20 YEARS!!

Well, this is a little late, but as with anything else, it just takes us a bit longer to get done.

It was 20 years ago, December 16, 1989, 4pm, that our vows were said and our fate was sealed and we were pronounced husband and wife. This anniversary was an exciting celebration as we got to go to Phoenix, AZ. We hadn't done something like this in about 8 years so we were very excited! Jeff had to work some, but when his boss heard I had heart surgery he was insistent that I come along for some special treatment! I had lots of R&R and a couple of massages!








When I asked Jeff what I should wear for dinner he jokingly said a 'prom dress'! So I went to Good Will and found the frumpiest, gaudiest, dark purplish satin of a dress (washed it!) and tucked it in my suitcase. For $5, it was worth his reaction! He came out and saw me in it and looked away not knowing what to say. I relieved him when I turned around and asked him to zip me because the dress was a few sizes too small. He laughed in relief and said, "I thought that was a bit out of your character!" because I haven't worn a prom dress, well, since the prom. Every night he wooed me with many compliments of how pretty and beautiful I was, but I think he was worried I might put that prom dress back on!



It was such a wonderful time together. We laughed how we never get to sleep in the same hotel room when we travel because we can't fit into one room as a family, we usually have a 'boys' room and a 'girls' room. The weather was pretty cold, in the low 60's, but I swam anyway. The water was heated and I had the pool all to myself!

It was great to have fun together, talk and not have to think of or mention medical issues. I had a detoxification massage thinking that would be a good idea to cleanse all the medicines and nuclear stuff that's gone through me lately. I was sick for 2 hours afterward. Though I hadn't felt that good for that long during the massage in a long time.

I also had the opportunity with 4 people to talk of and witness of Christ, that was wonderful and very exciting as well.

As good as it is to get away, it's awesome coming home! The little ones did great and were happy when we called everyday. The kids were all up waiting for us as we pulled in after midnight! We talked and hugged and nobody got back to sleep until after 2am!

There are so many blessings to count! It's been an emotional time for me as there have been many times I didn't think I would be here to celebrate Thanksgiving, our anniversary, or Christmas. It doesn't matter that I don't feel well, I'm here. I don't have tubes sticking out of me and I'm with my family. I had a wonderful conversation with a dear friend from church, she's a widow and her kids are grown and on their own. She was saying how much she looks forward to seeing her Lord and her husband again in heaven. She was ready to go! I just started crying because I feared that God might be offended that I wasn't as excited to meet Him, as she was. Not just yet, I wanted to raise my children, celebrate more anniversaries with my husband, I love my life here, feel needed, and didn't feel ready to leave it just yet. She shared that she felt that way as well when her children were young, and that's a God given spirit to fight for life and protect it, that what I'm doing is good and how important it should be to me, and how important it is to God. So God has had a lot of work to do in my heart still!

It's been hard on Jeff and the children I know. But how my heart is blessed how Jeff has taken care of me. In sickness and in health. Even when the airport lights and escalators gave me headaches and made me dizzy, he held on to me. He doesn't like to swim, but he was my lifeguard. As soon as he awakes he has started laundry, cleaned bathrooms, never letting his vacuuming wane! (He truly loves to vacuum!) I don't know how or why I got to be so incredibly blessed, but I thank God every day!

So since we were already so spoiled from our trip, on our actual anniversary we just went to dinner and did a bit of Christmas shopping. Then we topped it off with a stop to the ice cream shop! Very sweet!

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.