thing of the past as we rarely travel separately nowadays. Honestly, we rarely do anything separately, never have.

Since retirement we have been able to travel to 42 of our 50 United States of America and four of the ten Canadian Provinces in our RVs. And you know we wanna try to hit the other drivable States along with the remaing 6 Provinces and three Territories in Canada. Come on Canada open that border! However, this is not gonna be the year for Alaska just sayin'. Oh my how I've gotten off track...

Back to the two young kids who got married way back in 1986. We are still together and living the dream. Once in awhile its been a little bumpy but we continue to work on doing life together, remember to extend grace and love even when we are acting unlovable. It's a partnership and it is NOT 50/50. Marriage is 110/110 and some days you don't feel it but you do it. I love the product of our love, she is remarkable and she has given us one of the greatest gifts ever. They are a huge wonderful outcome of our union! There are so many defining moments of our years together and I cannot pinpoint just one as we have such a treasure trove of memories to pull from. I love them all for different reasons. I'm thankful for all our adventures together even the ones I'd rather forget! Like how about that little hike? Then 9 miles later... or the Tipo breakdown on the Autostrada in Italy and let's NOT forget you being away on January 16, 1991 when I needed a driver. Yep, there are some great memories!

So MiRV I say 143 to you...you make living the dream, dreamy and there is no one I would rather be doing life with! Happy Anniversary! And thank you for the carrot cake, it was totally awesome but we are gonna have an anniversary dinner out sometime soon!

UnFOURgettably 4 Friday!

 Finally, spending some moments with this girl...

Perhaps she will return with us to MO on Sunday. She has for sure gotten taller and is also asserting her independence. Sometimes much to our chagrin. She is a good, good kid and for that we are so thankful. Looking forward to our moments with her this trip for sure and the ones to come. Also doing more house hunting as Daughter still needs a new place to call home! Deadline is looming and it is slim pickings in their desired area and price range. Who knew Covid would cause such a Seller's market.

Hope you are staying safe and staying well!

UnFOURgettably 4 Friday!

It's been 34 years for MiRV and I. Thirty-four. That's a milestone in my book! We work hard to have what we have. We share, care and trust. It's been a wild road we've traveled but we traveled it together. We are still finding the road sometimes has blind curves, huge hills and a few dead ends. We just try to remember to stay on the road! And remember our motto, "Adapt and Overcome" it will get you through some of those tough spots.

Celebrate the small and big things. That's what we try to do. Even the everyday things. Don't take what you have for granted. Love always. Look to God for the needs you have not another person or thing. Find satisfaction within yourself and you will be a much happier being. Just my .02.

A more recent photo of us talking to our favorite Bee!

Wild & Three Thursday!

It's been raining a lot...but that doesn't mean we didn't have a little sunshine at the Meadow. We certainly did when the newest member of the tribe came to stay. Oh what a sweetie she is! We even had a video call with the Granddaughter but our guest was snoozing. She saw her blanket and pillow and wanted to know if she was sleeping in her bed! I think it would have been fine but she was definitely interested in that information. LOL

Wild & Three Thursday!

It was a great visit! Time flew by. We had lots of fun! I think she enjoyed seeing her cousins the most especially the newest member of the tribe. Always the first thing out of her mouth when she saw her, "can I hold her?"

Wild & Three Thursday!

We have expanded the traditional wedding shot of the current bride along with our girls this time to include the next generation...

Wild & Three Thursday!

Anticipation...SHE arrives today! Can't wait to see her and her momma and daddy. We have a busy but fun weekend ahead. Let the adventures begin. She was so happy to see her cousin, she is totally taken with this child. Of course Bubby and Bell are still tops in her book, too!

Wild & Three Thursday!

Short and sweet today...

Her three year old pictures are just back in and I can't wait to get them printed. 

T.H.R.E.E.

And just like that she is T.H.R.E.E.

It wasn't a big splashy birthday party this year. She isn't a crowd kind of girl. So they kept it low key. She picked Sonic for lunch for the tater tots and then enjoyed "pink" cupcakes. She was excited over the presents sent by grandparents, aunts, cousins. Hard to believe she's three...but she certainly is. 

Oh, and Wild & Three Thursday will make their appearance soon so stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Daughter!

Oh, me, oh, my...it is time again that we celebrate our daughter.  

Happy Birthday!!!

As I have said before she is truly ONE OF A KIND. Hope you have a wonderful, full of love kind of day that makes you realize you are blessed beyond measure and loved more and more each year. 

Addition to the family...

Soooooooo excited. Our niece and her husband and two children are welcoming another little one into the family.

My math says 2+2=5.

Annnnnnnd we are having another girl. 

Oh the excitement. January 2019 we will welcome Baby M. There was a gender reveal at the farm last night. It was our first such type of gathering and all very exciting!

This isn't the best picture but it's all I have since we were video calling with the NE family so they could be in on the reveal.

Mile Marker Thirty as in 3 - 0!

Another milestone...

 St Mark's Lighthouse - Florida...March 2015

MiRV and I started our journey over thirty years ago...we met in 1982. We weren't even friends. In 1983 that changed, in 1984 we were engaged and in 1986 married. And as they say the rest is history.  So here we are and it's 30 years later since that day. Can you say W-O-W?

I won't say I didn't think this day would come but really you don't give much thought to these milestones when you are saying "I do". Of course, I firmly believe in the "until death do us part" part. And certainly we have had our ups and downs, happiness and sadness, rewards and disappointments, we have had to work through issues, we still work hard at our marriage...every day. It is ongoing; it is a choice.  Marriage is not maintenance free, there is definitely upkeep, everyday really. If you do not keep up your marriage, I can promise you it will get away from you and there could be serious suffering.

I will be the first to tell you we are not always living the dream (GASP) or the happily ever after that you might think. Some would say that we tend to present that image. I would argue that you see what you choose to see. I also think we make a conscious choice to NOT air our dirty laundry so to speak. Have we discussed, in limited talk, our marriage with others? Sure, but I think we wisely guard our words. We were given good advice early on that spewing words of anger or disappointment to others is not something you should do with others...unless of course you rented their ears (professional counseling). Therefore, there are very, VERY few people you can or should confide in who will be able to let go of what you say when things have righted in your world. That person who you shared your moment of anger with just doesn't forget what you told them and sometimes there can be tension in the aftermath. It's just not a good idea to abundantly "share" about the your marital life so be careful who you chat with when you are spun up. For certain there might be a very good friend who can handle it but I still would be cautious and hesitant to recommend it.

 MiRVs first look at our daughter - OKC...March 1991

Our greatest joy and challenge has been the birth and rearing of the Daughter. She holds our heart; she is amazing. She has blessed us with another incredible chapter in our lives as she became a mother earlier this year and gave us a granddaughter. This my friends is beyond words...we have never loved so deeply. We are in love with her and relish being BeBe and LaLa. There are just not enough words for our newest love. What an indescribable joy we are experiencing...

 Our first look at our granddaughter - NE...March 2016

It is good that our lives our enriched with additions. We are thrilled to have so many family and friends who play such a crucial role in our lives. We know it is much better living life with others and we have a wonderful groups of "others" who love and inspire us, who hold us accountable, who encourage and love on us. We are blessed no doubt. We pray that our daughter continues to grow roots in her community and finds those others to do and enjoy life with to team up with to make memories to get through the good, the bad and the ugly.

This child...

The other crucial KEY factor in reaching this mark, I believe, is our faith. I won't even be so bold as to say our "strong" faith because there were (still are) days we felt our faith waiver. We have had our moments of crisis (still do). However, if we would not have had what I call a solid foundation and relationship with Jesus I feel we could have been in trouble. He has sustained and encouraged us in hard times, sad times. He is faithful, even when we are not. We are Christ followers and know without a doubt this is an integral part of any part of our successful marriage. I would not even want to speculate where we would be without Jesus.  I am thrilled to have done life with MiRV these last 30 years and look forward to many more years together. Life is good, not easy, not perfect, not without struggles but it IS good!

 

Union Covered Bridge - Missouri back road...May 2016

#30yesreally30yearsofmarriage
#sustaininglove

Thursday Thoughts - Humphrey, Jr

The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr

#blessedwithgoodfriendslikefamily

Happy Birthday Daughter

We celebrate YOU today, you bring us immeasurable joy, pride and in some ways regret. We know we were not perfect parents, we should have done better, we tried, believe me, we tried. We failed in so many ways, yet we see you succeed despite our failings, you are such the love of our life, happy birthday to the Daughter who made us laugh, cry, and everything in between, you are our everything...we are so excited for the new adventures to come. I constantly struggled with wanting you to stay my little baby, our little girl forever, and also being excited about all of the amazingness you would be when you grew up...

 

Much love to our birthday girl! We will party together in the near future!

#143

Wednesday Words from ME

The B - I - G five zero, yep that's me, today and I am thrilled to have made it this far in life! Who knew? I mean it sounds like a long time off til you turn 50 but then, BAM; it just happens that it's right there in front of you. I am 50 today and feeling fabulous about it.

I have had such a blessed life and cannot wait to see what the next 50 years hold. Of course that is Lord willing, I often wonder will He return before then? One never knows and therefore we should be ready. I am. Even though I am enjoying the life I live here; I am ready to also go on to my eternal home whenever that may be.

While I will readily admit I am not the best Christ follower. In fact most of the time I stink at it. I judge, I am critical but in my heart I do strive to be more like Him. However, I fail, repeatedly, like daily, multiple times, sometimes over and over; however, I can thankfully, rest in the assurance that He loves me unconditionally. He died for ME, he saved ME and will never leave ME. I have eternal life. It's the absolute greatest gift.

And honestly, I struggle. I am not the "perfect" person that some may see looking from the outside in. That is such a farce to believe that about me or anyone, NO ONE is perfect, except  Christ. We all are pitiful puddles of sin no matter what you tel yourself and no matter if that sin is visible or not. You kid yourself if you think otherwise. God knows our heart, our mind, our soul. You cannot hide anything from him, He sees it all. So what I know and know for sure is that Jesus LOVES me, just like the song says, "Jesus loves me this I know"

Happy birthday to me! I do hope I snag a slice of cheesecake today or some other yumminess to celebrate this milestone!

OUR day....again!

Funny how our day happens every year...yep, on 5 October, oh so many years ago MiRV asked me to be his wife. We do something to mark that day every year. Sometimes it's just the simplest of things, other times it's bigger, sometimes serious, but more often than not silly or memorable in a fun way.

WooHoo today is OUR day!

 That's my guy...

We had no idea what we were in for when we committed to do life as husband and wife but we knew we wanted to to do it together. We have, we still are; it's how we roll. You see one and most likely you see the other, we lead "together" lives not separate. It's who we are.

Anywho, as we mark this day once again, I often look back at all we have been through (a lot), what we have accomplished (not much, really) and where I think we will be next year at this time (who knows!). It's a good life we live, not a piece of cake but we do  manage and we do also eat cake along the way...on the hard days especially.

Today we are gonna celebrate our "yes" day!

#Commitment
#IsaidYES

Wedneday Words - de Saint-Exupery

Tell me who admires and loves you, and I will tell you who you are.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery