ONE YEAR AGO TOMORROW, I posted the Love Note below to remind my beautiful bride that I have truly enjoyed the 39 years we have been together. The Note below is the same as last year, except that now it says 39 Years Of Wedded Bliss. God has truly blessed me: with a wonderful wife, with loving children, and with five of the most beautiful and wonderful Pinoy grandchildren God ever created. And, I am not the least bit biased! Well, maybe a wee bit.
So, HAPPY 39TH TO MY BRIDE! And, to all my Friends, please keep my family in prayer that our Lord will continue to bless, watch over, and protect all of them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THIRTY NINE YEARS AGO TODAY, September 2, 1977 - My bride, Dory, made me a very happy man! That is the day we were first wed. I say "First Wed" because on our 3rd Anniversary we went to Hawaii and had a second wedding. Yes, a true second wedding - a church wedding where we did it all over again - marriage license in Hawaii, wedding flowers, wedding photographer, and we were married in a church in Honolulu. Complete redo!
We tried to do the same thing on our 6th Anniversary. But, in Puerto Vallarta the only Protestant church we could find had been burned down years before. My new company even got into the act. I had recently become a Regional Sales Manager with a computer graphics company based in Lafayette, Louisiana, and part of my employment terms was that I would have a one week vacation in September to get married again.
The president of the company, a retired lawyer who, with his white hair and refined looks, could have been the poster-boy for the kind Southern judge - put in their employment offer letter to me: "And, we will allow you a one week vacation in September to legitimize your already legitimate marriage." I love it when a plan comes together!
My mom asked Dory, "Why does Bill like to get married again every three years?" And, Dory told her, "That way, no matter how many years we have been married - he only feels like he has been married three years!" Dory had it right. We had plans to become perpetual newlyweds! But, when we could not find a Protestant church in Puerto Vallarta to marry us - that sort of broke the chain. But, it did not break the spirit of being perpetual newlyweds.
Today, in making a collage to commemorate this wonderful day, I searched for photos which would tie in with our early romance. What are those places?
We met on a Wednesday evening at the Saddleback Inn Hotel in Santa Ana where Dory was attending a weekly Red Carpet Real Estate sales meeting. The Saddleback Inn Hotel is no longer there.
A week later, on Saturday evening, we had our first date. We first went to Bobby McGee's Restaurant and Night Club in Newport Beach. We stayed at Bobby McGee's just long enough to have a drink with my friend, Jay Kear. That Bobby McGee's is no longer there.
Then, Dory and I went to the Newporter Inn on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach to dance. The Newporter Inn is no longer there.
While walking by the swimming pool at the Newporter Inn that evening, we had our very first kiss. The kiss is still there!
The next day, Sunday, we had our second date. We went to church at the Garden Grove Community Church (precursor to the Crystal Cathedral). Then, we went to a movie in Fashion Island at Newport Beach. And then we had an early dinner at the Quiet Cannon Restaurant in Dana Point. The restaurant is still there but is now named Cannon's.
So, the place we first met is no longer there, the places we went on our first date and where we had our first kiss are no longer there. The restaurant where we had our first dinner date is still there, but is no longer the Quiet Cannon. It is now called the Cannon's Seafood Restaurant.
So much has changed over the 39 years since we fell in love and married. But, the love which was spawned on those first dates is stronger than ever, 39 years later.
So, I am sending this to all my Friends to ask that you say a prayer of thanksgiving to our Lord for giving Dory and me 39 wonderful years together - and counting.
And, this is sent to my lovely young bride to tell her, "Happy 39th Wedding Anniversary!" I love you more every day. Thank you for tolerating me for 39 years.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
So, HAPPY 39TH TO MY BRIDE! And, to all my Friends, please keep my family in prayer that our Lord will continue to bless, watch over, and protect all of them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THIRTY NINE YEARS AGO TODAY, September 2, 1977 - My bride, Dory, made me a very happy man! That is the day we were first wed. I say "First Wed" because on our 3rd Anniversary we went to Hawaii and had a second wedding. Yes, a true second wedding - a church wedding where we did it all over again - marriage license in Hawaii, wedding flowers, wedding photographer, and we were married in a church in Honolulu. Complete redo!
We tried to do the same thing on our 6th Anniversary. But, in Puerto Vallarta the only Protestant church we could find had been burned down years before. My new company even got into the act. I had recently become a Regional Sales Manager with a computer graphics company based in Lafayette, Louisiana, and part of my employment terms was that I would have a one week vacation in September to get married again.
The president of the company, a retired lawyer who, with his white hair and refined looks, could have been the poster-boy for the kind Southern judge - put in their employment offer letter to me: "And, we will allow you a one week vacation in September to legitimize your already legitimate marriage." I love it when a plan comes together!
My mom asked Dory, "Why does Bill like to get married again every three years?" And, Dory told her, "That way, no matter how many years we have been married - he only feels like he has been married three years!" Dory had it right. We had plans to become perpetual newlyweds! But, when we could not find a Protestant church in Puerto Vallarta to marry us - that sort of broke the chain. But, it did not break the spirit of being perpetual newlyweds.
Today, in making a collage to commemorate this wonderful day, I searched for photos which would tie in with our early romance. What are those places?
We met on a Wednesday evening at the Saddleback Inn Hotel in Santa Ana where Dory was attending a weekly Red Carpet Real Estate sales meeting. The Saddleback Inn Hotel is no longer there.
A week later, on Saturday evening, we had our first date. We first went to Bobby McGee's Restaurant and Night Club in Newport Beach. We stayed at Bobby McGee's just long enough to have a drink with my friend, Jay Kear. That Bobby McGee's is no longer there.
Then, Dory and I went to the Newporter Inn on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach to dance. The Newporter Inn is no longer there.
While walking by the swimming pool at the Newporter Inn that evening, we had our very first kiss. The kiss is still there!
The next day, Sunday, we had our second date. We went to church at the Garden Grove Community Church (precursor to the Crystal Cathedral). Then, we went to a movie in Fashion Island at Newport Beach. And then we had an early dinner at the Quiet Cannon Restaurant in Dana Point. The restaurant is still there but is now named Cannon's.
So, the place we first met is no longer there, the places we went on our first date and where we had our first kiss are no longer there. The restaurant where we had our first dinner date is still there, but is no longer the Quiet Cannon. It is now called the Cannon's Seafood Restaurant.
So much has changed over the 39 years since we fell in love and married. But, the love which was spawned on those first dates is stronger than ever, 39 years later.
So, I am sending this to all my Friends to ask that you say a prayer of thanksgiving to our Lord for giving Dory and me 39 wonderful years together - and counting.
And, this is sent to my lovely young bride to tell her, "Happy 39th Wedding Anniversary!" I love you more every day. Thank you for tolerating me for 39 years.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment