Wednesday, June 28, 2006
A Testament to Love
We were in our early twenties and very much in love.
I wanted 12 children, but he married me anyway.
He never arrived anywhere on time, but I married him anyway- and yes, he was late to the wedding.
I can say with certainty that we both have learned so much in the last twenty five years. As friends around us have divorced, we have grown closer.
He shakes his head and smiles at my impulsivity.
I roll my eyes and grit my teeth about his patient pace.
We both embrace our imperfections and do not impose the burden of perfection on each other.
And we love each other more now than we thought possible twenty five years ago.
We have weathered our share of storms.
Miscarriages, illnesses, job concerns, etc.
We have reveled in more than our share of joys!
Our five children have been the center of our twenty five years.
They have taught us so much about life and love. They are amazing characters, each and every one. They never miss an oppotunity to challenge our parenting skills and help us learn from the experience. Their individual personalities are a wonder to behold.
We can not imagine our lives without them.
Twenty five years ago, I could not comprehend the depth of the love I could hold for our children. That love still takes my breath away.
So, today, John and I will get up at 5 am, drive four children to swim practice and back, two of them to work and back, walk the dogs, go to work ourselves, tour a private school for the twins, grocery shop, thank the sky for shining sun on us instead of dropping another 13" of rain, finish cleaning the basement from the last 13" of rain that found its way under our BRAND NEW carpeting, fix the cracked minivan windshield, watch the kids' swim meet and finally, take some time to relax together at a well-deserved quiet dinner with just the two of us - reminiscing over the past twenty five and dreaming of what is to come.
Happy Anniversary John! I love you!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Casey River
Monday, June 26, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Basil Pesto
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Thank heavens for perrenials
Garden Fun
Monday, June 19, 2006
Wedding Weekend
sue and charley
sue and charley
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
the happy couple. i don't think i have ever seen my sister happier or more beautiful!
john,charlie and dad
john,charlie and dad
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
john,charlie and dad enjoying a glass of wine friday evening.
mike and tom
mike and tom
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
the day of the wedding and mike and tom are dressed and ready for their job, carrying the train of sue's wedding dress.
will and dad
will and dad
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
william and dad are chatting as we await the boat to take us to charlie's island,one of the 20 thimble islands off the shore of branford, where the wedding will be held.
island house
island house
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
we are ready to dock at the house. charlie and his brother designed this house- completely solar powered (there is no electricity on the island) and dependent on gathered rain water for their water supply.
abridge to cross
abridge to cross
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
the path to the island's grove was marked with white bows and had stations with champgne and appetizers to strengthen us for our walk.
sue and her girls
sue and her girls
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
lesley and ruth standing by sue and charlie's side as vows are exchanged
the grandsons
the grandsons
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
will oversees his younger brothers and cousin as they explore the rocky shoreline. miraculously, none of them fell in despite thier best attempts. mike spent a lot of time constructing fishing pole out of shoregrasses and baiting them with discarded shrimp tails. strangely, no fish caught.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
master gardener
master gardener
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.
madeline woke up bright and early to weed the garden. she is our master gardener.