31ST ANNIVERSARY!!

     Our wedding was at September 21st on a Saturday afternoon, 1985.  A huge blessing for me!
      Now, our day on this Wednesday it will be September 21st, of course. To share it now is pretty important.  I'm a very happy lady!!!  My husband is a real treat to-and-for me and to-and-for many other people.  In a few years he's working in our church, playing piano or organ at 3 other churches, and teaching piano to some kids or adults, and fixing computers for a lot of people and giving them around and about.  In this 31 years things have changed.  BUT, as usual, he's a special treat.
     A special situation was when we were in
Uganda and a special photo for us during our 10th anniversary time.  And we were there before and after that for a stretch of time.                 
       Amazingly, we were in Paris to see some friends after we had left Uganda when visiting our "son's"wedding in Uganda.

  Then we were in Paris for a couple days and we were on the
anniversary in September.  In Paris, up on that special place that afternoon when we were on the Eiffel Tower and Seine River was our 14th anniversary day.  What a blessing that was!!!
     Anyhow, I'll just show the two of us in July this year, b/c we've not had pictures taken.  I'll try on Wednesday, BUT he works at two churches all day on Wednesday, and might not get home and the weather is indicating it may be thunderstorm during that day.  So, I'll be home and he'll be around.  We'll go for lunch or dinner at some point some day.  He's a wonderful person!!

MY HUBBY'S BIRTHDAY...

[He dropped his poem on to me on May 21, 1985, 2 days after the Lord had put us together.  This was a true gift.  I have had it on my dresser in a frame ever since.  It's still a HUGE blessing.  Filled with truthfulness when he wrote it when he was at the AFB and gave it to me suddenly.] 
 =========================

How can such a tough cookie be so fragile?
              Yet you are.
                           And I understand.

Fragileness is a part of your beauty, like a flower,
    and your willingness to risk hurt shown your strength,
         which balances and makes you whole.

I pray that i see your fragility,
     so i can trust you as i ought.
I would loathe to crush the flower underfoot,
    when i desire to nurture you and grow you up in Jesus.

I pray the Lord's forgiveness,
                                 and yours,
  if i'm not tender when i need to be,
     and tough when i need to be.

Love,
   David.

 ============================================
   Tomorrow is Dave's birthday.  He'll be 56.  And, shockingly in our world, I'm 70.  He's been a HUGE blessing to me ever since the Lord dropped him into my life.  He's been a wonderful step-dad and loved by grandkids and, as I've said, a huge blessing for me.  I'd never thought, when I married back in Christmas Eve, '68, that I would never be divorced or forced to be apart.  In May, '84, it truly occurred.  And I was a very sad lady re: dealing with my kids and jobs and whatever I could.

     Suddenly, May 19, 1985, the Lord put us together.  We were both a bit shocked.  He, the youth director at a church I had entered about 3 months earlier and was at the Offutt AFB, was 25 and had never been married and was a strong Christian since he had come to the Lord officially when he was 10. On the other side, I had come to the Lord when I was 20 [April 15, 1966], and had a terrible history since childhood of fighting, attempting to commit suicide, very drunk sometimes, and, even when about 18 years old in the bars in Washington and Idaho, got mixed badly with the men.  I tried to change when the Lord broke into my life officially, but it took a bit of time.

     Anyhow, Dave has been a huge blessing to me.  And, surprisingly, he thinks I'm wonderful, too.  The best I can do is write pieces, take pictures, and show a lot of love through family and friends and serving the Lord.  Because of him, we were missionaries in Uganda.  I'd always WANTED to be a missionary when I came to the Lord, but couldn't do it.  We did it then.  He is/was a real treat to me.

     I don't know if I can keep blog pieces very often... my dementia and body and other issues keep me from doing all I want.  I sleep nearly a dozen hours at night and sometimes sleeping a few times during the day.  Oh, well.  And he's working as Facilities Manager at our church, has piano students in a variety of area of Omaha, fixes computers and gives them to people as a gift from the Lord, and plays piano or organ at 3 other churches during the Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday times.  What a guy that blesses many!

     Anyhow, just wanted to have people smile.  Our 30th anniversary was 3 weeks ago.  So the blessing has expanded on me!  I love Dave and LOVE THE LORD!!

30th Anniversary; a fun day-time trip!

MY LOVE!!

IN SEPTEMBER, IT WILL BE 30TH ANNIVERSARY.

ONE REASON HE CHOSE TO KISS ME THIS WAY

WAS BECAUSE OF OUR WEDDING PICTURE,

WHEN HE HELD MY FACE, 

WHICH WAS A SURPRISE TO ME

 AT THE WEDDING WHEN HE DID THIS.  

WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THIS WORD IN MY BIBLE, 

THIS PHOTO GRABBED ME.  HOPE YOU WILL SMILE,

 EVEN THOUGH IT'S A LITTLE CRAZY LOOKING.

.

BTW, I'M A PURPLE PERSON AND HE'S A TEAL PERSON.

OUR ANNIVERSARY... #29

I'm rejoicing today.  It has been a huge blessing to be married to Dave.  He's been a wonderful, caring, giving, encouraging husband.  Have we ever fussed?  Maybe, but I can't really keep track of that, because the love breaks through over and over again.  So, gotta put a photo from the wedding and share a bit.  




AND something that will be a surprise to him, is that I am wearing the same purple leather skirt.  First time in about

15 years, because it didn't fit on me for quite a while.  Now I've lost enough pounds that I'm able to do it again.  He won't see it for a couple hours after this hits the blog, but he'll be grinning when I am in the Baptist church where he will be playing the piano/organ.  I'll pop in when he's practicing and I expect to see a grin and rolling eyes...a hug as he comes to the pew area to sit with me.

Anyhow, our day is going to be filled with much.  I'll be at our church, then his pianoing church time across town, then back to our church for a lunch time event there, then he'll be working at the church and I'll be going to the Bhutanese church this afternoon.  When it's all over, we're going down and around and about in Omaha, wherever he wants to go.  And we'll have a nice dinner time, a nice movie time [home or otherwise], a nice popping into kids and grandkids time if possible.

Next week, the 29th, from Monday to Friday we will be up in the Twin Cities area so we can spend time with his brothers and sister, see friends, go around and about -- maybe slipping to Duluth for one day so we can see friends and the Superior and go around and about to see what we loved there.  It will be a lot of fun to be with Dave, no matter where he wants to be.

OH, and as we went on our wedding trip in 1985, we stayed at my long-time friend Susan's in the NW

portion of Minnesota not far from Itasca State Park ... being at Susan's from Sunday evening until Saturday morning.  Then he took me to the Lake Superior area in northeastern area of Minnesota as a surprise so I would see "ocean, mountains, falls".  He knew I loved those in the northwest of Washington and Oregon and, living in the Omaha area for several years, couldn't see any of what I loved so much.  He wanted me to see those wonderful pieces.  It was a huge blessing. [And for an hour or so, we were in Canada. That was a treat, too.]

LAKE SUPERIOR

THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO

Anyhow, just sharing again about our marriage.  As I said, he's a wonderful treat.  A good guy.  And he WILL be smiling today when he sees that purple skirt that he bought for me right before our wedding from a special shop downtown.  It truly was a blessing to me then, and I hope it will be a blessing to him today.


[And next year it would be 30th anniversary and I'd be 70 years old.  So I hope I'm still alive, still brainy, to have that special rejoicing time and, hopefully, North Shoring again.  We've been there many times to laugh, walk on the paths, climb the variety of falls areas, walk on the beach many times, and be filled with joyfulness--and bring hundreds of rocks home.]

MERCY AND KINDNESS

MOURNING INTO DANCING

WE WERE AT A WEDDING JULY 4TH, '13,  FOR NIKI'S SON, 

BOBBY.  I HAD ARRIVED IN THE NW JUST THE NIGHT BEFORE.  
BEING THERE WAS A TREAT!

Niki's husband, Rick, was the wedding pastor.

NIKI AND I SUDDENLY DECIDED TO DANCE, BECAUSE WE HEARD A SECULAR SONG STARTING, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT BOTH OF US THOUGHT THIS SONG -- "OLD TIME ROCK AND ROLL" -- WAS THE MOST FUN. REALIZING THIS, WE BEGAN LAUGHING AND DANCING.  WE HADN'T DANCED TOGETHER SINCE MY LATE TEENS.  

THE FUNNY PART IS THAT WHILE WE DANCED HERE MY GRANDSON THAT HAD BEEN WITH ME ON THE TRIP, AND WHO TOOK THE PHOTO, INDICATED LATER THAT HE WAS ABSOLUTELY SURPRISED.  EVEN THOUGH HE HAD KNOWN ME FOR 15 YEARS, HE HAD NEVER SEEN ME DANCE.  AND I LOVE TO DANCE, BUT IT RARELY OCCURS ANY MORE.  HOWEVER,  DANCING WITH NIKI WAS A REAL TREAT, BOTH IN THE PAST WHEN WE WERE YOUNG KIDS AND IN THE PRESENT WHEN WE AIN'T YOUNG ANY MORE.

NIKI AND I, IN TERMS OF FAMILY AND FRIEND SITUATIONS, HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH MOURNING MANY TIMES OVER MANY YEARS...AND THE LORD HAS ALWAYS BROKEN THROUGH AND BROUGHT US TO JOY.

JUST ARRIVED INTO THE PORTLAND AREA MONDAY NIGHT, APRIL 21ST ... ON A PLANE THIS TIME, NOT DRIVING MY CAR... AND, RIGHT NOW, AM GOING AROUND AND ABOUT WITH MY SISTERS NIKI AND PATTI IN CLATSKANIE, OR. 

IN A FEW DAYS, I'LL BE HEADING UP 

TO TACOMA, WA, TO SEE SISTERS TERI AND BETTY.  

AND LOTS OF NIECES AND NEPHEWS IN THOSE LOCATIONS.   

AND WILL SEE MANY DEAR FRIENDS.

A SIGNIFICANT BLESSING FROM THE LORD.

 

PLEASANT BRETHREN

SUCH A BLESSING TO BE AT THEIR WEDDING.

AND TO BE WITH SAM'S BEST MAN

 AND A LONG-TIME FRIEND.

WE LOVED BOTH OF THEM.

WE DEARLY LOVED ADDIE WHEN WE MET HER A FEW DAYS EARLIER AS WE ARRIVED.

AND WE CONTINUALLY LOVE THEM 

AND OUR GRANDDAUGHTER.

A GREAT GODLY BLESSING POURED ON US.

STELLA IS 12 YEARS OLD NOW; MET HER WHEN SHE WAS 2.

THE "BUFFALO" STORY

OK.  Been grinning about this for ages and never written the story.  So, gotta do it.  Hopefully, you'll grin, too! And even though it's not focusing on the Lord's wonder, it sure is filled with the wonder of our wedding and honeymoon and how life entered in a fun and blessed way.  So here goes...

On September 21st, we will have our 28th anniversary.  On September 22nd, 1985, we reached my dear friend, Susan's for our honeymoon.  It was great.  We slept on a mattress in the living room, the head of it up against the large window area so we could look up at the skies and the trees and moon.  It was almost like camping outside, but blessed by none of the cold or wind or bugs [or bears].  It was a real treat.

We spent some time going out and about.  It was Dave's first time to be at Itasca State Park where Mississippi River begins.  Then to Clearbrook or Bemidji.  Around and about so Dave would see her family, meet her pastor.  It was just a wonderful few days. 

[Dave also was cooking, which was one of his favorite things to do.  Did then, does now. He's great!] 




One day, Dave and I went on a drive and took her son, Jay, with us.  We were probably heading to a nearby town.  We followed a large truck that was filled with piles of bales of hay.  Suddenly, one of the bales flew off the truck and hit the road in front of us.

"Oh, that poor buffalo!"  [I don't remember if it was Dave or Jay; we just laughed so hard, so suddenly.]

WELL, life changed for us a bit.

Eventually, on Friday, after 4 full days at Susan's, we were heading to Lake Superior.  I'd never been there.  It was chosen by Dave, because, since he knew I was very "mountain and ocean" oriented, having been raised in the Northwest,and, now living in Nebraska for several years, and knew I couldn't trot round and about and see them any more, he knew I'd love the Lake, I'd love the high hills, the forest, the falls. [And I DID fall in love with them!  Still am in love with them.]

We were about an hour from Susan's, on a side highway, heading further north first, when suddenly we saw a field of bales of hay.  Dave hit the brake and pulled to the side of the road.  Crazy as we were, we climbed over the fence and Dave climbed onto a "bale" and I stood next to it, just showed how I loved it. What a hoot!

We, BTW, had a wonderful long, long day drive on Saturday, having arrived in the north end of the North Shore, going up into Thunder Bay,Ontario, Canada, and then, while stopping here and there on the Shore or at the State Parks, we went all the way down to St. Paul, MN, to be with his family.  We got there really late at night.  We had a reception the next day, which was a lovely treat.

WELL, the bales of hay entered my mind and my heart.  So, occasionally, if I was driving past them, and had a funny thought, I would pull over and take a photo.  Gained several, over time.

A few years ago, to give my husband a very special anniversary gift, I dug out those photos, wrote the titles on them, and put them in a photo frame that showed 8 of them.  

It was funny!  Dave loved it.  It has been hanging on his office or studio wall all this time.  And filled with laughter.  His piano students, our "office" visitors, and family and friends always roll their eyes and chuckle.

Hope you'll chuckle, too.

[Oh, and people think I'm so serious about so much.  And, in a way, that's quite true.  However, I also have a funny side...and what happened with this is one of them.]

RUPA AND NIMA'S WEDDING

What a day that was!!  I was one of the first arrivals... since I'm just a couple blocks away and Rupa's aunt had come to my house about 10:00 to dress me in my sari.  Sure can't do it myself!!  When Dil Maya and I walked up the street and into her apartment, one of her nephews held my hand and walked me across our busy street -- it's crossing the lanes and getting on the median between lights; not overly intelligent to do that, but saves about 2 blocks of walking.  I was there about 10:45.

So here's my first picture of Rupa and Nima.  They were down in the fellowship hall putting some of the small bits and pieces on the cake table.

Gradually, others arrived that were involve in one aspect or another, of course.

Originally, the plan was the wedding would begin at noon.  WELL, there was no rehearsal, no chance to practice almost anything. Why?  Almost no one was there on time, and it just couldn't be done. 

My husband arrived to play for the wedding, but all he could do as he had time was some extra practice. 

One of my blessings was that Nima would occasionally just come and put his head on my shoulder.  Once I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Now I'm officially his grandma. And I love him dearly. 

Now it will mostly be photos.  The first two are ones I took of Rupa and Nima at opposite parts of the church, just officially wedding dressed.  Love it.

 Then the pre-wedding photos of them, their family and friends in their ceremony, that began around 1:00. 

 

Then the "married-now-and-forever" one.

I took about 80 pictures yesterday.  Not nearly enough, of course.  But couldn't not share a few with you.  The photo of Dave and I with Rupa and Nima will be sent to us through their official photographer; whenever it shows up, I'll have to pop it into your eyes.  [BTW, the photographer is my church friend who became very involved with Rupa's family when they arrived from Nepal, late Feb., '11.   Stephanie was one of the EBC-ers who provided what they needed then.  Now she and her husband truly are family for them and Rupa, individually, truly became one of their daughters.  Stephanie and Joe helped choose and purchase the wedding gown, which is a real treat!]

The wedding planted blessings into the hearts of Christians and seed into the hearts of family and friends who are [still] Hindu and Buddhist.  But many came to the service, heard the Word, heard the Truth, and saw it in the hearts of these young ones and their many family and friends.  I don't know enough of Nima's history, since he arrived here a few months ago and has been working so many hours, but I DO know the approximate time that Rupa officially came to the Lord which was not long after she arrived from Nepal.  Spring of '11.  Her first communion was at our church for Good Friday service, and I helped her go forward for communion and Dave stepped aside and held our hands and prayed.   And now he played for her wedding. How cool is that?

So... YES, it was a wedding.  But, in my heart it was far more than that!  Knowing where Rupa came from and where she has grown and now who she is with that will be a continual blessing for her, well, it just is filling my heart with joy.