30 years ago today...

Not sure if I should have called this thread "Crippler tragedy".  If George were starting it, surely it would have been.  But it's my thread, so...

30 years ago today I was a blushing bride of 20.  God gave me a wonderful gift and that gift is still precious to me today.  There are a few gray hairs and a few extra pounds on both of us, but his baby-blue eyes still make my heart melt. Some little girls who come to my home for lessons are very interested in the pictures I have.  They figured out that the wedding picture on the wall is of me.  They are learning opposites.  At least they used the words 'young teacher' for the picture and 'old teacher' for the reality.  Pretty/ugly and thin/fat are also in their textbook 

There have been lots of hills and valleys over the years but God has seen us through.  We began married life with a teenager (or 3) as his kids came and went at the whim of their mother, added two beautiful boys of our own to the mix and 30 or so foster kids over the years. (We now have 7 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.) We were never alone until we came to China - let the honeymoon begin!!

I married a nomad.  We've lived in 17 different homes* in 9 different cities in 7 different states/provinces in 3 different countries.  "Home" is where I sleep.  He's moved on ahead of me a few times, but I always catch up.  Once he had all of our possessions and our sons in an apartment.  I had the empty house (that wouldn't sell) and the dog.  For five months the dog and I drove 11 hours each way every other weekend for visits.  Living in China is easy in comparison.  (*I counted the 3 group homes and 1 'days off' house we moved among on a weekly basis as 1 home.  We were the relief couple, giving the other 3 couples on our team a week off each month.)

We're in the wrong country for the 5th of May to be a national holiday, but China's May 1st holiday is close enough for us to take advantage of the time off work.  We had a lovely honeymoon weekend at the beach this past weekend.  Today is just another work day for us - leisure all day and 2 classes each in the evening.  Tough life. 

Drinks all day on me Crippler 

Congratulations to both of you. 

It is good when you are able to find 'Mr. Right'  (or in Crippler's case, Mrs. Right) 

 

Congrats to the both of you. It seems so seldom that we get to share in a story of a long-lasting, love-filled marriage

 

Ruth, you seem to have had quite the interesting life so far. 

Congratulations on the milestone. Here's to the next 30! 

  Guys, it's been way too long.

Congratulations to both of you. 

A tragic story indeed! Congrats to yez both, and hopefully a bunch of years yet to come.

wow!!!!!!! i'm so inspired by your story!

big congratulations! 

Ruth & Crippler----

Ruth, you seem to have had quite the interesting life so far. 

I'm glad you said "so far".  The adventure is far from over (I hope.)

Ruth, congratulations on a very significant milestone and a great life SO FAR. My hubby and I celebrated our tenth anniversary of marriage at Christmas and I sincerely believe (and hope) that we will make it twenty, thirty and many more years of being married. I like that your honeymoon began when you came to China, gives me hope that what I tell my hubby (there is life after kids) is true! 

Definitely life after kids.  My mom didn't get married until she was 35.  She had a great single life prior to that and absolutely freaked (to put it mildly) that I was wasting my life by getting married so young.  I was young, and I would advise against it to anyone that age asking me for advice, but what do I know?  It worked ok for me.

Congrats on the Number 10 milestone.  Each one is special, but there's something about those decade markers.

Wow, congratulations guys  . Nice to hear of marriages REALLY lasting the distance.

Enjoy the anniversery!

We were young too, 23 and 24, and from different continents as well so almost everyone told me not to do it - 10 years later, I think we've proved them wrong! I think you should make May 5 your national holiday and tell your employer you can't ever work that day as you have important things to celebrate