60-Years of Marital Wisdom

As some of you already know, I always forget my wedding anniversary and this year was no exception.

My husband always remembers though and since he had to do some work in Ferndale, California, he decided to turn it into a work/anniversary weekend (which was exactly what we did last year too - in fact, this post will make more sense if you click on this link and read it first.)

So on Thursday afternoon, we stopped at Pilot where Josh got a Subway sandwich and I got $19.50 worth of snacks and magazines and set off for Ferndale. (It's a 4 1/2 hour drive through the Redwoods and along the Oregon/California coast line.)

And on the way, we listened to music, talked, ate and answered questions from a book called 365 Questions for Couples. (I've packed this book on just about every trip we've taken since 2005 and I know that because each time we answer a question, we write the date next to it. Some of the questions are great, some are boring and some are a little too risque` for this girl, but it's still a fun book.)

And after stopping for a quick bathroom break, I put my camera up on the hood of my car to get this shot...

Last year we stayed at a really big, beautiful, local Inn, but this year we decided we wanted to stay somewhere smaller (and cheaper) so Josh found this...

It's called The Shaw House and was built in 1854 by the founder of Ferndale, Louis Shaw (and it's lovely).

Once we got checked in, we unloaded the car, brushed our teeth and walked straight down to The Ivanhoe because we knew from our last trip that Thursday night was open mic night and there would be great music. (I have no clue what he's doing in that picture or why he's doing it.)

Once we walked through the door, I immediately turned to look towards the table where the 80+ year-old couples had been sitting last year and sure enough they were there, eating guacamole & chips, cheese & crackers and all sort of other snacks they had brought in a brown bag from home.

But I noticed that this year, there was only one male and three females sitting at the brown-bag-snack-table. (Last year, there were two males and three females.) and immediately mentioned my concern to Josh.

And then I ordered the same mango, passion-fruit martini I had last year, but told her to make it weak. (You know, the first one is just like a primer.)

And then we listened to all the same locals we had listened to the year before and sat amongst many of the same locals we'd sat amongst the year before.

Including this guy who is one of my favorites.

And I just sat there in my tall bar stool, with my second drink, feeling a slight buzz and a deep regard for all that was going on around me.

They way the hostess tossed back her head and laughed so genuinely. The way the table full of older women clapped their hands along with the music while sharing smiles that they'd undoubtedly shared for years. The way he wrapped his arm around her. The look on their faces when they tapped their glasses together.

I just wanted to stand up on a table and announce to everyone that I was willing to take pictures of all of them - if they'd just let me - if they'd be willing to go about their Thursday evening open-mic night at The Ivanhoe while I circled around them with my camera, snapping away, documenting all the faces, all the expressions, all the laughter - all the beauty that might otherwise go unnoticed if there weren't a photo to testify to it.

But I've stood on a table (or two) in a bar (or two) in my lifetime, and am happy to say that I'll probably never stand on another - despite the cause.

And then I saw the brunette from the brown-bag-snack-table stand up, walk over to another female friend at another table where they shared a brief, happy exchange, and then they started dancing - right there in between the tables at The Ivanhoe.

And I mentioned my concern to Josh Downs that maybe there was one less male at the brown-bag-snack-table this year because the brunette's husband had passed away.

And my eyes welled-up.

And my husband looked at me with that perplexed look he always gets when he doesn't understand why my eyes well-up over complete strangers.

And then I asked my husband about the name of that small trumpet-looking instrument that one of the locals was playing and he told me it was called a 'tiny-trumpet', which made me laugh ridiculously loud for some reason.

And I wanted to do it last year, but I didn't, so once the (now) 89 year-old yodeler got done performing, I walked straight over to her to tell her how wonderful I think she is.

And that's when I found out that her parents had named her Patti because she was born on St. Patrick's Day (and that's of course why she was wearing all green).

And then I started making friends with everyone and introducing them to Josh Downs.

That's Bill...

And that's our new friends, Charlie and Dave (They swear that they've disliked each other from the first time they ever met.)...

And at one point in the evening, Dave brought over a tray full of cheese and salami from the brown-bag-snack-table and told us to try the salami.

Josh happily grabbed a piece, but I declined, telling Dave that I really didn't really care for salami. Dave made it clear that he wasn't willing to take no for an answer though so I grabbed the tiniest sliver of salami I could find and stuffed it in my mouth while glaring at my husband who was about to split wide-open in laughter (because I don't eat red meat - I've got no dietary or moral issues with it - it just grosses me out like nobody's business).

And then I faux-smiled at Dave and told him how good the salami was and once he walked away, I swallowed down some water and told my husband that I was willing to do whatever it took (even eat salami) if it meant I could get in good with the locals at The Ivanhoe.

And then Dave came back and told us that we had to order the Chicken Marsala over polenta and then he grabbed the waitress and made me order it right then and there, because apparently, Dave didn't know that all I'd talked about all night was how I was going to eat two side-salads for dinner (because The Ivanhoe makes the best Ranch dressing ever, so one side-salad is not enough) and that the only way I'll eat chicken is if it's all white meat and I've prepared it myself at home to make sure there aren't any of those disgusting, bloody veiny parts on it or any of that clear, stretchy, gooey stuff attached to it.

And thank goodness Dave wasn't standing there when my order arrived and I pushed back all the red sauce to evaluate the color and appearance of the meat and immediately started hollering in a whisper to Josh Downs, "Chicken-on-the-bone, chicken-on-the-bone!" like some sort of distress call - because I don't do chicken-on-the-bone. (And Josh hasn't stopped cracking 'chicken-on-the-bone' jokes since.)

So I pushed around the Chicken Marsala over polenta for a few minutes to make Dave and the waitress think I liked it and then I handed it over to Josh to eat and ordered two side-salads with extra Ranch dressing and another drink for myself.

And then, just as we were getting ready to leave, the brunette from the brown-bag-snack-table asked if she could use our table for a minute because she needed a hard surface to write a check on. 

And so I mentioned to her that we had been at The Ivanhoe a year earlier and had seen her and her friends there and she told us that they'd had that same table reserved for them every Thursday night for the last thirteen years.

And then she told us her name was Eleanor (which made me mutter "Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt" in my head, over and over again because that's a trick I learned to help remember people's names) and that she had only lived in Ferndale for 61 years so she wasn't considered a 'local' and that she and her husband had four kids. (Turns out that one of them is the Mayor, who Josh had met while working in Ferndale last year and one of them owns a salon in town and gave me a manicure and a pedicure while we were there last year too.)

And then she told us how she started dating her (future) husband after inviting him to a Sadie Hawkins dance when she was 17 years old and how just a few months later, they were married and how they'd have been married 61 years in March - but that he'd passed away in December before their anniversary.

And how he had the best smile she'd ever laid eyes on.

And then she asked Josh and I if we laughed a lot and if we forgave each other quickly and if we talked things over well. And then she said that sometimes, when she and her husband weren't getting along, they'd lovingly call each other an 'idgit' and informed us that idgit was short for 'idiot.'

And then she asked us for our names and our address (so I'm secretly hoping for a Christmas card from Eleanor Roosevelt.)

And then she hugged me and we said our good-byes.

And then we walked back to The Shaw House, holding hands, laughing and talking about what it would be like to be married for 60 years.

What it would be like to lose someone after 60 years.

What we needed to do to last 60 years. (First things first, I'd have to live until I'm 95 years old.)

And then I slept in the next morning while Josh got up and read the paper and then we had breakfast together before he left to go work at the water treatment facility (aka, the poop-plant.)

And then I got back in bed and started to watch two (stupid) movies, but turned them both off.

And then I walked down to the market to get an orange soda and a bag of Cheese-Its and decided to watch another movie after remembering that our new friend Dave had told us that the movie The Majestic was filmed in Ferndale.

And then I killed a bit of time, waiting for Josh to get done with work and once he did, we grabbed lunch and made plans for a brick workout. (I've got a triathlon coming up in seven weeks, so I've got to do brick workouts which usually involve biking 10-25 miles and then immediately afterwards, running 3-6 miles.)

Josh's plan involved stopping at the market to get 'recovery' drinks for after our brick workout. (A beer for him and a chocolate milk for me.)

And then we made a bet on how fast he could change out the flat tire on his bike. (Turns out he could change it in 7:54 so he won.)

And after a 13-mile ride and a 3-mile run (where Josh Downs saved me from a big, black dog that had jumped over the fence and wanted to eat me up) we sat outside and downed our 'recovery' drinks.

And then we got cleaned-up and ready for dinner. (The Ivanhoe again.)

And then Josh read the paper again while I finished getting ready.

And then I made him pose (yet again) with the self-timer before (finally) leaving for dinner.

There's no open-mic on Fridays, so we just had a quiet dinner; prime-rib for Josh and at the waitresses suggestion, a large sald with Ranch dressing (instead of two side-salads) for me.

And then we took home desert and started watching The Majestic all over again (so Josh could see it this time) but I think we fell asleep about 20 minutes into it.

And the next morning, we had breakfast and Josh read the paper (again).

And then we hit the market for snacks and set off for what was supposed to be a 30-mile bike ride. After about five miles of riding (pushing) our bikes up the steepest, longest, most painful hills I've ever tried to climb, we sat out in a field and talked and ate our snacks and then, out of fear that the remaining 25 miles were going to be just like the last five, we decided to head back.

And when we got back into town, Josh rode straight to the church where we had laid in the grass, under the steeple and the big, blue sky last year and we laid there in the grass, under the steeple and the big, blue sky once again. (Only I got a photo with my iPhone this time.)

And we joked about how if he kicked the bucket before me, that I was going to buy the house right across the street from this church so I could sit out on the porch and look at the very spot where we used lay in the grass, under the steeple. And that I was going to walk into town every day to eat breakfast at the same breakfast joint and that I'd spend all my afternoons scrapbooking and looking at old pictures (but then I changed my mind and decided I'd be one of those old ladies that spent all of her afternoons volunteering at the hospital or some other place instead.)

And then we loaded back up in the car to make the drive home after a quick pit-stop in Eureka for dinner (where I stomped Josh in a round of checkers).

And now we're back at home and back to real life and we've been mad at each other (which means he speaks really-cordially to me while I speak slightly-less-than-cordially to him) since this morning.

But I'm thinking it's high-time I defered to Eleanor (Roosevelt's) 60-years of marital wisdom.

So I think I'll go downstairs right this very minute to tell him what's on my heart...

He's an idgit.

Comments

[JaYne]

Sounds like heaven! I love small towns, and the wisdom of old people. Go tell that idgit that even tho he's an idgit, you love him!

[Michelle Adams]

Love, love, love it!!!!
And I would have totally worried about the 1 man less table too.
Hope you get a card from Eleanor... :)
Happy (late) Anniversary!

[alyssa]

love it.

[Melinda Anderson]

I just love this post! I'm putting Ferndale on my list- I've driven through but never stopped. Sounds like a great weekend!

[Janel]

Perfect!!!!!

[Domenico]

The Shaw House looks so charming.

I figured that commenting on the inn was a safe bet. I was going to comment on how lovely you look, but the gun sign from your husband (and that menacing look) kind of scare me off.

[Julie]

I love your blog, so real! I especially loved the end of this part, that is real life.

[krista resnick]

oh Karen-how wonderful your weekend sounds-so true and so real. I only wish we knew one another in real life. So many of your writings are so many of my thoughts...I'm so glad you had a great weekend away with Josh:)

[Elaine]

This was good for my heart, thank you.

[Kelli]

That was a super awesome post! Loved all the pictures! What a treat to be included in the Thursday night fun! I saw the Majestic, it wasn't bad considering it was Jim Carrey and I don't care for him.

[Kodi]

Such a heartwarming story... and it brings an amazingly real sense of pride and gratitude seeing another's destination, memory-making time spent in our little hometown of Ferndale. Thank you so much for sharing!

[lauren]

looks like ya'll had a blast! your self-portrait shots are always amazing! and the place ya'll stayed is too cute -- love all those mirrors. happy anniversary to the 2 of you!

[Coreen]

I love your perspective! I know you two enjoy little out of the way places with great food. If you're every in Hopland, CA (between Crescent City & San Fran) go to the Bluebird Cafe and have some of their homemade pie (I recommend anything cream) it's a slice of heaven (they also serve elk burgers for Josh). :)

[kristy.lynn]

i don't know why, but your posts like this are always my favorite.. and while i will eat chicken while out dining.. i most certainly will not & have not eaten it off a bone.. i feel you.. and i totally get poked fun at about it! :)

[Susan Elliott]

Oh how I loved this post...Happy Anniversary...

[stephanie ackerman]

seriously, the world needs more people like authentic you!

[DebZorn]

Such a sweet story. And, of course, wonderful, wonderful pictures. Happy Anniversary!

[Robin healy]

You documented that both written and photographically beautiful... Just like Karen Russell would!

[=^..^=]

It's so wonderful when you share a magical weekend - with someone you love so dearly. Sharing such beautiful memories is a blessing directly from the Creator - He manages to put us exactly in the spot we need to be in to appreciate our personal situation just when we need to be reminded of it, doesn't He? How GREAT is Our God.

[Meredith]

I've been reading your blog for years and I think this is one of the best posts EVER. Love how you document your trip and love your pictures. I'm going to start calling my husband an "idgit" now too!

[Cathy]

Oh, girl, girl...what a slice of life. You do life well - and blogging. Thank you for adding in that you are back to real life and that you have been mad at each other. I mean, come on, that is real life too! So thank you!

[Shannon L]

I love the idgit comment...my husband is usually so calm and nice when we fight that it drives me crazy..haha..but he just says I'm the real passionate one. We will be married 10 years come June. I saw a quote the other day and it was an older couple holding hands in the background and it said "we came from a generation that if it was broke, we fixed it; not throw it away" or something like that..and ever since then it's stuck with me. Congrats to your wedding anniversary!

[Julie in Aust.]

Karen your life is like a really sweet movie...write a book! Please...

Then it will become a movie and all your readers will go see it and we will all secretly know exactly whats going on because we have all been reading about it for years! And we will watch the whole movie smiling! How's that for an idea?

My Mum used to call us 'idgits' when we were kids too...but I always thought it was an Irish term...maybe?

She also called us 'sirry irriots'...silly idiots!

This post is my new favourite Karen...loved it.

[Julie in Aust.]

Oh Yes...Happy Anniversary! Our 31st is tomorrow...

[Juli P]

We're celebrating 10 years this summer and really need to buy my husband a bike so we can take a little trip like this! Sounds just delightful.
You and Josh are such an inspiration! thanks for sharing.
and happy anniversary!

[kate]

the picture of you in the mirror may possibly be my favorite one of you ... lovely! thanks for letting us live through your weekend escapes..

[mandy friend]

ohmygoshilovethispost! jerad and i almost went to ferndale area last year fro our anniversary {he used to go down there for work on occassion too} but i love the history of the locals and such. and i'm like you, i imagine their lives and get all teary. there's an old man that works at walmart in the deli area and i almost cry every time i see him walking slowly with his oxygen tank:(.
is the majestic that one with jim carrey where he's actually NOT annoying? i think i really liked that one...if indeed that's the one.
we are kindred spirits my dear. {except for the whole running thing...}

[Kim Langston]

I recently have become a faithful reader of your blog. Love you and your family. Your narration of every day life is absolutely the best... why am I crying over the passing of the husband?!?!?! Needless to say I love your blog and highly anticipate a new posting on a daily basis! Thank you.

[Wendy Sotomayor]

Oh Karen. So excited to read your post. I live a block from the Ivanhoe (definitely the best place for dinner in Humboldt County IMO), walk daily by the Shaw House Inn, take my daughter to get her hair cut at the salon (where my cousin works) and my grandparents once owned the grocery store you stopped to get snacks in. Now for Eleanor, it was so sad when her husband passed. They were always together & you could feel their love. Her great grandson is one of my sons best friends and I am going to make sure you get a Christmas Card! Ferndale is a beautiful place and I'm glad you've discovered its charm. Oh how I wish I would have crossed paths with you :) Last summer when my husband & I were having dinner at the Ivanhoe, we saw a couple sitting at the bar (and being a local you know when someone is passing through). They looked like they would be a lot of fun, next thing you know we are sharing a bottle of wine with them and then we invited them over to our house to share another bottle. Our kids are still talking about "that night" when we invited total strangers to our home! But it was wonderful to exchange stories & meet new friends. Had we been there last Thurs or Fri, I would have done the same to you :) Happy Anniversary to you & Josh!

[Colleen]

See now I just KNEW this was going to be a 4-tissue post! Oh how I wished all my life that someday I'd be celebrating a 60th Anniversary with someone. The Eleanor's of this world are exactly why. How sweet of all of those locals to embrace you and how sweet of you & Josh to embrace them. What a wonderful way to spend your anniversary.

[Lyndsey G]

I loved this post. Made me smile when you said you would buy the house across the street from the church so you can remember laying in the grass together. My husband and I will have been married for 11 years next month. Last year we took a trip to Savannah, GA and just enjoyed the alone time, the laughter, the drinks, and the food. Every couple needs that time away, because reality sets back in the moment you step back through the front door! :) Happy anniversary and here is to many more!

[Donna Carter]

you two are priceless! Makes me feel more normal to know I get mad at my idgit hubby too!

[tania willis]

:) you.are.awesome.

[Dana]

What a wonderful post! (As always.) My significant other (just what do you call the man you've been 'dating' for almost 16 years?) and I always say that when we are fighting, we are speaking different languages. So many times we are actually saying the same thing, just worded differently. So now, if we start to have an argument we ask the other if they are speaking Cantonese or Mandarin. One of these days, we are really going to have to learn to speak either of those languages instead of making up words. Anyway, it's always good for a laugh, which of course breaks the tension so we can calmly discuss the issue at hand. Same principle as 'idgit' I'm sure.

[Brenda]

Happy Anniversary! I cannot tell you how much I enjoy your story telling and picture taking! I would love to spend a week with your family! I love how you spend time together as a family and as a couple. I love the places you travel to. I need to get my family back in the car and make those little road trips again. Priceless! We are just up the road from you in the Willamette Valley. Do you have a top 10 lists of places you have been?

Brenda

[Jac F]

Karen,

I have to tell you, I love your blog, I read every post you make. Now if I'm being truthful, I generally skim blog posts, but yours I read word for word. You always seem to write just what I need to read at that very minute. Thank you for sharing your life, your stories and your photos! You are truly an inspiration in photography, your marriage and your parenting, thank you!!

[Cyndi]

Awesome, just awesome. :)

[Kathy]

Karen I loved this post and all the photos and to be honest with you I feel like I was on your anniversary weekend with you. The photos, the words, the feelings it was all so heartwarming and wonderful. I was thinking it would be lovely if you printed all those photos (yes, even some of you and Josh at the hotel) and sent them along with a handwritten card from both of you telling them how welcoming, how wonderful their people and community are and how you as outsiders were made to feel like part of the family and that you'll treasure the weekend. See if you can buy the cheapest little $2 flip album to protect the photos and they can leave the little book on the bar for the others to see rather than a bunch of lose photos. I know they would be thrilled with such a gesture given how much you loved their gestures....old fashioned printed photos and an old fashioned letter/card (now do you/we remember what they look like!!!!) It was such a beautitful post as usual and I loved the "day spa" photos of Annie too.....you are a very gifted photographer...lots of love Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia

[Gayle]

the 2of you are so adorable and if you fight I will die...I am too young to die, behave...love one another, have fun, laugh, forgive minor transgressions.

[Haley Farley]

That wonderful man missing from the Ivanhoe was my grandpa. You are a talented writer and photographer and I am very happy that my friend Wendy found your sweet story about my grandparents and shared it with me. I was very close with papa Bob and grandma Eleanor. I lived with them for a few years just before he passed. The love they shared was something I dream of having. I don't think I have ever witnessed them having a fight the entire time I lived with them. I did hear my grandma call papa and idgit a time or two. They never missed a Thursday night at the Ivanhoe, so I made sure not to plan any birthday parties or other important events for my children on Thursday! I miss my grandpa very much and I cannot imagine how grandma Eleanor feels living every day without her best friend of 60 years. I have learned so much from their love and I am glad that you had the chance to meet them both. The way you wrote about sheding tears for a stranger you presumed had passed reminded me of my grandmother. She would have done the same thing : ) Thank you,
Haley Farley~ Ferndale

[Kim S.]

Love it....thanks for keepng it real, Karen. Your photos just ooze with love! Sixty years? Can you imagine? Hubby and I are 1/3 of the way there!

[laura plunk davis]

I love this...
I was born in Eureka and have also stayed in Ferndale....
Sweet and beautiful pictures...

I love you Karen !!!!

Laura (from No Bare Pages)

[Melinda~]

Really this is your best post ever. You have such a way with storytelling I would swear I was with you. You should write a book! The photos were perfect. Thank you for sharing every little detail, I was thoroughly entertained:)

[Cathy]

I love your stories. Happy Belated Anniversary! :)

[JoAnn]

hey- awesome getaway! We are planning a trip up, up, up- from Orange County to Oregon this summer......email me if you can so I can ask you some advice, since I know you've done it in reverse ;)

[Tracy]

Happy Anniversary Karen and Josh! What a wonderful way to celebrate...love it!!

[MilliD]

Bahaha! Your last line made me laugh out loud after such a loving post about your trip! You guys rock together.

[♥Debbie]

Happy Anniversary to you guys!! We celebrate 38 yrs tomorrow! I love Ferndale too.....such a quaint town....almost storybook like! We spent our anniversary there several years ago and always said we'd go back to the Shaw house! Love the pics and you are looking radiant my dear!!

[Carolyne]

wow!....it was fun going along with you two!
We just returned from up north to help celebrate with a family fabulous Banner Day~ My very own parents 60th wedding anniversary on the May 13th.
I believe the' idgit' wisdom must be universal for that generation....my dear Mom would most likely so the same. However, my dear Dad has been most gracious for 60 years; always referring to her as "the one who must be obeyed". I guess a great sense of humor is most important of all.

[Louise Murr]

LOVE this....so sweet.

[G G]

Can I just say that you look so beautiful in these pictures? So. Beautiful. I think it's your happiness radiating outward. I know it's not always happy times, but you can tell that these photos have captured some truly happy times. I love it!!

[sandy mauck]

Your photos are spectacular. The colors so distinct. Great work. I'm following thus blog

[sarah]

Ferndalian here..this was really wonderful. Our little town is really too cute, isn't it?!
I love your photos; they really show how much you love us here. Looks like you got a real dose!
I hope you come back again. We also miss Joe and Emily very much.

[sarah]

From a Ferndalian, thank you for this!. We are so glad you love our little town as much as we do. Please come back again..

[Jona Panesa]

I so loved your first picture!!! so much love! happy anniversary. yes, we all want to grow old with our idgit!!! LOL!

[Lashawn]

I'm usually just a lurker on your blog but I had to on one out and say how much I absolutely loved this post!

[maillot italie]

Mielestäni teidän näkökulmasta on syvä, se vain harkittuja ja todella hienoa nähdä jonkun, joka osaa laittaa nämä ajatukset alas niin hyvin. Hienoa tästä
blogisi on erittäin good.It oli hyvin kirjoittama ja helppo ymmärtää. Toisin kuin muita blogeja olen lukenut, jotka eivät todellakaan ole hyviä. Olen myös löytänyt viestiä mielenkiintoinen

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[Penny]

A wonderful story, Karen. I love that generation - a really special group of people. We're celebrating a happy 28 years next month. A heavy dose of humor and respect has kept it fresh and real. We have our moments, for sure, but don't believe in letting them last long. Love is grand, isn't it?! :)

[Janet K]

fantastic post....love the pictures, love the words..all of it!

[Kathie]

Ferndale celebrates it's population that has been in this valley for so many years doing so many things right, the least of which is friendship and commitment to family!! Thank you for getting it right and sharing with your blog readers this wonderful place!!

[Lauren]

I grew up in Ferndale. I loved your story. Sure makes me homesick. Next time I come home....I will be going to the Ivanhoe for open mic! When I was a kid it was Roamans (mexican food). So glad they returned it to the Ivanhoe....it sounds much better. That road you biked was probably the Wildcat. It is a beautiful drive......better seen in a pilot!

[Valerie]

What amazing memories you made that weekend. :)

[Alicia]

I love seeing one of our local towns through your photos (I live in Trinidad, but work in Loleta which is right across the bridge from Ferndale). If you have time next year, consider driving the Lost Coast out of Ferndale, my husband and I do it every once in a while when we feel the need to play tourist. http://www.redwoods.info/showrecord.asp?id=3870

I'm so curious how your stay at the Shaw house was, as years ago I read an article in a local paper about how it's haunted. I guess that's always going to be part of the lore of a place of historic interest.

[Betty R]

Karen,
you are such an inspiration to me (and I am sure many others too). You really write what is on your heart and that is a blessing. Keep writing and inspiring us. My husband and I will celebrate 38 years of marriage the end of this month. We were high school sweethearts and he is still my sweetheart.
Have a blessed day!

[traditional anniversary gifts by year]

This is so adorable. My husband and I just celebrated our 10 year anniversary. It is such a bittersweet thing and I hope everyone else can find love like we have.

[ghd hair straightener]

Coley did an awesome job with the photos! Totally love your comment about the nice lady.... after you realized you could catch her if needed.... that is so how my brain works! haha

[Linda]

Hi, thank you for writing this, I really enjoyed it, and your photos are magnificent. My husband and I (married 26 years) are heading to Ferndale in December this year, and staying at the Shaw House. My grandparents have been married just over 75 years. Still going strong!

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May I ask where this is? It is so beautiful