Happy Anniversary!

This is the sixth anniversary of the marriage of our daughter Brannon and our son-in-law John Carlin. It was a lovely day from start to finish. We love our son in law and treasure our excursions to California these last six years. AND we are so blessed by the three granddaughters he and Brannon have given us.

John and his dad built a platform for the ceremony in the beautiful yard of their friends Bobby and Sue. 

This is the path that I would walk with Brannon as the ceremony began.

We didn't know when we met John's parents that they would become dear friends.

John's grandmother, Irmgard Huzel, is fascinating woman with an intriguing life story. 

The yard is all ready.

The harpist will play.

We are so glad that a few folks made it across the country to represent our side of the family. Sue and Charlie Ann are Sheila's first cousins. We lost Charlie Ann only a year or two later.

Three of Brannon's friends from childhood flew in: Carlyn Riechel, Rachel Craw, and Renee Hickman.

The service is about to begin. Julie will preside...

I took this picture of Brannon just before I walked her down the path to "give her away". 

Brannon with one of the little girls she has nannied.

Brannon with her new nephew Mack.

The evening turned chilly.

51 Years!

Sheila climbing the front steps of Tallahassee Heights United Methodist Church as my fiancé.
She and I would leave as wife and husband.

Fifty-one years ago today I married my best friend and the love of my life. I am an incredibly lucky man. Our anniversary last year was clouded by sadness at the passing of my Mother, and again this year we are in mourning for a dear family member, my sister Beth who died on August 5. But we know to count our blessings, and there is no greater blessing in my life than Sheila. 

Sheila and I have had an unusual and very emotional anniversary. We are trying to find and scan pictures of Beth. It still just seems unreal that she could be gone. Every picture I find brings, almost simultaneously, sweet memories and a sudden emptiness in the pit of the stomach.

Here is one of those pictures...

Beth on the day we brought Brannon home, with our sister Carol,
Carol's daughter Larisa, and my Grandmother Lillian.

I posted a link on Facebook to my post on the Limb a year ago that shows our "cut-out" posed here and there around the house. As a result we have had anniversary greetings from lots and lots of our old and new friends. 

That "cut-out" now stands near the end of our upstairs hall where is startles me regularly.

Cape San Blah/Mexico Beach A Year Later

We made a first anniversary trip back to our honeymoon site in 1972. This my not have been on our actual anniversary but it was close.