Tag: wedding

A Day to Remember, Marriage

Friday Trivia – Our Wedding!

Today, my husband and I are celebrating thirty-three years of marriage. Everyone says it…but where have all those years gone? Today’s trivia is about me and our wedding. I’ve included some pictures of the day. Of course, if you’ve known me for a while, you’ll have the answers. If you’ve read any of my books, or my posts on here, you should be able to answer them. If not, then you will know me better. To make it a bit easier, I will make this one multiple choice. (The answers will be in red.)

  1. What was my maiden name?
    1. Babcock
    2. Johnson
    3. Kelsey
  2. What year were my husband and I married?
    1. 1983
    2. 1980
    3. 1984
  3. Where was the tiny town we were married located?
    1. Vermont
    2. Texas
    3. New York
  4. Where was our wedding reception held?
    1. Our church
    2. My parent’s home
    3. A nearby park
  5. How old was I when I married?
    1. 21
    2. 19
    3. 23
  6. Where did we go for our honeymoon?
    1. The Poconos
    2. The Outer Banks
    3. Schroon Lake
  7. How long was our engagement?
    1. About 5 weeks
    2. About 6 months
    3. 1 year
  8. Was it cold the day of our wedding?
    1. Yes, unseasonably cold
    2. No, unseasonably hot

 

1) Johnson
2) 1984
3) New York
4) My parent’s home
5) 19
6) Schroon Lake
7) About 5 weeks
8) No, unseasonably hot

I’ll fill you in on a couple details. My parent’s home was located in Breakabeen, New York. We married at a small church just down the road from them. This picture is of my father and me before we left the house.

October 20, 1984 - Dad and I before the wedding

This is me arriving at the ceremony with my father.

October 20, 1984 - Arriving at the church

It was unseasonably hot that day for upstate New York…eighty degrees! We were married at 5:30 in the evening, and it was still warm. Of course, the next few days in the Lake George and Schroon Lake areas were back to normal October weather. Cold and rainy! This was taken after the ceremony.

October 20, 1984 - after ceremony - Breakabeen, New York

And of course we have to include a picture of the cake. It was absolutely beautiful, as well as very yummy. It was a white cake with a raspberry filling to match my colors of red and white. The lady that made this cake made many over the years for us and they were always delicious!

October 20, 1984 - reception

I love this picture! It has always been one of my favorites. Please forgive the quality of the photos. Thirty-plus years, and taking them with my phone from our wedding album. Some are a bit shiny and difficult to see. I’ve enjoyed posting this one. It’s given me many reminders of that day…a wonderful day in my life. Here’s a last one of me taken at my parent’s house, before we left for the ceremony.

October 20, 1984 - before the wedding

It is a bit difficult to see, but I like it because it seems to reflect the years to come. A moment frozen in time. Happy Anniversary, George! Thank you for all those years!

 

 

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Marriage, Parenting 101

Another Anniversary

When I was young, a wedding was a happy celebration for me. It was a day to dress up in a beautiful gown, have flowers overflowing every surface, and you walked down the aisle to your handsome husband-to-be. It was the most tremendous of happenings in a young girl’s life. And I looked forward to my wedding day with great expectation.

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When our first daughter was married almost eight years ago, it wasn’t a happy day for me. Yes, I know that is a rather blunt way to put it, and it seems a bit selfish, but that was the way I felt. I was losing my oldest daughter, and all the attributes she brought to our family circle…and I was depressed. That tiny baby I held at birth, and cherished, was no longer mine, she belonged to someone else.

brittas-wedding-sep-28-2008

As I look at my husband in this picture, I see sadness on his face. And I know he was feeling many of the same emotions I was.

Fast forward a few years to our second daughter’s wedding. No, I wasn’t any more happy about it. I was sad and depressed. Again, a part of our family was once again changing, and it would never be the same. She was leaving us by choice, and that hurt.img_0539

I think the most difficult part of each wedding ceremony for me was watching my husband walk our daughters down the aisle, and then kiss her goodbye. It really symbolizes the ending of one way of life and the beginning of another.

Our third daughter is celebrating her first wedding anniversary today. Her wedding, one year ago was just as hard on the emotions. Even more poignant was the fact that she wore my wedding dress and veil. It was an honor, but flooded my mind with so many memories of my own wedding day. All those years shuffled away under the load of babies, jobs, bills, and responsibilities. Where had they all gone is such a hurry?

October 20, 1984
September 19, 2015

When I was young, I never thought of weddings as being a sad day. I pretty much thought people were shedding tears of happiness. I didn’t understand all that was behind those tears…just as our daughters do not understand right now. And that’s how it should be.

Our three daughters, (we have one more to go), have all married wonderful young men. They have lives of their own now. Yes, it’s been very difficult to let go of each one, and I know I’m not successful at it most of the time. Those girls were MY babies not many years ago. I fed them, rocked them, and sang them to sleep at night. I dressed them up in matching clothes, and fixed their hair every morning. I was frustrated with them as teenagers, hoping they would leave home very quickly on many days over the years. But now they are no longer mine as they once were, and in reality, they never were really mine.

I was allowed a very short number of years in their life in my role as their mother. Yes, I’m still ‘Mom’ but not in the same way. It’s hard to let go, and it’s sad. I think I cry each time one of them celebrates another anniversary. But I am happy for them, proud of them, and thankful that they still choose to include me in their lives, sometimes almost on a daily basis. And someday they will understand. I pray that by the time that day arrives, I will have matured enough to hold them, and give comfort. That I will be able to tell them there is happiness in watching their children grow as men and women, husbands and wives, and fathers and mothers.

And that’s just as it should be.

Happy First Anniversary, Mitchel and Alyssa Lynn! You are loved!