I awoke this morning to my hubby trying to quietly get ready and leave the house without waking me up. I did wake up, tried to pretend I was asleep in the hopes it would actually happen, but determined I really wanted to say "Happy Anniversary" to my Big Guy Clauda before he left our home. He gave me a kiss on the cheek as I snuggled back down under the covers to try again to sleep a little bit longer. Claude left and I admitted I was truly awake and got out of bed.
My 43rd Anniversary...felt like it should almost be a holiday of sorts. I have so many 'important' things to get done so a holiday didn't seem the right way to spend my morning.
I headed downstairs and wanted to post something about our 43rd anniversary on Facebook. What to post? I thought it should include a picture. I searched a bit to see what picture I may have posted in the past. Then I remembered a notebook I labeled 'Claude and Sandi Family Pictures'. This notebook has pictures taken by photographers (mostly Olin Mills) over the years of our marriage. They are a photo history of our married years.
I started scanning a few of them. Then I thought, "I don't want to have to come back and think which of these I have scanned and when I haven't. So I'll scan them all." I enjoyed very much looking at these picture and remembering times past. Once the notebook was all scanned I picked a few and posted them to Facebook.
Here, for your enjoyment and my personal history, are a few of the pictures from Claude and my years together.
First, our wedding day, Friday, February 13, 1970. We were married in the Logan Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That evening Bonnie and Evan Christensen, Claude parents, held a reception at the LDS Church in Thatcher. This picture was taken at that reception.
This picture was taken in April 1971. Nissa, our first born was born March 1971. We had a date to see "Love Story" and then have our pictures taken. Neffie, my little sister, was our babysitter. This was while living in Shreveport, Louisiana. Claude was in the Air Force and totally pushing the limit with his mustache over the edges of his mough.
In December 1975 we went to Louisiana to spend Christmas with my parents. My mother scheduled us for family pictures. This picture was taken in Shreveport, Louisiana. We would have been living in Denver, Colorado at this time. By now we had all three children. Nissa is on my right and Andie (Andean) is on my left. Claude is holding Jacob who was born April of that year. I had been sick and my mother arranged a doctor's appointment with our old family doctor that day. I got home from the doctor just in time to quickly change into clothes for these pictures.
April 1976 found us again at Olin Mills. What would we have done without Olin Mills. No digital photography then. Not lots of people having their own photography business that take you to a beautiful setting and take natural pictures of you in that setting. So many of us have relied on Olin Mills over the years and thank heavens they exist. My mother made all the kids outfits for Easter. I made my dress and Claude's jacket. Love the kids smiles.
1997 we had this picture taken of Claude and me. I loved the outfit I'm wearing. I made it out of a solid color of double-knit fabric. This fabric was quite the rage in that time period. I made a skirt, slacks with big flared legs and this jacket and a blouse out of cotton polyester fabric. It just proves that very practical side of my nature. So many outfits from one pattern.
In 1977 Joann and John were married. Joann is Claude's older sister. She asked Nissa and Andie to be a part of her wedding. I made these two little dresses to fit with the colors for Joann's wedding. Nissa is in the middle and Andie is on the right. Jacob is sporting a leisure suit. These were very popular in that time frame and Jake had a couple of them as a little boy.
We had this picture taken in January of 1978. Jake is sitting on my lap in a suit my mother made for him. I'm wearing a jumper and blouse I made. The girls are wearing jumpers I made. All the kids seem to have the same hair cut. I was the person who cut all their hair, even Claude's. I still do Claude's all the time and the kids when they are home and need a haircut. Jake wore this little haircut all the time he was a little boy. Longer hair on men was fashionable but it wouldn't have made any difference to me. I just thought this was the perfect haircut for our little guy.
Claude and I posed for this picture in May 1981. Eleven years of marriage under our belts at this point. Again, I made my jumper and blouse and added this catchy scarf around the neck so I looked just like the picture on the pattern. Well, my clothes looked just like the picture on the pattern. Sewing was a great way to save money in our budget. Back then you could buy fabric on a great sale for fifty cents to one dollar per yard. It was a blessing that mom taught me to sew and we were able to stretch those budget dollars with that skill.
My didn't we sport long hair in this March 1979 picture. Claude keeps his beard trimmed so neatly it is hard to remember when he wore it longer and more full. He could only have a tiny mustache when in the Air Force. I do love him in a beard and sometimes wonder if he wouldn't shave it off it I didn't like it so much.
Okay, explanation is necessary!! In August 1980 we went to Utah. They had Thiokol days at Lagoon and we went with the entire Evan and Bonnie Christensen family to Lagoon for the day. Bonnie and Evan have six kids. Most of us were married at this point. As the day wore on, we would all run into each other as each family enjoyed Lagoon at its own pace. We soon learned that there was a place to have pictures taken of you in black and white with old time clothing. Several had already had their pictures taken. Bonnie determined we should all do this. Claude and I headed to the Old Tyme Picture booth and searched for clothing we wanted to wear. I love the book "Gone With the Wind". We found what we thought might look light Scarlett O'Hara and a confederate soldier. What were we thinking??? At any rate, that is the look we were going for. Bonnie took all our pictures and had a special frame made. She and Evan are the center picture in the frame. Around the outside are six places for pictures with each of their kids pictures in each spot. Thus goeth our history.
October of 1980 was time for more family pictures of our kids. Again, I made all the kids clothes. Please note Jacob's shirt. I actually got that piece of fabric from Aunt Mamie in Louisiana. The piece was large enough that I made shirts out of it for each of my children. When we went to an amusement park, they all wore these bright shirts. This helped me keep my eye on them and spot them quickly.
January 1981 our family looked like this. Kids are growing up on us.
May 1981 we opted for a different set for our family pictures. I had waited for four years to have baby number four. I had a little bit of trouble carrying Jake and was told to give the old body time to heal and strengthen a bit. So we waited four years. I got pregnant the beginning of 1982 and miscarried that precious little baby at home. So when it was time for the family picture, we decided to change it up and take a boys picture and a girls picture. I don't know why that helped, but it did. And I must say I'm grateful it did. I love these picture of Andie, me and Nissa and then Jacob with Claude. I think we should have thought of trying that some before.
I married a cowboy. He is Utah born and raised on a farm. It is part of his very being. So we opted for the cowboy picture this time. I'm actually wearing my cowgirl boots which are not visible. Claude wore this fine hat a lot. It is still in our closet those it doesn't get much wear anymore. He has one other really nice cowboy hat I purchased for him. We went to see the movie "Man from Snowy River" when it first came out. Love the movie. The young man in that movie wore a leather cowboy hat and I purchased Claude one to look like that young man.
February 1982 found us this much older. The only clothing I sewed in this picture is Nissa's outfit. My knit dress was one of my all time favorite dresses.
August 1983 found us in all store bought clothing. The age of making all my kids clothes was passing. Doesn't Jake look such the little man with his hand in his pocket and his elbow on his father's knee.
June of 1985 we were back for the next installment. I love that Andie and Jake are having a hard time not laughing out loud at the photographer.
Later in 1985 I cut my hair and Claude and I were back for another picture.
July 24, 1989 found us at a new Olin Mills in Maryland. My kids are all growing up. Andie and Nissa on the front row were into their teen years. Nissa would soon fly the coop. Jake was in the beginning teen years. And me, well, I had a perm, and it was curly. Goodness.
July 21, 1989 found all of us back home again. Nissa had moved back with Katelyn after her divorce from Scott. We had a wonderfully full home with all our kids and our first grandmonster all under the same roof. It was a wonderful time and Katelyn (not in this picture) filled our lives to the brim. Jake would even take turns babysitting her. He would pile this little 2 1/2 year old into the car and off they would go for a day in Gettysburg to tour the battlefield. Jake loved that land and shared that love with Katelyn. Andie was working and spent some of those earnings on some of the cutest clothes for Katelyn. She purchased her first bikini and I even remember a cowgirl skirt and top made out of fabric that was spotted like a cow. Good times and memories brought back with this picture. My suit was a Danny Nicole, or something like that. It was a line of clothing style I really liked for my work clothes. I had several dresses and suits from that clothing line.
This picture was taken in May 1994. Claude and I were members of GWRRA (Goldwing Road Riders Association). That is right. We were bikers. Claude was the first National Director of Leadership Training. Many miles and hours with biking. Many friends we still keep in touch with. That was something I never would have done had it not been for Claude. He purchased his first bike in our marriage when we lived in Denver. It was less expensive to have a bike payment and buy gas for it than it was to just buy gas for the truck we owned. When we moved to Maryland he purchased his first Gold Wing. When the 1500's came out we purchased a red one of those. The first Gold Wing we added lots of chrome. The second Gold Wing we didn't add as much chrome. We learned that all the chrome needs hours of polishing to stay pretty. One of my favorite memories was having heel spur surgery and not being able to put weight on that foot for six weeks. We still wanted to ride. Claude helped me on the bike and he let me rest my foot up near his leg with him holding it as we drove when I needed to stretch out my leg. I still remember the miles knowing he was feeling the goodness of it all as he reached back and patted my leg. Lots of good memories in this picture.
May 1996 Claude needed a good picture of him for something. We got these made of us at the same time. Please note his tie. Lots of pink flowers. He purchased his first pink long sleeved dress shirt and got this tie to go with it. He looked so handsome in his pink shirt and floral tie. He always got compliments when he wore it.
In September 1996 Jacob returned for his two year mission for the Church. We took this picture the Sunday after he got back in our back yard in Maryland. Jake is a big guy and when he came home he was so thin. Part of that was deliberate. I was so concerned. But he was healthy. We're all grown up in this one.
C
Claude and I took our first cruise for our 25th anniversary and learned we loved that kind of travel for certain trips. This was our second cruise in October 1997. It was a cruise with the GWRRA crowd and this was formal attire night.
December 2003 was our last Christmas in Maryland. We knew Claude would retire the next year. It was just a matter of timing for selling our Maryland home and purchasing a home for retirement after that. All the family came home and we celebrated one last time in Maryland. Part of that celebration was one more family picture. We also had all the kids be sure they took all the things in the house that were theirs. Lots of finals in this picture and lots of dreams for the next phase of our years together.
For Christmas 2006 we determined we should get another picture taken of the two of us for the kids. We were now 1 1/2 years into our retirement in Kentucky. Back to Olin Mills at the K-Mart in Georgetown we headed for another portrait. My how time flies and so many things change and some just stay the same.
Now I own a digital camera and we take most of our pictures with that. Not sure if we'll hit Olin Mills again. Probably when we determine we need one more nice picture of the two of us.
Tonight Claude came home from his meetings with flowers in hand. He also purchased each of us a candy bar. I stopped and sat down in the living room and we chatted and enjoyed our candy bar. Then we each puttered at stuff until time to go to dinner. Claude had reservations for us at Sal's Chop House in Lexington. We enjoyed a most delicious dinner with some of our very favorite foods. Then we headed back to Georgetown. Our purchase for our anniversary was a new television for the bedroom. Found just the right one at K-Mart.
It has been a fun journey through the yearsremembering with just these pictures. Lots of good times. Lots of remembering the difficult moments and how we struggled through and grew because of the working through the struggle. There is so much good in all of it, good and bad. We are so very richly blessed and I just feel a huge amount of happy tonight.
Happy Anniversary Big Guy!!
Love Ya Bunches,
DLP
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