Happy Anniversary Suggie!

Today marks the 41st anniversary of the day we met.  Leave it to say, life has never been dull. You DID promise me a "rose garden" and during our entire marriage, where ever life has taken us, you have planted a Double Delight rose.  My very favorite. You've promised to add one here this spring.  You promised life would never be dull; and it hasn't been.  But never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd actually get a "hurricane" for my 41st anniversary of the first day we met!  What a gift!  I love you more.

Our life together has been one of adventure, comedy, tears, sweat, work, struggle, laughter (loads of laughter) joy, (lots and lots of joy).  I wouldn't change one single thing because to change one thing could change everything.  We are on a new adventure here in Troy.  We knew when we began this particular adventure it would be challenging.  We are experiencing the challenges we anticipated and others as well, but the joy of being here and sharing this stage of our lives together is wonderful.  

We have many challenges yet to face.  We don't know what the future holds, but as the saying goes, "we know who holds the future".  Neither one of us has ever just set back and let things happen.  We've always been very involved in our lives.  We know that God has a plan but we also know that He doesn't expect us to just sit back and let life happen around us.  I don't image that we intend to begin now.


Our hearts are heavy right now but God continues to give us grace.  We're here in Troy where He has replanted us (with the help of Aaron, Corey and Jon) and the supply of joy is endless.  If we had dreamed our wildest dreams 41 years ago we never would have dreamed this, would we have?  I truly believe God has a purpose and as difficult as it is sometimes I have never wished I could see into the future.  The future hits hard sometimes. We have always believed that God is sufficient.  We still believe that and always will but I am so thankful He remembers we're human and we will always need people in our lives.  God has chosen to add to our lives a whole new "flock".  Excuse the pun please.  

Our son loves us so much that concern for our future was one of his first thoughts when he was diagnosed.  I've had a dream of coming East and getting to know the Jamison side of our family since our first month together. I had almost given up on that dream.  When Aaron was diagnosed it was like the life had been sucked right out of me; and I know it was the same for you. So many people throughout our lives have been a part of this dream.  I've never thought of it before but as we're building our life here and I look back over our last 41 years I can see God's hand in preparing us for this journey.


We've moved many, many times.  Some roll their eyes.  It has been difficult. But you know what, right or wrong, we learned something in each of those moves from people in our lives, that has made our life here possible.  It would take a book to describe our journey and maybe someday that will happen.  For now, let's just look at a few.  

In Bend OR, our son was born.  He has always been a miracle, beginning with his safe birth.  You spent many hours on your knees praying those many hours for my safety and the safe birth of our child. When Aaron was born we "gave him back to God" and promised God faithfully that we would raise him to be a man of God.  We succeeded!


Our move to Anaheim CA led us to Crescent Baptist Church where we had an amazing church family.  There we learned about marriage and discipleship.  Tools we have taken and shared with hundreds over the years. Just think about the friendships God allowed us to have there and how they helped us to grow and mature.  John and Nina Randel took us under their wing and nurtured us as friends and showed us what friendship is all about.  We became a part of their family. What fun we had!


Our move to Oakdale CA led us to Sierra Baptist Church where you finally agreed to be ordained.  All the years since your youth you have been involved in the Lord's work serving in one capacity or another.  In Oakdale we were honored to have five of the most wonderful years of our lives with my mom and dad. There isn't a thing I would change about those years. What a great time we had, what a wonderful 5 years.  God gave us those years.  We also had three very special nieces born during those years who remain a very important part of our lives.  The eldest of the three, Allegra, who turns 16 in October, called this week and she has a job.  My goodness, when she was little and hiding in my doll cabinet did we ever think about her getting a job and going to work?  Our sister has done a great job with all of them and we had a part in that.  What a miracle is that!

Our move to Oregon.  So, so many miracles there.  We have a boundless list of friends we've made. They've supported us through thick and thin and continue to care about us, check in on us and be our friends.  Me, working at the City of Springfield.  What a miracle that was.  There isn't a place on earth where I would have fit in better than with that group of people. A place where I could believe in what I was doing and hopefully give back some of the joy we're had in our lives. Through that job we have a small pension and enough money to make the cross-country trip to Troy.  God planned it all, gave us the tools and here we are.

Now, we're living another miracle and I'm looking forward to another 40 years of "the first time we met" anniversaries with you. Our son remains in God's hands.  It is NOT easy. I don't ever remember God telling us it was going to be easy.  But, we're together, we have God, God has Aaron. God has a plan, we're in it and we're doing it.  Happy 41st anniversary of the day we met honey!