50 Days Remembering 50 years Day #30

Birchwood

I recently rediscovered some very old (50 years to be exact) postcards from the resort that we stayed at on our honeymoon in the Poconos. This was the little plane that we were supposed to ride in on Monday, then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday--all too windy. Friday was the last chance and they took four people up on one flight. When they came back they said it was too windy and they could only take two and up we went. I had been dreading it every day and George was looking forward to it all week.

Well, I enjoyed it and his hands were sweating (we were holding hands) because he knew it was a rough ride. He did not enjoy it so much. Looking at this postcard now, I am surprised I went on such a small plane and I would be nervous all again should I have the opportunity again. 

This postcard are pictures of the dining areas and the bowling alley. There was a miniature golf course, swimming pool and other activities. If it were still open we would happily return this year. 

This is a postcard we received keeping us up to date on the schedule of the group that entertained us at Birchwood. I guess ruffles were in that year because George wore a ruffled shirt at our wedding.

50 Days of Remembering 50 Years Day #29

I Do? or I Will?

I recently found a recording of when we took our wedding vows. I haven't listened to it. Maybe we should to see how well we have kept those vows. 

But one thing I clearly remember is when the pastor said, "Will you, Debbie take George to be your husband?" I said, "I will." When he asked George "Will you...?" George replied the standard answer that we've seen in all the movies, "I do." 

I was only 22 when we got married. Boy, was I young. So young that I panicked. After we walked down the aisle past our friends and family and after the receiving line, we saw the pastor. I immediately asked him if because George said "I do" instead of "I will" if it was legal? Naive me. Yes, we have been legally married all these years. 

 

50 Days of Remembering 50 Years Day #28

Kids

I guess they are my fault. We did talk briefly about having kids before we got married. It wasn't something that George thought about. I remember telling him that to me, it was having something we created together and having a piece of us to carry on. I guess I convinced him.

The other stipulation I had was we would have more than one. I was not going to have an only child like I was. We also agreed that two was plenty. We did not need a houseful of kids.

Both times it seemed to take a little longer to get pregnant than we had hoped. We were married 3 1/2 years before Tiffany was born. I was hoping for only two years between the kids, but Benjamin came along three years later. This is how we told my parents about the second one--of course, we were there in person when they opened the card.

Tiffany and Benjamin changed our lives immensely. Children are an awesome blessing, expense, joy-bringer, heartbreakers. The good always outweighed the bad. Sure, there were times they had me on my knees in prayer, but there were so many happy and proud moments too. I never realized how hard being a parent was. You question your actions and re-actions. You wonder what you are doing wrong and hope you are doing more things right in bringing up kids. Unfortunately, it's a learn-as-you-go process and there is no turning back once you've messed up. You learn and move forward and try to do better. 

I am forever grateful for my two kids and I am proud of them. They are great human beings and a blessing to the earth--couldn't ask for more than that. Well, they also gave us grandchildren--wow. Until you get there, you don't know how awesome that is! 

As for their names, Tiffany was narrowed down to Tiffany, Bethany and Sabra (George's grandmother). I will admit that the first time I heard the name Tiffany was the name of one of the teens on American Bandstand. For Benjamin, we were taking an old testament Bible study. I loved Elijah. George was afraid he would get teased--too close to Eliza. So, we went with Benjamin Elijah. I was happy when Ben named his youngest son, Elijah Joseph (Joseph after my Dad). He can go by Eli or EJ, but the latter he hasn't taken a liking to, but might one day, who knows?

This is taking so long to do these posts, that I can't dig up all the photos I would like to share. I hope to update at another date. In the meantime, here's some. 

50 Days of Remembering 50 Years Day #27

Follow up to the last post, in my savings (I learned to save from my parents), I found this letter that my parents wrote to me the night before George and I got married. Here is some of it. Now I am wondering did I write to them the night before? I did find a letter after the wedding that I wrote to them. I'll have to re-find that and take pictures for here. Such loving and caring parents. 

50 Days Remembering 50 Years Day #26

Letters

In my parent's savings, I recently found this letter that they saved. It was a letter my husband-to-be wrote to my parents the night before our wedding. Here is part of it. What a sweet thing to do.

50 Days of Remembering 50 years Day #25

In the News

I feel like over the years we have been in newspapers more often than is average. I am taking the easy way out here and just letting these articles speak for themselves. I am sure that I have more and will share them when I find them. 

I will admit that there is one of George and a couple of me that is pre-knowing each other, but I decided to include them. I have also included some articles of relatives. I know there are several more, at least. 

These are just in random order.

Okay, this one my dearest sister friend, Kathy, can be seen but not me sitting next to her. 

It's funny that I saved this one, Kathy and I are way in the back watching the Polar Plunge in Winsted.

I'm sure there are even more!

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works."

Ephesians 2:10

50 Days of Remembering 50 Years Day #24

Parties

Growing up my parents always made sure that I had great birthday parties with games and prizes and food. I carried on their tradition into our new lives.

Our first adult party was a Halloween party. It was a year after we were married. We were living on Stony Hill--that was the name of our first homestead (named by the previous owners who built the house). It was a 450-foot-long driveway and people parked at the bottom of the hill and walked up. We always remember Joe Sverni, one of our groomsmen from the wedding, rented a gorilla outfit and he hid halfway up the driveway behind a tree and scared the heck out of the people walking up! They were all such good sports for that party--a silly scavenger hunt ending with singing something like "OwagooseIam" around a potty chair (try to say it) and having to retrieve the final thing from the potty chair. (it was dark outside, but it was a hot dog.) We were just big kids, I guess. We had silly games--feeding each pudding with a spoon but blindfolded; racing to eat donuts hanging from strings--no hands allowed. I think everyone had a good time. Everyone came in costumes and all participated in everything.

Thus was the beginning. Most of our parties afterwards were children's birthday parties every year. It took weeks to plan the activities and games and goodies and goody bags too. Themes were baseball, dinosaurs and even a theatrical party with an "Academy" award. 

George and I have thrown several milestone birthday parties for each other. He has not been able to surprise me. It's pretty hard to surprise me. I am pretty observant about what's going on. I do appreciate, though, that he did take the initiative. 

I have put a push on me with these daily deadlines for this blog and can't easily find the photos that I would like to include, but in the future, I will try to add some to have for our memories in these posts.

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." 

Psalm 118:24