The important thing about this date is that it is (was) my parents anniversary. It would have been their 51st anniversary. I am proud of dad...he went to church this morning and we sat together. It seems like just yesterday we were sitting in church, last year, celebrating their 50th anniversary! My DS and I had special flowers on the altar to commemorate the special day. We all posed together after church, with the flowers...we had all their friends send cards, and we have a great big storage box full of those cards. Mom's dream was to take all of us to Disneyworld for their 50th anniversary...we did that Christmas 2004. Thank God we did that when we did...if we had chosen to wait until summer, well, we wouldn't have had that trip. So, Mom and Dad took all 8 of us (my sister, husband and son...DH, DD, and me..plus the two of them) to Disneyworld for 8 days at Christmas! We did everything! Mom couldn't do the really intense rides, due the abdominal aneurysm, but she had the biggest smile on her face the whole time, just so thrilled that they could give us such a great treat! I like scrapbooking, and have planned to make 3 scrapbooks, one for my sis's family, one for us, and one for my parents. I have not been able to work on them...after she died, when I look at those pictures, I get lost in sadness that I won't ever, ever see that face again (here on earth, anyway). So, all the pictures and really cute scrapbook stuff sits in the cabinet, waiting on me. I know it will be such a healing experience to put it together, and I look forward to doing it, when I'm ready. So, on their anniversary, I honor my parents' devotion and commitment. It was not always easy; perhaps it was rarely easy. They had their arguments, and they had their differences. But I learned this: marriage is a decision, and love is a decision. Love is giving it all, when the chips are down and the road is rough. Love is getting each other through the good and bad times, and the even worse times. There is sacrifice in love. There are tears and joy beyond measure. When I sit here today and think back on my parents' marriage, the vow, "Until death do us part" means more than it ever has before. They kept their vows. What an accomplishment.

I am grateful for the lessons in love I learned from my mom and dad.

I am grateful for the rainy day we have today, and the cooler weather.

I am grateful for my church, and the people who have surrounded us with love and care.

To be continued....