53 Years in a Blink

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How does one even imagine where they will be 53 years from the day of their wedding, June 16, 1973?!Where it all began, June 16, 1973The years fly by, or trudge on, depending on the specific year, and the memories collect in our minds and photo albums.  It all blends together in a bit of a blur.  There are very happy moments of rejoicing, which usually float to the front of our joyful memories.  But as we think back and examine, we'll remember some of the less joyful moments.  But each of these make us who we are, help us to grow and learn to love harder, listen & absorb better, and take the good with the bad, being thankful for the experiences and the fact we are still here with all our loved ones to continue these moments in time. I know that's how I feel at this moment in time, on this 53rd wedding anniversary for my beloved, Mark and I. I took some time to look over the memories that I have in my digital photo album, and there are so many.  Wonderful trips and vacations, beautiful times with family, children, grands, in-laws, siblings, lovely friends and acquaintances over these many years, and even before marriage.He was barely 20, and I was just 19, about to turn 20 two weeks after our wedding.  I was six-months pregnant, something I have no problem sharing, at least not at this point in my life. We had a quick romance, falling hard over each other in short time. It was a lovely church wedding at St Francis Solano, my priest and his episcopal Reverend officiating together in a Catholic Church! And an outdoor recreation at my family home and garden.  And apparently we were prepared to bring a new life into this world RIGHT AWAY! And we did.  Alura Lin in September of that same year, 1973.  And almost 2.5 years later, Sarah Allison arrived in March 1976. It was a bit of a fairy tale life, as I look back and reminisce. Things were good and life treated us well.  Mark had a great job at Sonoma Fire and I was a granola mom, staying at home for a time with our beautiful daughters, raising them on this idyllic mountain after the first 2 years, and here we still are today.  I took on part time work off and on when it seemed right, until it felt right to work full-time, in Human Resources, or was I  just wanting something different.But there was always a garden, and a menagerie of animals... goats, ponies, a horse, geese, chickens, rabbits, pigeons, dogs & cats, then a full fledged alpaca farm/business that lasted 10+ years. Mark supported it all, although it really wasn't what he might have chosen on his own.  But he never stopped me.Our girls grew and thrived.  They attended the same elementary school as their father, and later one of our grandsons graduated on the same campus, Dunbar Elementary in Glen Ellen; then Sonoma Valley High for both girls, after a stint at Justin Sienna for Alura. We camped a lot in the early days, and owned a boat for some years, skiing, fishing, and more camping. There was ballet and soccer, music, 4-H.  We enjoyed several trips to Kauai and the islands. Both daughters also experienced a few foreign exchanges, both welcoming students into our home, and they traveling abroad to stay with families... Maria Teresa's family in Greve Italy, Alla Bila's family in Kaniv Ukraine, and Rie Tanaka's family in Fukuoka Japan.  The girls went off to colleges, UC Davis, and University of Oregon.  We traveled around to visit them as they found their way -- Sarah lived in Connecticut and then New York for some years. They each met their future husbands along the way, (Stephan & Jeremy) and eventually settled in Davis for Alura and Stephan, and Sonoma for Sarah, then more recently in Santa Rosa with Jeremy.  And now we have three beautiful grandchildren to spoil, mentor, follow their stories, and shower with love. Nico 14 and Madz 11, both soon to be 15 and 12 respectively, (Alura), and Gaige 14 (Sarah). We both retired some years ago, and I've been challenged with some injuries and health issues across my adult life, including LAD in 2023, but who needs to focus on that now. The important part is that I'm mostly well, or at least stable, and enjoying life with the wonderful support of my lifelong partner and family by my side.The real focus is that we are here, married 53 years, and still in love. We still garden a bunch, Mark manages the rest of the 15 acres, keeping us fire safe and active at the same time me, we play bocce weekly, and connect with many friends off and on for fun times, sad times, meals out, celebrations, birthdays, you name it. We still gather with my large growing family, just not as frequently as before the pandemic, and I knit all the time and do a few other crafts to keep busy. Mark serves on the Board of the Sonoma Valley Fire District and is the League Coordinator for our bocce league. And we still get out to the coast and beyond in our Nash Trailer, which we love to do. So if that is where you find us in 5, 10, 15 years from now, if we're still around, that is wonderful, and we couldn't ask for more.HAPPY 53 MY LOVEHere's to many more years together doing exactly as we please.See below for a few collages and individual photos of special people, moments, and memories throughout these 53 amazing years.A family portraitAlura and Sarah with their Grammie Gloria at my aunt and uncles 50th AnniversaryThe girls and I with my mother and maternal grandmother, AuroraMe with my parents and all siblings, circa 1980Gramma Kitty's 75th birthday party Alura and Stephan's wedding daySarah and Jeremy's wedding dayOur 3 loves, Madeleine, Gaige & NicoMany moons agoCrater Lake anniversary tripOur 50th Anniversary, 2023~ ~ ~Thank you for following my journey. Your continued support, good thoughts/vibes/energy, and prayers are always appreciated.Wishing you all the best alwaysPEACE, LOVE AND JOYUntil next time... ~ ~ ~Living my best life!  Hugs, Debbie