This weekend is a pretty big milestone for my hubby and I. When you are twenty-two years old and crazy in love and excited about the future…..well….let’s face it…you don’t really think that much about said future. Oh sure you DO think about ~ buying houses and cars and furniture and vacuum cleaners and having babies and puppies and careers….but who really thinks, “Hmmmm….wonder where we’ll be in thirty years?” But here we are….thirty years later. A lot has happened. MANY houses, states, moves, cars, furniture, babies, puppies, careers, ha~vacuums (!)….but none of it was exactly as we thought it would be. I wasn’t always content…..neither was hubby. If you are gasping and thinking, “I cannot believe she is saying this! What an anniversary tribute!” well then, you don’t really know me yet, or you haven’t been married long. 😉 A person doesn’t just wake up everyday, “happy”. It’s a process….a mindset. A decision. And there are days that are sad and maddening or just plain gloomy. Days you don’t wanna be you. Days you don’t know who your partner is anymore! And most certainly, moments flash in your brain when you recall that someone once told you, “And you are marrying his family, too”.
But we never believed that our commitment to each other was disposable. Even during the toughest of times, somehow we held on and stumbled through it. We have had MANY really great moments. And now, we try to laugh…and laugh a LOT! (our therapy!)
I tell my own married children that all marriages must be worked on daily. There can be no complacency. You will either grow closer together or slip farther away from each other. Period. You cannot mark time. I’ve been in both places. 
But enough with all of this reminicsing…..it is very difficult to find a “Hallmark card” for your spouse that can sum up thirty years. I searched for one this week that would say, ‘We met, dated about two weeks, decided to get married, had little money or real plans, had some kids, they are grown, and here we are. I preferred it be written in an eloquent way, too! 😉 Plus, it needed to cover all the other “stuff”. There is SOOO much in-between!
And to those acquaintances that said we would never make it in our whirlwind relationship …..well, we did. And we are. Cause, somehow, out of all the guys out there, I picked the one that would: laugh at my jokes; take me to concerts he doesn’t really like; (he slept thru a few!)listen to my made-up songs; hold me when I cry; leave me alone when I wanna be; teach me to dance; travel with me and eat at “dives“; respect me; go to garage sales; love my family most of them; be a nurturing & kind father & provider; squish spiders; edge the yard; take me for snowcones and cherry cokes at Sonic; let me think I’m a better shot than him at the range ~ you just love me ~ I guess that pretty much makes you my hero, Marvin Blaxton. I love you, too. Happy 30th Anniversary ♥
stuff i tell my sister 
Absolutely beautiful AND some great advice! No one ever said it would be easy and my, how true that is! But, having just celebrated 33 years of marriage, I can honestly say there isn’t another man out there I would have rather taken with me on this adventure than the one I married, even through the not-so-good days. Happy Anniversay to you both and God Bless!
Thanks for your words, Christi! And congrats to you guys on 33 years! what a roller coaster, huh! We are just along for the ride! 😉
How beautiful… I’m going to pin this is so beautiful…. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!!!
Thanks, Carri ♥
Oh, that was lovely… You’re so lucky!
Congratulations!
That I am….♥
Happy Anniversary! We’re celebrating 32 soon and I totally agree with everything you said (although we knew each other for almost 20 years before we married). Long story:) God bless you as you go forward together!!
Thanks Jeannette! Would love to hear the “long story” sometime! ♥
Well Bless your little hearts, and a Very Happy Anniversary! Loved your pictures. In July we will be celebrating our 62 years of ‘wedded bliss’ ??…and believe me some of those years weren’t so blissful. We decided long ago, to honor God and ourselves by staying together and making it work ,when many of our friends were calling it quits. Marriage is like old wine, it mellows with time. It’s very comforting to have that one person who loves you, even with all your faults, your wrinkles, sags, white hair, and arthritis problems. “For better, for worse, in sickness and in health.” You and Marvin are blessed. xxoo D.
Love your word, Delores….old wine, indeed! And it helps to DRINK that old wine pretty often, too! lol! 62 yrs = awesome! Much love ♥
What a great and so honest tribute to a lasting marriage. June 8th will be 52 years for us. We both had times when we wanted to give up. I am pretty sure it will be until death us do part.
Thanks for being there, Carol ♥ And CONGRATS in just about a week to you guys!
Congratulations and happy anniversary! Such an honest assessment of what goes behind the numbers – love it! Yesterday marked 20 for us, and I thought that was something until I read your post and the other comments here.:-)
Congrats to YOU!! Twenty is VERY special! Here’s to many more ♥
OH, Paula! Congratulations! What a great post–loved the photos and the stories! My hubby and I get to celebrate thirty years next March. We both picked keepers! Here’s wishing you another thirty or forty years together.
Thanks, Naomi! And an early congrats to you guys! (remind me again in March!) ♥
Oh wow. God bless you guys. So inspiring. We are married 9 months…LOL! But what’s important to me about your story is that it is possible to build a lasting and healthy marriage.
Thanks so much….nine months is a great beginning! One day at a time….you guys can do this if we did! 😉