June 21

June 21.

To some, it is usually the first day of summer.  Communities in Alaska celebrate with a midnight baseball game, happy it is sunny at midnight.  No kidding... we were in Fairbanks in 2007 and in July the airport clock read 80 degrees at 11:00 PM.  The sun had also just started to set.  Amazing.

In 2008, my daughter had major jaw reconstruction surgery due to a congenital defect.  She's fine now in case you were wondering.

In 2014, we buried my almost 45 year old sister who died suddenly on June 9th.  It was a difficult day, and it still is.

But, in 1986, a very young couple (ages 22 and 18) made a commitment in front of God and their families and friends to begin a family of their own.  It has been hard.  It has been wonderful.  We have had more fun than we deserved learning how to be grown ups (although my sister in law says we were both born grown up), how to make a living, how to be parents, and now how to be alone again as empty-nesters.  The college student is home now, so the nest is only half-empty.  But we are dreaming about when and where to retire and how to make retirement meaningful for us.  We have no idea when that will happen, so no details ... yet.

After 3 decades, we have grown closer to the Lord and He has been our sustenance and provider.  I can honestly say I do not believe any other woman has been more blessed than I have.

So Happy Anniversary to a man who has always been a gift to me, snoring and all.  Let's go for 30 more years.  We got married early enough to make that a reality, after all.