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Saturday, September 25, 2010

23 Years Ago Today...

I found out yesterday (which was today in Afghanistan :-D) that my husband actually reads my blog!!  Who knew!?!?! :-D  He's not much into quilting, and being he is the reticent type; all this "sharing" is not his thang.  But TODAY....Today is our Anniversary!  It's been 23 years! It seems like longer sometimes, seems like only a few days other times. :-D

Today, he made my day by telling me he checks me out here! :-D

He is in Afghanistan and won't be able to celebrate with me.  We plan a few days' celebration when he comes home, either on leave in a few months or for good sometime next spring.  So reminiscing about our day so long ago, I pulled out these babies to look at them and remember Sept. 25th, 1987:

 
We both had lots of hair!
BIG hair. And I had BIG glasses! LOL
(Jeff still has 20/20 vision. Rat!)

And we are both so thin!! My little suit was a size 8, I believe. Sigh.

We got married at my mom and dad's house with a preacher and a few family and friends.  Don't we look so happy!  I was actually absolutely terrified out of my wits!!  What if he wasn't "THE ONE?"

But the wisdom of that day has proved itself time and time again.

When Jeff was deployed to Bosnia several years ago, I made a quilt I called "Stars in an American Garden."  It's Snowflake from Trudie Hughes book On Point, and working on it through the months that he was away was a way to deal with our separation.

While he's gone this time, my goal is to finish "Land of the Free" by Piece O' Cake....

But I've got lots of things started :-), so we'll see!

I am humbled and amazed by him.  He takes his roles of protector and provider very seriously.  Someday, I'll tell you about how God dealt with us about our finances (yes, quilting can be a very bad thing when combined with a credit card and a tight budget!!)

That year, I didn't buy a spool of thread without discussing it with him first...We came out of that year with a stronger marriage, and I grew up enough to understand that I don't have to have EVERY piece of fabric or quilt kit or notion I see and love.  Fabrics come and go.  Another one will come along that will be just as beautiful, just as perfect, if I wait. 

He patiently waited for me to grow up and never once asked that I give up quilting (although he had reason to do so!)! :-)  A good man, indeed. :-)

Jesus told his disciples, "Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15: 13)  My man lays his life down everyday for his family and his country. 

I am so proud of him!

Happy Anniverary, Baby!  Thank you for the lovely email! I miss you and love you. 

Blessings,

22 comments:

Lynn Koeppen said...

Congratulations! What a great love story!

Unknown said...

Happy Anniverary!

Lindah said...

Dear MaryLou,
(Excuse me while I wipe my tears.) First of all,a big congratulations to you and your dear Jeff. Secondly, Thank you. I thank the Lord for you both and your sacrifce of love for me and for this nation. I do not take lightly the work that our military men/women are doing. I pray for them daily. And for their families. May God bless and keep you and be your strength and encouragement --and make those days until reunion go quickly!
Sincerely
Linda Hancock

Staci said...

Loved seeing your wedding photos! Isn't it fun to look back on them and think about your life with your husband and all the things that have happened over the years?

Thank you so much for sharing!

Mindy said...

Congratulations to you both! I'm sorry you weren't together yesterday, but I'm grateful for e-mail making your communications more frequent. We apppreciate the many years Jeff has spent serving our country and the many years you have spent holding things together at home! We love you guys.

This is a beautiful tribute to your loving husband and wasn't sickeningly sweet at all. Except the part about the size 8 suit. I haven't worn a size 8 since middle school! You braggart!;-) (You know I am teasing!) I have always loved your hat. I look forward to seeing wedding photos of Emily in it one day!

Crispy said...

CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO!!! It was wonderful to see your wedding picture and that hat is WONDERFUL!!

Size 8, boy back in the day I would have been horrified to be in an 8, now I'd be happy to be in a 14 LOL.

Bob and I will celebrate 33 years in October....sure doesn't seem that long. We are often amazed how time has flown.

Crispy

Mary L. said...

A very Happy Anniversary. What a touching post. I will pray daily for your husband's safe return. My grandson is also in Afghanistan for the second time and we'd like to see them all come home safely and soon.

Debbie said...

Happy Aniversary....and you are not alone at all. Hi to hubby and thanks for letting her share your story.

Linda said...

Mary Lou, what a sweet post! I very much enjoyed reading it. My DH and I recently celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary and we also marvel at how quickly the years have passed by. I think everyone has to go through financial struggles. I really think it helps us appreciate things more.

Thank your DH for the service he is giving to our country. May God keep him safe :)

StitchinByTheLake said...

Congratulatons to you both! I believe that God chooses our mates if we listen to Him - and it seems you did. blessings, marlene

jan said...

congratulations on 23 years!! I'm praying the time will pass quickly, and you'll be together before you know it!;) Your Jeff sounds much like my Brent, I can tell you feel as blessed as I do. God is good.

Diane said...

Congratulations to you both.
I was married in '81---but I think I had those same glasses!! lol

Quilt Doodles said...

Love your blog and this post in particular. Thanks for sharing. Congratulations to you both and a big THANK YOU to Jeff. I remember when my husband came home from Vietnam. What a huge thrill. God Bless you both.

Barb said...

Happy Anniversary and many, many happy returns on the day.
I love the photos, your suit is so pretty!
I'm 23 years also - it's a good life.
Your quilt is lovely!
Thanks for sharing such a sweet post.

Lori said...

That's so sweet! Congratulations on 23 years of marriage!! And thank you hubby for protecting our freedom!!

I agree with you about the fabric. I'm sure my stash is a lot smaller than most, but it works for me.

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

Happy Anniversary! I would also like to thank your husband for his devotion to our country. Without men and women like him, our world would certainly be different than what it is.

Anonymous said...

Congrats to you and Jeff...I'm sending you a separate email...

Emma said...

Congratulations on your anniversary! As a military spouse of a military man who's gone until November, I definitely have to agree with your blog title - Quilting is without a doubt the only thing that keeps me sane! Literally, if I can't sew on any given day, I'm a wreck. Sewing lets me take out my frustrations beyond what I ever imagined it could!

Sujata Shah said...

I found you through Kathie's blog.
Congratulations on your anniversary!
Those are some pretty pictures of your wedding!
Please thank your husband on our behalf for making all of our lives safer at home!
Our lives are definitely stitched in the quilts we make. If they spoke, oh.. the tales they would tell! Thanks for sharing some your memories stitched in those quilts.

Karen said...

I need to get back to work on my "Land of the Free". I used fused applique and still have blocks that need toe machine stitching on them.

Happy Anniversary to you. Sorry that you can't be together. Your husband is doing a very important job for our country.

Rose Marie said...

Happy Anniversary!!! We have always been together for our anniversaries and it must be very hard for you right now.

It is so true what you say about fabric. There will always be something new that will come along. I have slowed down on buying fabric and am quite happy working from my stash.

Kathleen said...

Happy Anniversary.

A big thanks to hubby for his service.