Sweet Sixteen

Paul and I just celebrated our sixteenth wedding anniversary. Some celebrations have been more successful than others. We contemplated some of the past occasions and we could remember a few. We went to the symphony for our first anniversary. I was pregnant with Brayden at the time. One year we used Mom's time share and stayed in our own town and did some tourist trips around Bella Vista AR. I was pregnant for many of our anniversaries. It has balanced out some in the last few years. We have almost always gone out to eat for a minimum but some years I think that is all we did and those were not so memorable. I remember the year that Paul "took the day off" and we ended up doing all the jobs that had fallen to the bottom of his to do list, memorable for the wrong reasons. This year he really did take the day off. We ate out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We went to Idaho Falls and did sealings in the Temple where we were married. We took a nap in the afternoon and went to a magic show in the evening. What we enjoyed most was the time to remember our lives over the past sixteen years. It didn't make one bit of difference that we don't remember what we did for all of our anniversaries. We do remember what makes us dear to each other and why we love being a family. We remember and continue to experience joys that make life worth while. All the anniversary celebrations could be forgotten because they are not the important part they are to honor the every day. Everyday as I pray and try to make the decisions that will bring us closer together I am grateful for my husband Paul who has spent sixteen years earnestly engaged in the same tasks. Sweet sixteen is the years not just the day.

Post Script

This is the picture of Brayden that Stephanie mentioned. I remember being more than a little frustrated that they had messed with his hair. Now I can laugh but I did have to dig it out. It is not one that will probably ever hang on the wall of our home.