Today, my hubby and I celebrate our 26th First Date Anniversary! 🙂 Yep, we remember these silly dates and though it sounds cliche, it still feels like yesterday. He was 27; I was 26. We lived in so. Calif. at the time and he took me to the Sycamore Inn for a very nice dinner, then dancing at Mt. Baldy Lodge & Restaurant! An awesome setting in the mountains! He chose this same place 6 months later when he proposed (after a ski lift ride to the top)…We then spent 3 New Year’s Eves here, dancing our socks off with a bunch of friends! I remember drinking Irish Cream Coffees (yum) and cooling off on the deck overlooking the snowy view, after dancing! Truly romantic and magical. ♥

Next month, we’ll celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. I don’t think either of us can believe the time we’ve spent together is now wrapped up in photographs and not so current. Our relationship hasn’t been perfect. As far as I know, no relationship is…along with the laughs, we’ve shed tears for different reasons. However, we’ve managed to, instead of stumbling over the bumps, step over them and move forward…

I know of several couples who have divorced after 20 some years of marriage and it breaks my heart. I don’t want to be a statistic and so I have a vision of us rocking together on the front porch when we’re older, watching our grandchildren play.  Since our kids aren’t “there” yet, for having children, our vision is “way” into the future! This vision, though, will remain our anchor and strength to persevere anything thrown in our path that is not welcomed! God willing, we’ll have the chance to rock ‘n” roll in rocking chairs! 🙂

Living together for many, many years, married or not, takes work. It’s not a piece of cake. Well, sometimes, it is, but other times, it’s not so sweet. Fortunately, Matt and I are both talkers…we have no trouble communicating, which I think is the key. Holding things in only gives trouble fuel to smolder.

So after almost 25 years of marriage, our kids aren’t little and precious anymore. They’re both in college and luckily, responsible young adults. Whether they like it or not, they’ll always be our “precious babies!” I don’t know what we’ve done right, but we must have done something because we are so blessed. And I mean this with all sincerity and the least bit of boasting…

A dark (health) cloud still insists on looming over us (one of the bumps), but with and through our lasting love for each other and our son and daughter, we’ll get through it, no matter what!

So…Happy “First Date” Anniversary, Honey!
You were my best friend in the late 80’s when we met.
You still are to this day and always will be.

I Love You.

L xo ♥