Blue Happy Living

Today 31 years ago Greg and I got married.  I’ve told the story before that we were pen pals while he was over season.  He was serving his country in the United States Air Force.  When he came home in April of 1986 we got married in June of that same year.  We lived in San Antonio Texas at Brooks Air Force Base.  It was a very different time in our marriage we were truly living on love.  As an Airmen he made hardly nothing and I worked retail so money was thin after rent, groceries and utilities were paid. We didn’t care we were in love.  If we had at least $5 left we would get $1 pizza on base and you could rent movies for $1 as well.  Now those movies were VHS and old as the hills.  Not the most current movies either but, to us that was living the high life.

Fast forward and here we are empty nesters.  It’s hard to believe we are where we are and time has passed so fast.  We have lived in lots of apartments and homes.  We have been richer (always on Payday then it’s gone) and poorer. We were thin, then we were thick and now we have come full circle thin again.  There was Norm, Ally Girl, Zeus, Shoes, Hooch, Cedric, Frostie and Max.  These are the dogs that have come and stayed until they passed away. Still living are Hartley, Vegas, Cooper and Cherry. I can’t even name all the cars and trucks we have gone through.  Mostly because I sucked at driving when we first got married having 5 wrecks in 3 years and yes all totaled.  I’ve since learned to drive way better so it’s all good now.  Marriage hasn’t been all daisies and roses. It’s hard to be married sometimes you have to give and take. Sometimes you give more and sometimes you take more.  I dare say we have found a common ground to stand on.  Our faith is always there in the good times and the bad times. It is the back bone of our marriage. We were both raised in homes that believed in Jesus Christ and that is how we raised our kids.

Our kids are by far the best of what has come from this marriage.  They are both amazing adult children  each with their own gifts to offer.  Both are married and both have children.  Now that is the icing on the cake of empty nesting.  Those grandkids are so easy to love and so easy to spend time with.  Greg and I are so blessed to have these small very different in their own ways kiddo’s in our lives.  Life is so good these days we count our blessings everyday.

Someone ask me what’s the secret to a long marriage.  There is no secret! It’s hard sometimes to a point you just wanna cry.  Those hard times are always washed away and covered by the amazing times.  By far the good always out do the bad times. This morning my daughter sent us a beautiful message wishing us a happy anniversary and thanked us for being a good role model.  I responded by saying:  Thank you but learn from our mistakes.  Don’t fight over the small stuff, always be honest about finances, while you are fighting never say you want a divorce, stand firm on staying together, love with out limits, always forgive quickly, finally hold hands and say I love you in front of your kids. It’s no secret love is hard but the rewards of loving someone through the hard times is the best your heart will ever know.