My Blessed Mother's Day

My children really blessed me this year with their thoughtfulness. My two younger daughters decorated some pots and filled them with herbs and flowers. They look beautiful and smell wonderful. I can't wait to start using my herbs:).

My second daughter typed a poem for me and put it on pretty paper. She also made a booklet with hand drawn portraits of mothers from the Bible. My youngest made me a skirt to match a vest that I had already made.

My son called me and sent me some delectable chocolate dipped strawberries. I could smell them before I even opened the package. My oldest daughter also sent me a Mother's Day greeting. I am so blessed.

My husband also blessed me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a Butterfinger candy bar. (sorry, no photo of the candy bar, we ate it the day he gave it to me:).

Our 29th Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday my WONDERFUL husband and I celebrated our 29th anniversary with our two youngest daughters. I told my husband I thought it was our best anniversary. He took the day off and we spent it together as a family. It was very relaxing. We went for a walk, came home and sang some hymns, the girls learned most of the songs on the latest Serene and Pearl cd and sang them for us, I made my husband a DVD of our life together up until now, he took us all out to dinner and we had an impromptu time of fellowship with two of the families from our home church.

I am so blessed by God for bringing Ralph into my life and for keeping us together for these 29 years and blessing us with four wonderful children and a son-in-law. I am so looking forward to the next 29 years and how God is going to bless us and prosper us, He has a plan for our future and only He knows what it holds.

Today is our Half Year Anniversary!!

I was just looking at the little anniversary counter at the bottom of the page and realized that we have been married 28 1/2 years. All I can say is 'WOW'. Who would have ever thought that we could have made it this far. I know the first chaplain we went to to perform our wedding, refused to perform it because he never thought we would make it. He said we had three strikes against us.

1. We were too young (18 and 22)
2. We were from different faiths (Protestant and Catholic)
3. Both of our parents were divorced.

Isn't God GREAT!!! I don't believe we were too young, just unprepared. Ralph became a Christian 10 months after we were married. Here we are 28 1/2 years later and still together. And we knew it is only by the grace of God. He has blessed us and prospered us, not necessarily monetarily (but we aren't poor either), but definately spiritually. He has also blessed us with four wonderful children. What more could we ask for.

Thank you, God for blessing me with the most wonderful husband in the whole world and for helping us to remain together when the whole world didn't give us a chance.

Thank you, Ralph for putting up with a lot of immaturity over the years. I still feel I have a lot of growing up to do. But you have been such a patient, wise, discerning husband. Thank you for being the head or our home. I look forward to many, many more years together.

Our 28th Wedding Anniversary

WOW!! Who would have dreamed that we would make it to this day? We were both so young and inexperienced in life, but God has brought us to today. We have been through a lot, endured much hardship, but had many more joys then sorrows. God has blessed us with 4 terrific children and one son-in-law. All of our children love and serve God, what more could we ask for. I thank God for Ralph and his never ending love he has had for me over these past 28 years. He is the most wonderful husband in the world, in my opinion!!! God has blessed me more than I deserve and much more than I could ever have imagined. I am looking forward to the next 28 years and beyond with great expectancy, because we NEVER know what God has in store for us.

Our Engagement, May 1980

Our Wedding Day, August 2, 1980Today on our 28th Anniversary!!

Yesterday was my birthday

Here I am enjoying being Queen for a day

Yesterday was my birthday. My daughters started the day off by making me a crown and coronating my queen for the day. They then made me breakfast, washed my laundry and got most of my ironing done. I was really a lady of leisure yesterday. They made my favorite lunch, macaroni and cheese with tomatoes and mushrooms, and served watermelon on the side. They also made dinner, Shepherd's pie and applesauce. They then surprised me with a cheesecake that they had made. It was very light and tasted wonderful.

Ralph brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers when he came home from work. I received some wonderful gifts, very large fluffy bath sheets made from turkish cotton, an herb gardening book for Washington/Oregon, a necklace and earrings and a memory box full of wonderful verses, original songs, and thoughts from my daughters.

Hannah and Alicia singing to me

My oldest daughter, Nicole and her husband dropped by for a little while in the afternoon, which was a wonderful surprise. Nicole gave me a handmade card with a wonderful poem that she had written.

I am so blessed to have a family who loves me so much and thinks about me like this on my birthday. I wish everyone could experience this type of love.

Ralph and I relaxing at the end of the day

Yesterday Christopher had to work all day so he missed my birthday. Today he came home though with my birthday gift. He gave me a Dutch oven table. It will be great for using outside on hot days or when we go camping.

My Dutch oven table