Thursday, January 8, 2015

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS....

No real photos this post, but I did want to record the very special day that was our 35th Wedding Anniversary.   What a lovely day it was...
We had the day to ourselves as Willow goes to Day care, and the kids were back at work....
We caught up with a really good friend for morning tea in the morning.  It is a good twelve months since we have seen her,  then had a visit to our Doctor at the Spine Clinic... Definitely a much needed visit for both of us....

We then went out to lunch together and did a little shopping before heading home to get ready to go out for dinner with our really good friends Ian and Kathy Forward...
All in all it was a wonderful wonderful day...

Feeling so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man...
I could not imagine my life without him in it.  He is definitely my very best friend and soul mate and I thank God daily for the blessing he has been to both myself and our wonderful children. 

We received a beautiful card from the girls with a Red Balloon Gift Voucher for a special date together.  We have twelve months to use it, so think we need to spend some time down here during the year....

Sarah also wrote us this beautiful letter....
It definitely bought tears to my eyes...
I want to have it documented for our future...

Dear Mum and Dad,
Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary!  What a wonderful blessing, as a child, to know that my parents still love each other and  have kept their marriage vows.  Thank you for investing in and being steadfast in your marriage and honouring your vows to each other (even through difficult times - especially our younger years)

Now that I am a parent, I know the stresses and bumps in the road that can come along with life and have so much respect for what you have done and all the sacrifices you have made for all of us kids to give us what we needed the most - Love, nurturing and laughter.  Mum, thank you for your instruction during our toddler and schooling years.  Thank you for deciding to be a stay at home mum and invest in our futures and love on us.  Thank you for teaching us right from wrong and a stable environment to flourish.  Thank you Dad. the pressures place on you as the sole financial provider during those toddler years much have been huge.  Thank you for always being a fun loving Dad.  I had a healthy respect for you and want to thank you for spending time with us kids when you got home, playing out our games (like smack in the dark) and just letting us be kids,  now that I think about it, thanks for being a kid with us.  I am thankful and ever so grateful that you both valued us - not material possessions - and were willing to sacrifice the financial gain that accompanies a double income household.  I never felt as though I missed out, we were rick in my eyes.  With all the external pressures of life you must have faced, I never felt the pressure, stress, uncertainty that was possibly there (maybe I should have... ha ha ha ).  Thank you.

The faith that you both have in Christ has shone through in everything that you do and I feel that you have passed that same faith on to us.  This is by far the greatest gift you have given us kids.  You instructed us in the ways of God and His word.  You loved us and valued the church, by your actions.  You cultivated that in me also and I will be eternally grateful.  No words can express my gratitude.  You taught me to love the church family and to Trust in God always as our Sustainer and Provider, even at times when you would worry and feel anxious.  I always remember that the first person you would turn to and hand over your worries to was God.  You always showed kindness to others and  opened your home up to those who needed a place to stay (even if that meant you didn't have time to clean the house before hand). I love that you value the needs of others before your own (in a healthy way).  I know many of my friends saw our home as a safe haven from difficulties they were facing and helped keep them afloat - this in my eyes is an ever growing need in our society.  I only hope that I can create that same environment for others in our home also.  

I thank God each day that we had such a wonderful example from you both to reflect on and to learn from as we now raise our own family.  Colin and I am thankful then even now as Grandparents you are investing in Willow (and future child) the same way you invested in us kids.  Proverbs 1:8-9 says "Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck".  As a parent, you have fiven  me a graceful garland and beautiful pendant through your instruction and teaching.  Both of which are rooted in the wisdom of God's Word.  I wear them  today as a testimony and fruit of your labour.  this is what I celebrate today on your anniversary.


I am forever grateful.  I love you both so very much.  I have you have an amazing day.
Your daughter,
Sarah.


WOW... this just blew both Steve and I away and bought tears to our eyes...
God has blessed us with three amazing kids, whom we love dearly.... whom we are so proud of, and who are wonderful caring, compassionate, kind human beings.   Blessed beyond Measure doesn't even half express how thankful I am to our Heavenly Father for all that we have  been blessed with....

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