Happy Anniversary

Today is our 16th wedding anniversary. You may have noticed that my Anniversary Counter turned over. If not, that's OK, I'm telling you all about it.

This is my second marriage and I'm not very proud of the fact that my first marriage ended in divorce. It was not because it was my wish for that to be the case. There is no need to point fingers or cast blame. Nothing is ever just one person's fault but I would have hung in there had I been given the slightest hint of cooperation. Sometimes you just have to let go as long as it is according to God's will.

I said that to say this. Sixteen Years ago today Pat and I stood before God, a host of family and friends and each other and pledged our faithfulness, trust and love. It was a very special day. Joshua, my son, and now our son, walked me down the aisle and gave me away. When asked, by my Daddy, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man", he responded, "My sisters and I". He actually did it without fainting for which I was very proud of him. Walking down the aisle, I sang the love theme from Ice Castles. There is a line in the song that says, "And now I do believe that even in the storm we'll find some light. Knowing you're beside me, I'm alright.". That line was very poignant because from our very first date, and even before, Pat had helped me deal with many of the problems that I was facing in my life. He did everything from reinforcing my very little bit of self confidence to paying off a lot of medical bills that I had. My Daddy pronounced us man and wife, and with one "I do", Pat became a husband, a father and a grandfather.

For the last sixteen years he has filled all three roles in a manner that is quite outstanding. He has given to all of our children and grandchildren a true example of what a Christian man should be. We were given an opportunity that began ten years ago that would test our love for each other and our love for Christ to the fullest. Our grandson Zachary moved in with us. A little over a year later, his brother Dakota moved in also. A year after that, their sister, Hali, joined them. For more than half of our married life, we have had at least one grandchild living with us. One of these days I'll share with your some of the wonderful tales of our time with our resident grandchildren. For right now, this is anniversary day and I just want you to know how very special I think my hubby is.

As you will remember from here, Pat had a fight with cancer a few years ago. He considered that an opportunity, as he does all of the problems we must face in our life together. He has faced raising three grandchildren, cancer, a knee replacement, losing his job after 25 years of service, and a whole sheaf of other problems with merely a "God has a plan". He is a spectacular man, a wonderful person and one of the most sincere and faithful Christians I know. What more could a woman want in her man?

Happy Anniversary Pat!!!

God Bless,
Mimmy


Happy Anniversary 2008

Sometimes it seems like only yesterday
That I walked on Josh’s arm,
Singing my heart out to you
As if no one else could ever do us harm.

We’ve weathered many a mighty storm
In the fifteen years we’ve shared.
Those storms haven’t put one tiny chip
In our love, our destiny and our care.

For like someone I know keeps saying
God has a plan that is true.
If we but trust him to lead us
He’ll surely get us through.

We can never face too strong a wind
Or too bright a lightening flash.
No matter how the thunder rolls
We’ll never lose love’s splash.

Like Gene Kelly singing in the rain
Stomping and dancing in the gutter,
We’ll make it through the storms of life
Holding hands and dancing together.

No matter how down in the dumps
We tend to get sometimes,
You pull me up and I’ll do you
We will never lose our life's rhyme.

God’s plan for us will ever grow
We’ll stay forever in his hands.
The love that he has given us
Will always and forever stand.

I love you,
"Leroy"*
August 20, 2008

(*That is another story for the same place at another time.)