A Beautiful Love and a Beautiful Life!

Tim and I knew a looooooooooong time before the "I Do's" that we would get married.  As a matter of fact, there was no proposal, it was just assumed that we would marry!  And this knowledge was the main reason that I never went through with the idea of going to college to become a teacher.  All I wanted to do was marry Tim and have his children!  I didn't think about the number we would have, but I would do it all over again...........with Tim, that is!  He has ALWAYS been very mature and has always been such a gentleman in his manners!  I thank his mom and dad for that!  He still opens the door for me..........and I let him!  :D

We officially became a couple on March 13, 1971.  And with the exception of several months that I thought I wanted to be with someone else, we have been together!  Even during the time of our "separation," due totally because of my stupidity, I yearned to be back with him and was so afraid I had lost the best thing that had ever happened to me!  Thank God that He had other plans and allowed me the opportunity to fix the mess I had made of our relationship!

I worried when he went off to college that he would find someone else!  Looking back, I think the only reason I worried is because I was still feeling really guilty about how I had treated him!  If he HAD found someone else, I totally would have deserved it!  But, again, God intervened and the rest is history, as you say!  We were married on May 8, 1976.  My how the time has flown by!

Here are a few pictures showing how happy in love we were (and still are) in our beautiful life together!

Homecoming Dance in 1971.  Tim and I are not dancers and we only "danced" to the slow dances, which reminds me of shuffling your feet to keep from going to the bathroom in your pants!  :D

Mom had a graduation party for Tim and I.  This cake is one Tim's mom had made, I believe.  Graduation from Conner Senior High School in Hebron, KY on June 3, 1973.

I felt very proud to be in the Honor Society with Tim!  However, I don't know how I got there because I was not that great in school as I just never really put forth much effort!  I did OK, but I could have done much better had I put forth some effort!  I failed Biology the first time around, which I would have figured would have kept me from being invited to the Honor Society!  That gold sure looked good on our caps and gowns, however!  :D

Tim held his 35mm camera out at arm's length and took this picture!  Now I'm the one always doing that!  :D

This trip to King's Island was in 1976 sometime.  I know that because the writing on the back addresses me as Tim's fiancee.  And I wasn't officially his fiancee until Christmas 1975 when he gave me my engagement ring.  This must have been an outing with Tim's dad's company or something.

FINALLY!  The big day!  May 8, 1976.  I had moved from home into this apartment in Covington, KY in April so that I could get it ready for Tim and I to live in.  It was a 3rd floor apartment with very few electrical outlets and peaked ceilings since we were on the top floor of the house!  We paid $30 per week rent!  Tim finished up college at University of Louisville on Friday, May 7th and we were married by the justice of the peace on Saturday.

Tim and I talked about owning a Buick Regal which was the popular car at the time, but we could never afford it!  Tim's mom, as our wedding gift, rented this car for us to travel to Natural Bridge, KY for our honeymoon.  I was not yet 21, so I could not drive it!

Here we are getting the tent set up.  I had never been camping before in my life!  So, this was a totally new experience for me!

Tim showed me all of the Boy Scout tricks.  We are blowing into the fire to help the flames become bolder!  Cooking on the stove was kind of new to me, let alone cooking on an open fire!

But, I have to admit that the pocket stew was delicious!

On top of the bridge........on top of the world and crazy in love!

We eventually moved into a trailer that we bought from Tim's Uncle Gary, which was on Tim's dad's property in Hebron, KY.  Tim fixed himself up a dark room in one of the bedrooms and he developed his own pictures.  This picture was taken down by the Ohio River.  Recognize the Dorothy Hamill haircut?  She was a champion olympic figure skater for the younger generation who reads this blog!  :D

Tim double exposed to create this picture.  LOVE it!  I would say these 2 pictures were taken in 1978.

Then comes the babies!  This Olan Mills picture was taken in the early part of 1982 because Michael got the little outfit he is wearing from his Aunt Jennifer for Christmas, I believe!

This picture was taken in March of 1984 according to the note on the back of the picture.

This picture was taken in 1987.  Nathanael cried and was not sure about the guy taking the pictures who tried very hard to get him to smile.


Well, that's all I have for you to look at.  Hope you enjoyed the pictures!