About this time 45 years ago!

 I was standing in a small room behind the altar at St Peters Lutheran Church of Gay Hill with my groomsmen. I had already checked my boots, and scraped off with my pocketknife, the red nail-polish HE on one sole and the LP on the other- meant to be revealed I'm sure, when I knelt for communion! I don't know to this day who managed to get ahold of my boots!

 I am fortunate to still have those boots, resoled so many times that the upper leather over my toes is paper thin! More importantly, while there were times when our marriage was tested thinner than those boots- today is a milestone both Renee' and I are incredibly proud of AND pleased with! 

The first image is Renee', two days ago with her advent nutcracker chef, starting the countdown to Christmas and preceding Christmas by three days our daughter Hallie's Gotcha Day! ( She comes home for Christmas at midnight that day, maybe the plane will be a few minutes early! In any case her wonderful mother and chef will have a celebratory pastry ready as soon as she's in our arms!) 

 

The second image is of my lovely bride the day after we got the little bit of furniture we owned moved into the house we built 38 years ago, that our daughter came into 21 years ago, and we still ramble around in!

 I ask you, how can a woman , counting the five years we dated and were engaged, spend 50 years of her life around me be more beautiful than ever AND still have a smile on her face?

Truly, it is by the Grace of God! 

Thank You Renee' for saying Yes, for putting up with me,and for putting in the incredible amount of work ( from both partners) it takes to keep a marriage alive and enjoyable for so long! And after our celebratory anniversary dinner at Golden Corral maybe you will be willing to start on year 46??