Friday Five: 2 July 2010

Today is a special edition of Friday Five because it's my parent's 39th wedding anniversary.  So today I will give 5 fun facts about my parents, their marriage, and our family.

1. When my parents first met, Dad was actually dating someone else.  They met at a church cookout where Dad asked Mom to make him a hot dog, to which Mom replied, "Why don't you get your girlfriend to make you one!"  Ahhh, I love that story.  
2. My Dad was almost late to their wedding.  He had just started his job at the radio station the day before, and he had to wait for the afternoon guy to come take his place.  I'm not sure how late he left from the radio station, but he obviously made it in time.  I'm sure my mom was sweating.  
3. Shortly after they were married, Mom's engagement ring's band broke.  So she just wore her wedding band for a long while.  For their 25th wedding anniversary, Dad bought her a ROCK!!!  But Mom eventually had her engagement ring fixed, and now she wears that ring instead of her 25th anniversary ROCK, even though her engagement ring was a fraction of the size of her ROCK.  Just goes to show how special that ring was to her.  
4. About 4 years ago, my dad had to have knee surgery.  Mom had to take care of him in more ways than a lot of people have patience for.  Including picking his leg up and off the recliner over and over and over.  At Thanksgiving, Dad made this speech that had everyone in tears about how much he loved my mom and couldn't have made it without her.  This was one month before my D diagnosis, and I learned what it meant to say "in sickness and in health". 
5. After 39 years, 2 kids, 2 kids-in-law, 2 grandsons, and retirement after 30+ years in their careers, they are still very much in love.  It's so rare these days to meet a couple who's been married this long.  But it's even more rare for a couple to still love (and like) each other.  They are enjoying their time alone together camping and boating and spoiling one crazy Shih-tzu.  

 Riding bikes together.  (Yes, that's a dog in a stroller--their 3rd child and my dog-sibling, Bo.)

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!  May you have many, many more.

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. ~Psalm 5:18