Monday, April 4, 2022

Happy Anniversary!

 


The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." ~Jeremiah 31:3

Danny and I celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary this past Saturday.  In these years together, there have been many ups and downs, good times and not-so-good, great joys and the crush of disappointments.  We are so thankful to have navigated all the roads before us with genuine love and affection, knowing all the while that God has our backs.

Usually, in anniversaries past, we haven't gotten gifts for one another as our mutual gift is always a trip to a cabin in the Nantahala Mountains of North Carolina.


That tradition ends the year Mimi, Danny's mother, comes to live with us due to her failing health.  When she passes away in February of 2019, we are too consumed with planning for her burial on St. Simon's, we don't reserve a cabin.  We more than make up for that in the summer when we take granddaughter, Virginia, for a short but oh-such-fun trip to a cabin in June.






And the following year?  Can we say, "Covid-19?"  Yep!  What a damper that put on everyone's plans!  I'm so thankful that this whole mess can now be viewed only in the rear view mirrors of our lives.

So, why didn't we book a cabin for 2022?  Those of you who follow this blog regularly know that I was deathly ill for most of the month of January, and I'm still working to build back my strength.  And Danny incurs some expenses with his recent trip to New Mexico, so we thought it best, this anniversary, to stick close to home.

We enjoy a lovely lunch at a higher-end restaurant here in Kennesaw called Capers.  I have a crab cake with creamed spinach and a cucumber salad.  Delicious!



When we get home, we exchange cards, and I get to open the gift Danny has promised is for both of us.  Isn't this the most unique pillow?


It features the lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman's love song, I Will Be Here.  Characteristically romantic, Danny starts playing the song on YouTube the moment my hand pulls the pillow out of the gift bag.  Talk about needing tissues!  You can listen to it here.  

But this last gift is NOT characteristic of Danny at all in the sense that it falls into the artsy-craftsy category.  He confesses to getting the idea off of something he sees on Facebook.  Isn't this just too cute and clever?


Can you see the bride and groom?  How I love Danny's creativity!  But he can't stop with that, and adds a "punny" joke to his story:  "We met online, and that's where clothespins hang out!"  (I don't care who you are; that there is funny ~ Thanks Larry the Cable Guy!)

All things considered, this is an anniversary we'll not soon forget.  We are so thankful that God has kept our love for one another and our love for Him strong through all these years, with hopefully, many more to come.  We know He will always be here for us.

Amen!


50 comments:

  1. Wishing you and Danny a very happy anniversary and many many more happy returns filled with joy, good health and whatever you desire for each other and those you love.

    God bless always.

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  2. I too wish you and Danny a very happy wedding anniversary. 'Make the most of life while we are here' I say to my husband - and when we are believers in Jesus, our Saviour, then we couldn't have a better future ahead of us. God bless you and yours.

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  3. Happy anniversary, Martha! Seventeen years hold a lifetime of memories.

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    1. Yes, they do, Glynn, and we are so thankful for them.
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Dearest Martha Jane and Danny,
    Happy belated 17th wedding anniversary to you both!
    Love the wedding picture under the cherry blossoms and you in pink.
    Both looking trim and ready to embrace the future together!
    So happy to also know part of Danny's family's stories with your previous post.
    Wishing you both many more with fond memories to come your way from both families!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  5. Happy anniversary, Martha and Danny, with wishes for many, many more to come!! I love the gifts!! xo

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    1. Thanks so much, Terri! Glad you liked the gifts, too.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. Happy Anniversary to you both! How wonderful!!! And your celebration/gifts, etc. are so sweet and perfect in every way! Love the clothespin bride and groom idea. That is so cute. May God bless you both with good health and many more wonderful years together.

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    1. I was blown away by the bride and groom clothespin, too, Pamela - just so unique and unexpected! Thanks for the kind anniversary wishes, too, my friend.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. Happy Anniversary to you and Danny! Love that photo. :) Next year you'll have a lot of celebrating to do. But it sounds like this year was a grand celebration anyway, even if you didn't get to get away.

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    1. I have high hopes for next year, too, Lisa, though we had a wonderful celebration all the same. :)
      Love and blessings!

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  8. so creative! what a blessing you two have in each other, happy anniversary!!!

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    1. Jean, we are so deeply grateful to God that He saw fit to put us together at just the time in our lives that He knew we would need one another. He's good like that!
      Love and blessings!

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  9. Sweet 17! Oh, I love Danny's creative heart, that pillow. Wow! After your recent health scare, these touches mean so much. Thank you, Martha, for sharing your continuing love story!

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    1. Yes, Myra, touching gifts made especially precious because of how close that illness took me toward losing Danny. Thanks for following our love story!
      Love and blessings!

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  10. sweet, lovely, romantic, thoughtful, beautiful ...

    and so much more.

    congrats, you lovebirds!

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  11. Happy Anniversary! Even though your traditions been broken for a lapse in time it looks like you had a sweet and sentimental celebration. Very thoughtful and creative gifts too. God bless you always!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words and congrats here, Cheryl! Yes, we will get back into our tradition in one way or another.
      Love and blessings!

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  12. The best part of the anniversary is seeing the love that you two special folks share with one another. Thank you so much for allowing us to share in your life sweet friends. Happy Anniversary and God's blessings.

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    1. I'm so glad you, and others here, care so much about Danny and me, J. D. You are all so dear to us!
      Love and blessings!

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  13. I wish you both happy on your Anniversary. May Our Loving God continue to bestow blessings of hope, love and happiness. God bless you both

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    1. I do pray that God intends to do just that, Nells. We are, indeed, most fortunate in the ways God has worked in our lives.
      Love and blessings!

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  14. Way to go you two! And you don't look like you have even aged. :)

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    1. The mirror doesn't lie, Bill - lol! But after a while, the mirror can't come close to telling the truth when it comes to love.
      Love and blessings!

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  15. Happy Anniversary, Martha and Danny! Nantahala Nat'l Forest is a lovely spot for creating memories. We rented a cabin there ourselves years ago (late 1990s, perhaps). Did you ever eat at Relia's Garden? I still remember fondly the delicious meal we enjoyed there. Kudos to Danny for the lovely anniversary gifts. That clothespin idea is adorable. So glad you shared it for the rest of us to enjoy!

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    1. I've never heard of Relia's Garden, Nancy, but will be sure to look it up before we head back up to NC with Virginia this summer. So glad you've enjoyed a cabin experience in the Nantahala. Just nothing like it! Thanks for your Happy Anniversary wishes!
      Love and blessings!

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  16. Martha, it sounds like your anniversary was sweet and restorative.

    May the Lord bless you and Danny with more years of life together!

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Thank you, Kim! I pray that it is in His will that we do have many more years here on earth to treasure one another.
      Love and blessings!

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  17. Happy Anniversary! Love the pillow and glad you had a nice meal together to celebrate. Maybe the cabin next year! Today my husband and I celebrate 37 years of marriage.

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    1. Happy Anniversary right back at you, Karen! It's such a joy to share life with the man we love, isn't it?
      Love and blessings!

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  18. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Danny's humor is great! The greatest gift anyone can give me is a good laugh!
    Blessings!

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    1. A good laugh is always special, Lulu!
      Love and blessings!

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  19. Happy Anniversary to you and Danny, Martha! What a sweet and thoughtful gift! Thank you for sharing. :) Love and blessings of many more years together!

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  20. Amen and amen, what a wonderful anniversary you had. I sure hope you are feeling better!

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    1. Thank you, Marja! And yes, I'm feeling so much better these days, and am thankful for that.
      Love and blessings!

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  21. Olá Martha
    Parabéns pelo aniversário de casamento, que o Senhor continue abençoando vocês, lindo presente. Um forte abraço.

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  22. Thank you so much, Lucinalva!
    Love and blessings!

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  23. Happy belated anniversary, Martha Jane and Danny! God bless you both with a wonderful, healthier year ahead!

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  24. What a sweet anniversary post! Truly life is full of its ups and downs, but the most important part of it all is that love for each other and for the Lord remain constant. I just loved Danny's thoughtful gifts for you, and the funny online joke! Hopefully you continue to feel better and next year will be the year you are able to return to your anniversary traditions! Have a lovely blessed weekend :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Marilyn, for your kind and thoughtful words here today. Yes, life has its ups and downs, but when we can face the challenges of each day with a loved one by our side, it makes everything better.
      Love and blessings!

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  25. Thank you for inviting us to your memory trip. Good memories have a power to open new windows wider and bring you brighter light.

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    1. Amen, Crane, they certainly do! Glad you enjoyed this celebration with me.
      Love and blessings!

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. . . Good Tidings of Great Joy . . .

  . . . Good tidings of great joy . . . ~Luke 2:10 Pictured above are my daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, John, and their three girls, Virginia,...