Thirty One Years

Sue and I got married thirty one years ago.  That is a crap ton of years as Sue likes to say.

We flew to San Francisco for our honeymoon.  Sue's brother Rick drove us to the airport and offered to buy us a drink, but he didn't have his wallet so we ended up paying for the drinks :)

One of my first memories of what was to come in our lives together occurred when I hailed a cab to take us to our hotel in Downtown San Francisco.

The cab I hailed was pink and inexplicably to me, Sue found this to be hilarious.  She giggled all the way from the airport to our hotel.

Years later we would describe this as road tripping, when Sue and Laura would begin to laugh uncontrollably about something that may or may not have been funny.

Adam and I would look at each other and wonder what in the world is happening.

Cab Drivers reaction when encountering road trippers...

When Sue and first got married she had only been to other other state(Nebraska).

Sue saw the ocean for the first time on our honeymoon and in the years that have followed we have crossed two oceans together, raised our two incredible children Laura and Adam in a house filled with love. 

We said our goodbye's to people we loved who shaped us into the people we are. 

My Grandmother, Sue's Mother and Grandmother, my Aunt Joy and Uncle Norm and my dear friend Kelly. 

We have shared the disappointments during our career's, job loss, a failed business, extended bouts with auto-immune diseases.

Maybe nothing all that remarkable that any couple that has been married a crap ton of years and it is in the ordinary that we find that which makes our lives together extraordinary. 

Thanks for choosing me to share your one wild and precious life with. 

“Instructions for living a life. 
Pay attention. 
Be astonished. 
Tell about it.” 
― Mary Oliver

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29 years

Sue and I went on our first date 29 years ago today.

I worked for a 1/2 day at a house that I was framing in Cherry Hills. 

I borrowed my father's Oldsmobile so I Sue wouldn't have to ride in my truck on our first date.

She greeted me at the door of  her apartment.  She was wearing a pretty white dress. 

We had tickets to the theatre to see A Chorus Line.

We drove over to Simms Landing and had a late dinner.  We sat in our little booth and talked for a long time, the things you do on first dates.

We drove back to her apartment.  I sat nervously on the couch with her.  It had been such a long time since I had been on a date with someone that I liked, someone I was attracted to and wanted to be with.

It probably took me half an hour or longer for me to finally ask her if I could kiss her. I was so nervous.

And she said yes and we kissed and we kissed and it was another world waiting for me there.

I wonder if she will say yes tonight?

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A belated birthday present for my wife

Sue,

24 years ago I planted this tree in our front yard on your birthday.

Erin, Sammy and Shasta were our kids when this tree was planted.

How this tree has grown during our lives together.  This tree has had to weather many storms, much like we have had to do.

I recently finished reading a book that  Kelly's Aunt Linda recommended, Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom.

I wanted to share part of this story as  a belated birthday present to you. It is a conversation between a Rabbi and the author of the book and I think it has a great message about commitment, faith and love.

"On the other hand, a true love can enrich itself.  It gets tested and grows stronger.  Like in Fiddler on the Roof, when Tevye asks, "Do you love me?".


A husband and wife whose love  is proven through action, not words.


"When she says, 'How can you ask if I love you?  Look at all I've done with you. What else would you call it?'


"That kind of love-the kind you realize you already have by the life you've created together--that's the  kind that lasts".


"I think people expect too much from marriage today, he said. They expect perfection. Every moment should be bliss. That's TV or the movies. But that is not the human experience.


"Twenty good minutes here, forty good minutes there, it adds up to something beautiful.  It's okay that the other one nudges you a little, bothers you a little.  It's part of being close to someone".


"But he joy you get from that same closeness, when you watch your children, when you wake up and smile at each other, that as our tradition teaches us, is a blessing.  People forget that".


Why do they forget it, I asked.


"Because the word 'commitment' has lost it's meaning.  I'm old enough to remember when it used to be a positive. A committed person  was someone to be admired. Now a commitment is something you avoid. You don't want to tie yourself down.


"It's the same way with faith, by the way.  We don't want to get stuck having to go to services all of the time, or having to follow the rules. We don't want to commit to God.  We'll take him when we need him, or when things are going good. But real commitment?  That requires staying power, in faith and in marriage".


And if you don't commit?


"Your choice.  But you miss what is on the other side".


What's on the other side?


"Ah.".  He smiled.  "A happiness you cannot find alone".

Thank you for being there on the other side for me.

  Now my question for you.  It's a real question :)

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31 Days of Wishes: Day 13

Last night at the Track Suit Pub Crawl, we had an unexpected visitor.  Santa!

Laura, Santa and Sue at the Pub Crawl for Cancer

I can't remember the last time Laura had her picture taken with Santa.  It has been many years, but how I cherish those memories of going to the mall to see Santa with Laura.

My wish for today is for everyone to cherish those moments of joyful innocence with your children and hold those memories near in your hearts.

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30 days of Thanks: Day 12

Today I am thankful for:

A surpise visit from Keegan while I was at Panera Bread.



A trip to the Denver Musuem where we saw some dinasours and I found out something new about my wife!

Lunch with my kids where Adam taught Keegan how to pinky swear :)

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30 days of Thanks: Day 6

Today I am thankful for:

The wonderful friendship that Laura and Adam share with one another!

Seeing the love that Laura and Adam have for Keegan!

Sharing my life with my amazing wife and best friend!

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30 days of Thanks: Day 3

Today I am thankful for:

My daughter Laura telling me to come look outside her bedroom window and I was treated to this wonderful sunrise to start the day. We have lived in the same house Laura's entire life and I don't know if we have ever shared a sunrise together like this. What a beautiful way to start the day.

I am thankful for finally waking from what seemed to be a dream only to find myself wide awake and realizing that I had fallen in love with my wife again.

WOW!!!

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