Our Anniversary ~ 36 Years

Our wedding day ~ 36 years ago today. Wow....simply hard to believe! Alden and I got married right here in this area. We were married at Bolling AFB. My dad was stationed at the Pentagon. Alden and I met at NC State ~ he a senior and yes, me a freshman. We had the ceremony at the chapel on the base, reception at the Officer's Club, spent our wedding night in DC and headed down to Mississippi the next day. Alden was in the AF and stationed

at Keesler AFB. Our honeymoon consisted of driving down the interstate from DC to Mississippi. We didn't care at all. We were together and happy as could be! Alden picked out an apt. for us, before I arrived ~ a one bedroom, "furnished" apt. RIGHT outside our bedroom window was a train track and yes.....an active one!!!! Oh my. We got used to it though. We were in Mississippi for 6 months and then moved to Sacramento, CA ~ McClellan AFB.

A few tidbits from our early married life.

My best friend ~oh how I love this man! Happy Anniversary Alden!

I will add a wedding picture of us.....when I find our wedding album....it is not to be found at the moment. :) In lieu of wedding photos, here are "early married life" photos. :)

Dating couple at NC State ~ Alden graduating as an electrical engineer and as a 2nd Lt. in the AF ~ yes, we were both in ROTC! May 1973

young married couple ~ 1974

1979 ~

Wonderful memories ~ many more to come!

Resting

No worries ~ we are simply resting, taking it easy. Alden has a few days off and we are enjoying time together and getting a few house chores done. Thankful for ~ time.

Christmas Has Arrived ~ Merry Christmas One and All

Christmas ~ above all the day to celebrate what God has done for us: Sent His Son to this earth.....to grab ahold of us.... one and all.

Along with that we so enjoy time with family ~ to celebrate together the true meaning of Christmas. Our family has many traditions ~ which we greatly love. They change a bit each year ~ as each family tends to their own families.

Setting the scene for our Christmas 2009:

A snow laden world in Virginia (20" of snow, slow to melt with very cold temps still) ~ our house

• Hannah works Christmas day
• Steve works Christmas Eve
• Phill and Christy are here until Christmas noon then travel to see her family in PA
• Courtney and Pat spend Christmas Eve with the Cassadas extended familyand have dinner with the Cassadas Christmas Day (they alternate every other year with the Cassadas and us on Christmas Day)
• How did we spend Christmas?

We thoroughly enjoyed Christmas Eve day at home with Hannah. We baked cookies, did a little grocery shopping ~ talked and laughed

soooooooo fun!!!!!!

Cookies for: Hannah to take to work on Christmas Day and for us to enjoy

Busted!!!!!! Licking the "icing" beaters :)

tradition on Christmas Eve ~ eat "cold cuts" ~ yum

Then we headed to Christmas Candlelight Service at Phill and Christy's church Silent Night ~

Very special Alden and I ~ posed and having fun! Hannah and her daddy Phill, Christy, Brittany, Andrea and Ayden Wonderful time spent in God's house ~ together! We then headed to Phill and Christy's for dinner ~ Oh my, Christy, fixed QUITE the meal for us ~ ham, mashed potatoes, beans and carrots, sweet potato casserole, polish casserole, rolls ~ WOW, simply WOW! Thank you Christy!!!!!!! Brittany enjoying a quiet moment of "candle" watching sweets to end the meal ~ Christmas cookies, Viennese Cresenents, white pretzel treats, fudge, pecan tarts, peanut butter cookies ~ AND homemade pretzels from Christy Ayden with his "I love Santa" bib :)

Andrea and Ayden

Ayden readying for bed in his candy striped pj's THEN.......Alden, Hannah and I headed home to meet Steve ~ to have our "Christmas" together (remember Hannah works Christmas Day and Steve worked til 7:30 p.m. Christmas Eve)

Steve and Hannah

presents gathered

Santa came!!!!! what did he bring????? Reading the Christmas story ~ we go around the room and take turns reading from God's Word

A good discussion was had by all regarding Jesus' arrival to this world and all it means to us

opening gifts

even Cassie gets to join the fun (with catnip!) tradition started years ago....when I was a little girl. My Uncle Vernon would send the nieces $10 and we would put the card on the tree to be opened Christmas morn. We now send this gift to our nieces and nephews....for them to open Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas to you all ~ family and friends.

Winter Wonderland ~ Christmas 2009

Oh, what a wonderful surprise this snow storm is!

DC is in the midst of a record breaking snow storm. We're loving it!

Most of us have LOTS to be done right now.......For those who know me well, you know I have my lists and like to check things off. I also am a last minute shopper for Christmas and I was counting on this weekend to do some of that. We have two Christmas parties this weekend. You know what? We are loving that ALL of that has come to a screeching HALT.

It is calm. It is beautiful. I feel as if God is saying "this is what I desire for you". Be still and know. Sometimes, (most of the time) it takes an external "something" to get us to do this. I hear you God. I love you. I praise YOU this day.

Yesterday........

today......oh what a difference a day makes :)

Home ~

It began last night around 8:35 p.m. and the anticipation was so wonderful

So beautiful ~

and at Christmas time......so special

Alden, Steve and I took turns shoveling.....had to do it many times (and more yet to come!)

back yard

the deck

We are warm and cozy inside......reading, watching b'ball, football, baking, vegetable soup simmering for dinner ~ just enjoying being together. We're thankful for God's creation.