Anniversary #40!!

Today is our 40th Anniversary!

Very hard to believe that I've know this man for 44 years!

Honestly, I remember very little of my life without him in it!

We met when he was sixteen, I was fifteen.

You may have heard this story.

But, please let me repeat it!

I kind of like it!!

We met at my best friend's sixteenth birthday party, October 31, 1967.  Jerry came with some of his buddies that went to church with us. I can't say it was love at first sight, but there was definitely an attraction. The party was held in a community center near one of our friends homes. After the party we walked back to her house and he held my hand. (sigh!) He started coming to our church and wanted to date me!  My mom and dad said "no."  I had to be sixteen to date. We had to wait until June; a very long eight months! He was pretty good with that. My parents did let him drive me home from church though. Of course, they were either in front of us or behind us. He was able to stay for lunch on Sunday and spend the afternoon until we returned to church that night.  He could also drive me to church youth functions if we had another friend with us.  But, finally I was 16! Our first date was to Minute Man after church on Sunday night for burgers and fries. Four years of dating and we were finally married. I'm not going to say that we had a perfect "happy ever after" marriage, I'm pretty sure that only happens in fairy tales. We had our problems and our arguments. But, with hard work and love we survived those years. We made a vow to each other, besides the wedding vows, that we would never mention divorce to each other;  that through the good times and the bad times we would stay together. We married because we loved each other and we would work to keep that love intact. If I had it all to do over again...I would do the very same thing!  Marry this wonderful man and share my life with him!!