Forty Six years ago on December 6, 1974 we were married on a Friday night in Southern California.
After our wedding we went to my parents home and got ready to leave on our honeymoon. Our family and closest friends were there, too, and we opened gifts before we changed into our get away clothes and left for our honeymoon. Did any of you do that after your wedding or did you take off and go straight to your honeymoon from the wedding site? We were pretty beat when we finally arrived to our first destination, the Pierpont Inn in Ventura, California.
The Pierpont Inn, Ventura, California. Little did we know that 10 years later we would move to Ventura.
From the Pierpont we continued north along the coast of California.
This little log cabin somewhere in Central California was a nice little spot to stop. I can’t find it online anymore but it was called Butterfly Trees Lodge.
This was Dear’s car, a 1971 Datsun 510.
We went as far north as San Francisco and then headed back home along the 101 highway to our apartment in West Los Angeles. We stopped in Solvang on our way home.
We have had our ups and downs, broke years and rich years, fun years and tough years, apartment years and house years, traveling years and stay at home years, lots of kid sports years (baseball and soccer), college expense years, wedding years, and grand baby years. We’ve had sanctifying spiritual growth that for some years plateaued and other years flourished. We are in a flourishing stage right now that we are thankful for in our retirement years. God has sustained and protected our marriage through thick and thin and we are grateful. He has tried us, kept us and blessed us. Thank you, Lord. May we love you more and each other more in our 47th year!
Back to 2020 and how we plan to celebrate our anniversary. Because of current COVID closures in Washington state we are heading to Idaho to the Coeur d’Alene Resort on Sunday for an overnight and dinner at Beverly’s. We are looking forward to sitting down and eating in a nice restaurant. This will only be about a 2 hour drive for us.
On our way home on Monday we will do some shopping in Spokane.
We haven’t changed much…right?
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Happy Anniversary!
Thank you, Sandi!
…a wonderful milestone, we celebrated our 54th in August. Congratulations!
54 is a great number of years, Tom! Congratulations and continued blessings on your marriage!
You are a beautiful couple and I’ve enjoyed following your family. (found you through MGCC) Your posts are so spiritually encouraging, too. We have been married 52 years and your photos from that “era” bring back memories of our early married years. We left our wedding reception, went to my parents house to change, and then took off for a short honeymoon to Luray Caverns in VA. We had to be back for work on Tuesday. A year later we took a “real” honeymoon trip to the New England states.
Elaine, we’ve had many real honeymoon trips since that first one. Truth be told it was a bit stressful and not very relaxing. 52 years is a great number to celebrate! I’m glad you could have your “real” honeymoon a year later!
Happy Anniversary! Wonderful photo and happy memories. Take care, enjoy your weekend!
Thank you, Eileen!
Happiest Anniversary to you! You really haven’t changed much and what a blessing you are to so many! We did the same thing, got married on a Friday afternoon, went to my parents place after the banquet, opened gifts, changed and then went to our friends apartment where many friends were gathered after our wedding to spend some more time with them before heading out on our honeymoon. I’ll have to tell that story sometime … Have a lovely weekend – stay safe and enjoy celebrating!
Rosella, I look forward to that story…
Thank you for your encouragement!
Happiest of anniversaries to you my dear sister. So thankful that you are going to be able to get away. Enjoy your celebration 🍾🥰👏
Thank you dear sister. It’s nice that we live close enough to a more “open” state.
Happy Anniversary Weekend! So glad that you are going to do something special. You have changed a little—for the better!
Thank you, Vee!
Very happy anniversary! We had our 40 th last year, and like you, have weathered ups and downs, but come through thanking God.
i see no change in your photos! Still young!
You are kind, Barbara. Congrats on your 40 years!
What a beautiful chronicling of your journey. Your smiles are nearly unchanged. But so much in your lives and experience and personal growth. Thanks be to God who sustains you both.
Thank you Nikkipolani!
That is a GREAT picture of you two! (all of them 😉 but especially the last one!)
Happy Anniversary and your example of steadfastness in your relationship with each other and the Lord!
We love you, We love you, We love you!
And you know we love you, too!
Congratulations! I wish you many more happy returns of the day. I agree you have not changed at all. You both still have lovely smiles. My husband and I just celebrated our 35 anniversary.
Hello Julia, thank you and congrats on your 35th!
Adorable photos! Just wonderful! Congratulations on your 46th Wedding anniversary!
Thank you, Maristella!
Happy Anniversary. Lots of time gone by and lots of memories and still a fine looking couple!
Thank you, Karen!
The same smiles shine through. It was lovely to see your photos and hear about your marriage. Enjoy your trip away..B x
Thank you Barbara!
Love the old pic’s! Happy anniversary, you two! Enjoy your celebrations this weekend.
Judy, Thank you! Wish we were coming to Canada this weekend for a Mennonite Girls Can Cook Christmas dinner!
Only the clothes have changed!! Congratulations on 46 years. Enjoy your few days away.
Thank you, Bev!
Happy anniversary! I’ve enjoyed reading about your honeymoon and seeing the photos. We were married in 1965 and we spent our honeymoon in Jersey in the Channel Islands. I still remember the change of outfit complete with a pretty hat for our get away and taken to the airport by a dear Uncle while my parents entertained our guests. We went back to Jersey on our 25th wedding anniversary. The years go by and like you we’re sustained by God’s goodness. Enjoy your overnight time away in Idaho.
Thank you for sharing a little about your wedding and honeymoon, Linda! I enjoyed reading the details. God is good!
Happy Anniversary kids! I have been following the MGCC blog since the beginning when I Googled Paska. My Ukrainian sister-in-law was making it for her Easter celebration. I feel like we are friends and would have loved to have been in your group. My hubs and I are the same vintage and I enjoyed seeing your posts of celebrating weddings and grand babies just as we have. You all exude such joy and enjoy celebrating simple joys.
You and your hubby have not changed a bit except,as someone already commented,for the clothes. This made me run down memory lane in the 70’s with wearing bell bottoms and punch’s. We were all married so young back then. I would not have changed any of it. We also had many ups and downs but feel so blessed to have been level headed enough to ride that roller coaster with humour and God’s grace.
Wishing you both many more years of loving each other. Donna from Ottawa
Donna, how nice to hear from you and read about how you came across MGCC. Thank you for your kind comment. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. So good to read the similarities in our years of marriage. God bless you!
What a happy looking young couple and your sweet smiles are the same today. Love the 70s look. /and his jeans in the first shots–wow! Many happy happy and peaceful years ahead
MB
MaryBeth, good eye! He put all those studs in himself. Thank you for your wishes!
Happy Anniversary to you both, Ellen!!! You guys were such a good-looking couple! I love to see old family pictures like this. 🙂 I wish you many more years of happiness together, my friend!
Hugs,
Denise at Forest Manor
Thank you Denise. I appreciate your comment. 🙂
Oh I loved this post so much! You both are a true inspiration. Here’s to many more years of wedded bless. Happy Anniversary!
Thank you, Laura!
Beautiful memories, Ellen, and so well said. I walked down memory lane with you. Good years and hard years, laughter and tears … we can relate. We also went to my home after the wedding where extended family was gathered to watch us open gifts. At some time in the evening we snuck upstairs to change and left. I love that photo from way back – when you were just kids – and also from now – knowing you and being blessed by your friendship.
Anneliese, God was good to bring us together in friendship!
Beautiful then . . . beautiful now! God has been faithful and good! Happy congratulations as you celebrate His blessings!
You are kind Cheryl. Thank you.