Happy Anniversary To Us!

46 years ago on June 15,1968, I married my best friend. It has been a very good life. Many blessing, many struggles and it's been perfect because we did it all together. This is our wedding night as we were leaving our reception. Since we dated for four years, it is really our 50th year together. 

The secrets...Pray together every day and never give up on each other and your commitment to your dreams. And give each other the space you need to become who you were meant to be together and as individuals.  Have love for God, each other and your children and grandchildren and dear friends. Believe in miracles and live the Gospel to the best of your ability.  Work hard at whatever you choose to do...God will take care of the rest.  BnJ

Our Parents Wedding Day~28 September 1941

Ross Colberg and Josephine R

September 28 1941

St. Paul, Minnesota

Just this past week I found this in an old envelope as I have been going through some things from the past.  It took my breath away when I saw it.  This is a rose from the wedding bouquet of my mother.  The rose is over 72 years old.  I don't remember ever seeing it before.

I have not retouched this or altered the photo in any way.  I was astonished at the color and the green fern.  I just removed it from the envelope and placed it carefully on the back of my iPad for a dark background and snapped the shot.  I put it right back into the envelope and am now trying to decided how to preserve it and display it.  What a treasure, I am thrilled to have discovered it!

The following is an excerpt from the biographical sketch I wrote and complied for our family after my father died in 1979. I wrote the introduction and my piece and then I asked my Mom, two brothers, my husband,  and a close friend of Dad's to add something.  The compilation was a very exciting project portraying a unique perspective of my multi-faceted father from the people closest to him.  It was also excellent grief therapy for me.

The following is a portion of what my mother wrote about their meeting and marriage:

"To My Darling Children,

I was born in Pierre, South Dakota on May 17, 1919.  There was another big event that day as I have a twin brother named Joseph.  At that point in my life I had four sisters and three brothers; Letha, Lena, Harold, Margaret, William and Wilma who were also twins.  We lived on a farm about twenty miles from Ft. Pierre, South Dakota.

When I was five years old we lost our mother from an infection after giving birth to another baby girl, Ruby.  I am so sorry I never got a chance to know my mother as I know I would have loved her very much.

After I graduated from high school in Pierre in 1938 I moved to Bismarck, North Dakota in January of 1940.  I went to Bismarck to attend Beauty School.  During that six months I lived with a couple I met and who became dear friends, Rose and Fred Gerberding.

That move to Bismarck really changed my life. It was the best move I ever made because this is where I met Ross.  Yes, he definitely was the best thing that ever happened to me.  Through friends we met on a blind date.  He looked so handsome that night.  He had on dark pants, a white sports coat and tie.  We double dated with our friends and had such a wonderful time.  After that we saw each other all the time.  He was such a gentleman and always so nice.  Yes, it definitely was love at first sight!  We met on May 4, 1940 and we always had such a good time when we were together.

About Dec 1st of that year Ross was transferred to Fargo, North Dakota.  He worked for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.  It was a sad day for us both because we knew it would mean many months of separation.  Not having a car he didn't get home very often--I really missed him.  In the spring of 1941 I moved to Ellsworth, Wisconsin to stay with my friends, Rose and Fred, that had been transferred there earlier in the year.  Ross came there to see me a few times.

I August of 1941 I decided to go to work in St Paul, Minnesota.  At about that same time I learned that Ross had been transferred there too.  We were both so happy to know we would both be there.

On September 28, 1941 we were married  in a Lutheran Church in St. Paul at 8:30 in the morning. yes it was a very strange time to be married but Rose and Fred were our attendants and being a Greyhound bus driver, Fred had a run to make in the afternoon.  The main thing was that we were married!

It was a very small and simple wedding.  Ross' mother was the only relative there, but we were just thankful to have her with us.  We were just new in St. Paul so didn't know anyone to invite.  We were both working fortunately but worked opposite hours unfortunately.  So I'd get up in the morning and fix his breakfast and get him off to work and at night he'd wait up for me until midnight and then come down to the Ice Cream Parlor and walk me home.  We always stopped at a little hamburger place and had a nickel hamburger and a ten cent piece of cherry pie.  We were so happy and loved being married.   I really enjoyed being a housewife and always have.

Oh yes, I almost forgot our honeymoon.  It was a trip---from Minneapolis to St. Paul. After the wedding we went to get our pictures taken.  Then we went to breakfast with Ross' mom, Rose and Fred, and a couple of Fred's aunts that must have come along just to increase our numbers. Neither Ross nor I knew them.

Afterwards we jumped into the car, Rose and Fred in the front seat and Ross and me in the backseat. Sandwiched right in between us was none other than "Mama!"  This was so embarrassing to us at the time because we happened to run into some friends of ours on the street corner as we stopped at a light and it was obvious we had just been married.  Why?  Because I wore my wedding dress all day long and there she sat in the middle of us.

The next event of the day was a tour of the Capitol Building.  Over the years we laughed so many times about that, especially going there in my wedding dress.  Of course everywhere we went people stared.

Finally in the afternoon we put his mother on a train to send her home.  After that we stopped in a little place to have a drink and celebrated our wedding day.  After paying for the drinks we discovered we barely had enough money left to catch the streetcar home to St Paul which was just across the river. We had also been able to see Horace Heights put on big band show so we were pretty exhausted so we were happy to come home to our little apartment that we had just rented the week prior to our wedding.  I stayed there and got things ready and Ross lived at the YMCA until the day we were married.  The night before the wedding Rose and Ross' mom stayed with me in our apartment.  Everyone was a little frazzled and cramming three women in the bed was a bit much.  Just as we were about to go to sleep I said, "This is the first time I have ever slept with a Colberg!"  This sent my future mother-in-law into fits of laughter!"  She told that story repeatedly over the next many years.

Our apartment was tiny and our first home was so much fun.  In our home our living room was also our bedroom.  We had a Murphy bed that pulled out and down from the wall   So every day and every night we had to rearrange our furniture.  When the bed was up it had a nice mirror on the back of it so it looked just like a real living room.  Those were wonderful times.

I can remember how proud I was to be his wife, and how through our marriage I'd look at him and find it hard to comprehend that he was mine, all mine!  We didn't have much in the way of material things then, we went into our marriage with a few dish towels without hems and a few cents in our pockets but we were very much in love and we had each other, so what else really mattered?"

The End of Part I

Our Wedding, June 15, 1968 Reprise

 A little the worse for wear and also

 a little the better for the journey!

Tomorrow, June 15th, we will have been married 45 years.   Seriously, I can hardly fathom that.  Life goes by so fast.  It has been a joy most of the time, especially in retrospect.  I think by the time you have been married for this long you are just filled with amazement and gratitude that another person has actually been able to put up with all of your stuff for so darn long!  Holy Smokes!

Another person has stayed with you through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, through all the trials and set backs and struggles...your person has stood by you and witnessed and shared your life, your progression, your best and worst moments.

They have accepted your repentance and forgiveness.  And you have done the same for them.  You have both worked hard to make it good and you have never stopped trying.  That is what a true Lovely Princess/Prince Charming really does!  He or she is a person that is  committed to the "us" more than to him/herself or to you.  He/she is a builder and filled with commitment to his or her promises.  A person of honor and trustworthiness.  I like anniversaries.  They are a time to reflect and gain perspective of the whole picture.  The nitty-gritty, day to day can just be set aside and you can bask in the light of the overall joy. 

 That is a miracle isn't it?  In my mind it has become divine, irreplaceable and sacred.  We share most of our life experiences in ways that no other human can ever know us or love us or care for us.  I am more in love with James today than I ever have been.  He really touches every part of my heart, my soul, my experiences..my life.  The best gifts we share, the Gospel and ~ our wonderful children and grandchildren!  Happy Anniversary, Babe, your deserve a crown!  I love you!

These are a few pictures I ran across yesterday and I think haven't been viewed by human eyes in a very long time. I have a feeling our kids have not ever seen them actually. They depict the first few hours of our married life together back in 1968. And I added one of my bridal shower at the end just for fun.

This is our hot ride to our reception after the wedding. 

I love this photo but could someone please photo shop the cat glasses and the goofy head dress? The ride is Jim's Grampa's 55 Chevy...an antique even then and the coolest car. I think it is Jim's brother, Gary, that was our driver!

The receiving line at our wedding reception
with my smokin' hot (baby) HUSBAND and my cute Mom and Dad. 

Our little Volvo! 
 

It had the shiniest black paint you ever did see and hubcaps full of rocks thanks to our clever brothers. We stopped here in Lafayette to remove them before going to a late dinner in a romantic, little restaurant called Petar's. The restaurant still exists in Lafayette but has moved to a new location.

This is a picture of the first dinner (spaghetti and salad) that I cooked for Jim in our first San Francisco apartment when we first got married. Lots of firsts! It shows our wedding china and flowers still left over from our wedding and our fancy chrome and Formica kitchen set that someone gave us with the vinyl tablecloth which was the latest and coolest tablecloth you could get! No ironing~just wipe it off! Cool ( not). We left the next day for our honeymoon at Lake Tahoe.

This is my bridal shower at my friend, Judy's, house. She was my maid of honor and best friend since 7th grade. Last year we attended the wedding of one of her daughters. Ah, the circle of life with good friends!

Check out my orange, wool, 2 piece dress with the fancy floral trim that I made (don't faint, K?) and the lovely hair....a hairpiece called a 'postiege' that was individually woven to match your hair exactly. It was essentially a long hair swatch like a horse's tail that you would loosely braid and set atop your head a la Barbra Streisand. Everyone saved their $25.00 for months and had one and they were quite fun and easy to 'do!'

The biggest advantage was you didn't have to sleep on those hard, uncomfortable rollers! I got my first hair dryer a few weeks after the wedding for my 21st birthday. Pure heaven even if you did have to get up at 3:00 am to shampoo and set your hair and then dry it under a big plastic cap attached to the hose of the dryer.

Yep, now that is VINTAGE, no?

But I digress...don't you love the yarn touch around the fancy braided bun? Such a fashionista, seriously! But the glasses...the cat glasses are the bane of my existence when I see any photos from this time period! And black... sheesh, no blending here!

C'est la vie! As my friend Michelle Simpson would say, "It is what it is, Bonnie!" No do-overs.

A Simple Woman's Daybook~June 11, 2013

Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember

the everyday moments and my thoughts about them.  

That is what this Daybook is all about.

Focusing on the little things that become my life.

One entry at a time.

Just for today~Tuesday, June 11, 2013

 

Outside my window...It is just past 1:00 pm and the sunny day outside my office window is very inviting.The breeze is gently blowing the American Flag around and the hydrangeas looks so pretty by the side of the house.  And I am loving Michelle for taking care of the flowers while we were away.  She definitely has the knack.  Me, not so much.

I am thankful for....Priesthood blessings and my physician.  She is so sweet and kind and knowledgeable.  She is my first female doc and I really like her.  I have seen her twice this week because I have been having some facial swelling which they have determined is probably a reaction to a medication I have taken for years.  So hopefully by stopping it it will cause the swelling to subside.  I will feel better and definitely look better than I do now ( Like a botox treatment gone bad!)  They gave me an EPI pen to carry around until this thing is under control.  A little frightening, but I am thankful for my faith, a great companion, and my wonderful Dr. Taher.
 

From the learning room....more about the places we visited as I have begun to recount what we did in our travels here on my blog.  I love to research the historical places and share the things we have learned.  It helps cement it in my mind and makes the learning last longer when I share it.  Stephen Covey was right when he said, "First learn, then teach it to make it your own."

 
I am reading...William Bradford's Pilmoth Plantation~this is considered to be the first American History book ever written.  Jim and I are reading it aloud together and it is excellent so far.  It is Governor William Bradford's account of why the Loyalists from England and the English Separatists from Holland came here on the Mayflower.   It recounts their heroic voyage and is about the settlement they created when they arrived.  It is a fascinating story.
 

From the kitchen...All stocked up with pantry items, fresh veggies and fruit and I made Jim his soup yesterday.  So the next few days we'll be coasting through the kitchen to eat but not to prepare.  I am focusing on learning to get the love back for cooking.  So far so good.  Maybe I'll try of few of the bazillion recipes I have saved on Pinterest....just in case!

I am missing...my normal smile.  I am looking a bit like the Joker of Batman fame these past few days.  Not attractive at all.  Patience is a virtue...repeat three times!

Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...that placing the Lord at the center of our lives is the best way to live, cope, and enjoy our blessings with Thanksgiving.  When we move him out of front and center it just complicates every day life...both the big and the small things get distorted.  The basics like prayer, scripture study, going to church regularly, these are the things that help us stay the course.  Without this I pretty much have to say...what is the point of anything?   Filling our lives with earthly things, entertainment and hedonistic pleasures will never fill our cup.  He knew that, that is why he gave us substance that matters and allows us to choose for ourselves.

I am hearing..the dryer humming, a plane overhead and some jazzy music.

One of my guilty pleasures...chocolate and summer fruits and veggies.  Today Watermelon. Yummy.

Pet Peeves...the new blankety-blank light bulbs.  Oh tell me the government doesn't have more important things to do than regulating light bulbs.  Argh.  I really do not like those guys over there that do this kind of stuff with all the major issues at hand.  The new light bulbs are a joke, they are not good and I'll be darned if I am making a trip to the hazardous waste disposal place in another town to throw them away.  And no, I am not saving them up some where either.  Just no!  

I am quoting...from Pinterest

Both Joy and Sorrow!

If I could change one thing it would be...that Laura and Robert's basement had not flooded three times in the past week.  Who votes this the craziest year ever for weather?  We about roasted to death on Saturday with temperatures nearing 110 and it has been 40 degrees cooler every day since??

An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...North and South~checking out Mont Royal.  Love it!  I haven't watched much on the big or little screen this week.  But this computer screen has been blazing a trail all hours of the day and night.

I am curious about..why anyone would want to wire-tap my cell phone.  Now that is some kind of desperate for something to do.  It even bores me...poor them.

  

Plans for the rest of the week...pretty much just blogging.  I have a lunch date on Friday but we'll see how I am by then.  Otherwise I am sticking close to the hearth and home and recuperating,  reorganizing and recreating a great vacation on the blog.

One of my favorite things...that Jim and I have been married for 45 years on the 15th.  Unbelievable how time has just flown by.  I cannot comprehend 45 years...what the heck? 

One thing that made me so happy this week...getting back in the swing of our normal (?) life.  The routines have been sweeter after a time away.  I am so sad to be missing work today but will be there next week with bells on...hopefully!

The most surprising thing this week...looking like I've had a botox injection without having one.  Weirdest weird and surprising in a bad way.

2 Photos I am sharing this week...

June 15, 1968

Flashing back!

          Until we all return...happy day to you!

        ❤♡♥♡❤♡♥♡❤♡♥s, Bon

Community Win~Win

This is the last of four posts on the weekend Jim and I spent away. Do I hear a collective sigh of relief? We do this about twice a year and it seems we pack six months worth of dates and activities into it. As I mentioned in the comment section of the last post...this is just my way of journaling and resurrecting fond memories when I can no longer remember the events of the current day.

We attended the San Rafael Youth Art Festival which we thought was a wonderful event benefiting everyone. The community holds this festival annually and the proceeds go to the city's youth art enrichment program which supplements the dwindling school budgets for the creative arts.

Each year they resurface some of the main streets in the little town with new asphalt. Then they sell large squares to various families and sponsors to raise money. They also sell smaller squares to the families of the children of the town, which to me was the most fun part of it. Each square is then designed and done in colored chalk by the participants. We could just see the grandkids enjoying this event. The concept is brilliant and the result spectacular. They do not charge admission for this fun exhibit.

It was a great weekend all in all. Thanks for coming along!

Marin~The Other Side of Heaven

We spent quite a bit of time on the north side of San Francisco. Our first stop is always the first turn off into Sausalito or Fort Baker where you can get some magnificent photos of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. On a clear day you can practically see forever out here. We got a winner day for sure.




The air was crisp and cool and the sail boats were gorgeous out there! It is hard to imagine how that many people can have that much money and still have enough leisure time to enjoy their toys, etc. Something does not compute, but more power to 'em! You cannot see it from here but there were hundreds of gianormous sail boats and yachts out over the weekend.

We explored the town of Novato and did a little fun shopping there, we enjoyed the Marin Headlands, we went to an Art Festival, took naps and saw two movies, and ate a lot of seafood at these great restaurants...


This is our new favorite restaurant in San Rafael called The Seafood Peddler and it was amazing! They have received this award and it is well-deserved.

We also went to this restaurant in Bodega Bay. It is called Chiappino's. We sat on the patio and looked out at this......

and ate this among other things!

We saw this and it could not have been more perfect for an anniversary date for two old fogies that fell in love as kids and have been married 41 years! We could totally relate to the relationship and the decrepit state of affairs in the later years. All the creaking and moaning and aches and pains were cute in a masochistic sort of way. We also saw this.......

And found it enjoyable, albeit a little confusing.
Or were we just exhausted??

We did plenty of this ~ although only once on the picnic table at the beach!
The resting was great because you all know Jim ran my legs off the rest of the time.

I know for some of you it is hard to imagine Jim in the horizontal
position ever, but he does rest occasionally...for 15 minutes only though.
Seriously, he sets his watch! What....doesn't everyone?

The City By The Bay

The Golden Gate Bridge

One of the most photographed places on earth!

It is no secret that Jim and love San Francisco. I think there are many reasons, one of them is that we lived there as newlyweds for two years. In the City everything is exciting. The buzz, the hustle and bustle of daily life is like no other place we have ever lived including Las Vegas. There is just something special for us in San Francisco.

Although we stayed in Marin county at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael, we spent quite a bit of time in San Francisco. We started there on Saturday morning by going to the Ferry Building farmer's market and having breakfast out on the pier. That is such a fun thing to do on a Saturday morning and there were a ton of people there enjoying it all when we arrived at 8:45.

We enjoyed taking photos at the immense market and here are a couple of our favorites.


The wharf is always loaded with birds and I saw this little blackbird...I snapped this photo in memory of Kenny Rankin and then this seagull came right over to me on the railing in front of where we were sitting. He stayed and posed for many shots..they are extremely tame.

Kenny's Blackbird

Another thing we did on Saturday was we went to some garage sales. We love our Tom Tom~Go and we put in some addresses we found on garagesalefinder.com and it was really fun. We didn't buy anything but we met some neat people and we really loved the little neighborhoods with their cute row houses. Even in this economy the houses like this go for about a million dollars. We picked up fliers for several of them. We saw some places in San Francisco we had never seen before.

I thought this one was painted in a very unique way and it looked so cute with the flowers in front. We also visited the warehouse district looking at bathroom fixtures and shower units, sinks, etc. as we are beginning to design our new bathroom. That was fun and we found some great prices too. On the way there we ran into some very interesting street signs so we stopped to take photos.

Jennifer's Mission~Christopher's Mission

Laura's Mission~Christopher's Mission
We thought this was pretty weird!

Happy Anniversary, Laura and Robert!

Today is the anniversary of one of the happiest days of our lives. Just eleven years ago today we were able to sit in the temple and witness the marriage of our youngest, daughter, Laura, to Robert. What made this one of the happiest days was not only getting a wonderful new son, but to just be in the temple with all of our children and their new spouses. For those of you who don't know, all of our children got married that year between August 16th and December 27th. What a year is all I can say. It was wildly hectic, expensive, and totally wonderful. Three new kids and three very happy "old kids" made it the best of years!

So, Happy Anniverary to you, Laura and Robert! You truly were made for each other in ways that continue to astound us even eleven years later. We hope you are enjoying your get away in Italy this weekend! Sending some hugs and kisses around the world to you today!

Happy Anniversary, Jen & Lowell!

September 6, 1997
Salt Lake Temple

I love this picture, it is truly worth a thousand words. We love you two! Happy Anniversary! You have had an action packed 11 years together. From that flat tire within an hour of leaving on your honeymoon to the various floods you have had in your house...things have been anything but boring, tiresome and repetitive. You have worked hard and had many good times, lived in Scotland, bought two houses, owned your own business, and create a lovely haven for four precious little daughters. You two have given a lot to many and have made the world a better place for all of us. We love you with all of our hearts and wish you an eternity of love, laughter, fun, accomplishments, and growth. Have a very happy day, year, life. Your story begins at home and yours is a thriller!

Love Always,
Mom & Dad

Now tell me this does not look like these two!

Happy Anniversary Missy and Chris!

Eternal Happiness To You Both!

August 16, 1997~ Salt Lake City, Utah

Dad & I are so proud of you two. You have accomplished a tremendous amount of wonderful things in the past eleven years. Finished your education, had 4 beautiful children, and created a lovely home for your family. There are no words to tell you how happy and grateful we are for the two of you. May you always have that love in your hearts that you do in this picture and a whole lot more that accumulates over years and years of your lives together. We love you! Have a great celebration!

Melissa's Bouquet

P.S. You started the family explosion just eleven years ago today. We have gone from five family members to 18 in less time than that! Whew! Quadrupling your joy is a good thing! We give a big "YES" vote for marriage as you are living it!

Salt Lake Temple
August 16, 1997