and today makes 6 years.

wow, i think we look a bit older now. a wee bit. obviously, our wedding day.

on a cruise, oh, circa 2005

our little vacation in michigan, july 2009

this past year has really pressed our vows, especially the 'in health & sickness' part. i tried for the 2nd time this year to make a video thingy for wes of our years together & we actually went out & bought a scanner (it's awesome; we can scan 3 photos at a time!) so i could get all the pictures up i wanted. so then i put them all in the windows movie maker program & it totally clogged our computer up, froze it all, etc *three times*. so i gave up. (i will prevail, stupid program.)

we've been through a lot together, it's quite a bit when we were talking last night about the past 7 year (1 year dating). we've owned 3 houses, one being 2,000 miles away from 'home', had 2 kids, gone through brain surgery, & now some icky medical problems...complete with all the usual stuff that life throws at everyone (which could include all the aforementioned--i know we're not the only ones going through this stuff).

but really, we are still in love. that's good, eh? we still try to help the other out & 'serve' each other. i just have to say, the past 4 months, wes has gone beyond what i thought would be needed...but he's still here, loving & caring for me. what a man.

here's a link to last year's post about how we met...crazy, i tell you. even now when i think of it i can hardly believe it really happened. did god really tell me that he was my husband or was i just imagining it? the way i know god wanted us together & then told me so is that every time our marriage is tested, through medical problems or financial ups & downs or lack of sleep or just basic human interaction frustration--we come out stronger, our bond & love is stronger. so i guess i should be thanking god a bit more for sending wes my way. (here's a measly *thanks*).

we had a great weekend together, btw...lots of spontaneous outings & dining out & movies & sleeping in. good times. here's to another 50 years or so. i love you, wesley. thanks for carrying me through the hard times recently.

my parent's anniversary

i'm attempting to start a new gerbick blog tradition of writing about the people or person on a special day. hhmm, did i explain that very well? no! basically, if it's someone's birthday or anniversary i will write a little ditty about them. & today is my parent's anniversary! this is number 31, but they have been together since they were maybe in 8th grade, so i think it's more like 35 or 36 years?

my parents have been through a lot together. family dramas, one life changing car accident, sending one parent through college with 3 teenagers (well, i guess my brother was a 'tween' at the time), a house fire, suicidal pet goats, sending your army soldier son to a war zone for 18 months while your 2 daughters are in college...i can go on & on, but i won't. it's just life's hurdles??

so increasing the love quotient must happen when you are able to stick it out together... i guess that's what happens when you're with someone for 35 years or so. it seems they are now even more happy & in love than they were 10 or 15 years ago, which is pretty amazing.

one of these major anniversaries we (my brother & sister & i) are going to throw then a gi-normous party, but until then i hope they know that i love them both & celebrate their marriage with them. when i see them laughing & smiling at each other now it makes me happy as well. they are a true example of sticking with each other through good & bad, sickness & health, rich times & poor times...

together they have created 3 healthy kids who married wonderful people & now have 4 grandkids (2 grand dogs & 2 grand cats as well) & very very VERY beautiful flower gardens & have amazing organic garden. what else have they collected together? well, go in their basement & you will find enough furniture & dishes to fill up another household (wait, i think that's my mom's habit, not my dad's...hhmm, nevermind).

anyway, here's to my parents...may they have 31 more years together. *clink*

& may they learn to tell each other what they talked about with other people. i didn't say they were perfect, did i? (lol, my sister & i were talking just the other day about this habit they have: they will talk to one of us about making plans & then fail to tell the other spouse about it, leaving the other spouse to have no clue what is going on until that day & then there's a mini argument & everyone else is left questioning their sanity or at least communication skills. lol, gotta love my parents.)