Today is Valentines Day. On this day 45 years ago I proposed to my wife and asked her to be my wife. I asked her to marry me in her dorm lounge of Chadburn Hall at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. I borrowed $20 from a friend of mine to use as a down payment on a ring at Goodman's Jewelry Store in Madison. Back then you could buy a diamond ring for $150 or so. I didn't know what it was to be married or what I was suppose to do. I just knew I loved Mary and that she was the one. I didn't have a concept as to what "the rest of my life" was. I just knew for some reason this pretty girl was the "one". When I would see her on campus, we would pass on Bascom Hill frequently going to and from class, I would see this happy smile and it would light up my life. We would talk on the phone often and she would listen to me talk, I'm not one for few words, and she would listen to my singing as I would sing songs to her. She was the one. When you are 20 years old you don't really have a concept of what forever is. But, however long forever was or is I would be married to her till death do us part deep down inside ,where ever that is. It never entered my mind that we would never be together.

We have had many good times and difficult times. We have seen our children being born. We have seen our children triumph and fail. We have now seen them grow up and have families. WE have seen a business or business's start, grow and sometimes do not so good. Through all this my wife has stuck with me and I with her. From that romantic impetuous start on Valentines Day of February 14,1968 I had a inner drive to never quit. I can't take credit for it, it was just there. Maybe my Grandma Mary, or maybe farther back her pioneer parents who traveled by covered wagon,  settled and farmed. So, here we are 45 years later still in love and living in the present together supporting one another and helping one another in the daily tasks that we do. But, beginning to plan how we will live out our lives together in the coming years working,playing, traveling, and being still a parent,  grandparents, and still married.

This picture was us 5 years ago when I surprised her showed up at the high school where she teach's and delivered to her a potted flower arrangement in her class in front of her students on Valentines Day. I guess I won't change. One of the students took the picture. They thought it was really cool that I would do such a thing( many of these kids who have divorced parents were moved). Mary remembers with fond memories also. Oh, by the way, I got permission to do this from the principal( it wasn't totally impetuous).

If the LORD tarries, maybe forever on this earth will be 75 years. Mary's grandma Lilly was 107 when she left this earth , my grandma was 99, Mary's mom is 89 and my father is 88 and both still going strong. The Lord has blessed us and continues to bless us and we look forward to what he has in store for us in the future.