40th Anniversary

What do you give your wife on your 40th wedding anniversary?

LuAnn and I are celebrating our 40th today. Actually we have only been married 8 years but we figure years don't match quality of life so we multiply each year by five. I know some people who didn't live five years like we did on one.

I am not bragging, we both made enough mistakes in our early years and just hit it off instantly July 13, 1999. That date and October 10 and November 10 and finally June 22, 2001 became important dates in our life together.

In 8 years:
She moved 400 miles away
all of her children followed
our wedding and the wedding of six childrenn
our 6 kids and 6 grandkids now live within 80 miles of us
sold my place
bought this farm
went from 50 acres to 640 acres
buried both our dad's in grace and loving memory
camped in 48 states, many in a farmer's barnyard with friends I met on the Internet

Some amazing things have happened to us and I pray thanks for God's Graces every day. When things look bleak, and they have some days, we just look up and God shows up someone hurting more than we are.

Pretty amazing, isn't it?

I am really good at birthdays and anniversaries but I missed this one. Shannon called last night to wish me Happy Fathers Day and said, Happy Anniversary tomorrow, too! I had in my head it was next week because we were going to get married June 29 but we couldn't find a church or a place for the celebration. June 22 was open so we chose that day 8, I mean 40 years ago. What does man know about time anyway?

Russ and Linda drove all day to be a part of our celebration. The church was filled with children, future spouses, relatives, friends and farmers from the area. LuAnn had soil and water board members and friends from Erie County New York there to share our day. It seems like yesterday yet it seems like we really did live 40 years together since June 22, 2001, in a good way, too!

I will never forget the tears in Uncle Roys eyes after the Shawnee Nation story teller, our pastor Fred Shaw performed their tradition of mixing Mother Earth with the water of life. Uncle Roy said I wish your dad could have seen this. I just looked up in the church and said oh I don't think he missed a bit of it.

Thanks for 40 wonderful years, LuAnn. I wonder what God has in store for us next?

Sincerely,

Your DH, Ed Winkle