Thursday, March 29, 2018

49 Years Together

Today is our 49th wedding anniversary.
Yep, we were young once.

Back then, in March 1969, Tom and I were teaching across the hall from each other at Mount View Elementary School.  It was my third year there, and Tom's second. He had transferred there after three years in another district elementary. 

I had my eyes on another guy that first year that Tom arrived on the scene, but that other guy thing didn't work out, thankfully. My life would have been a whole lot different with him, and not nearly as great as it has been with Tom. 

We started dating that summer after we met, just very casual stuff, and when we returned to school in the fall, we worked at not letting anyone know we were seeing each other outside of school. One little girl in my fourth grade class did see us together though, and we swore her to secrecy. 

I would say that Tom fell in love with me before I did with him, but it was about a month after he told me he loved me that I finished my careful thought process and decided I loved him too. I know that sounds unromantic, but that is how it was. I was raised to be a very practical girl, and as an introvert, I needed to be sure of myself. 

Tom was so funny. It was in November that I told him I loved him too and he immediately said, "Let's get married!" And we pretty much did. 

We shopped for rings together. He gave me my ring the night before we left for Christmas break, and we announced our engagement that last day. It was a wild and crazy day, with staff and our students, his fifth graders and my fourth graders, all abuzz. 

Christmas was divided between my family in Oregon, who had not met Tom, and his family in Puyallup. Then after Christmas it snowed, lots! We decided to get married at spring break, and we began to plan our wedding, with some extra vacation days since schools were closed for snow days.

And so it was that on Saturday, March 29th, 1969, we were married in Tom's family church in Puyallup, with our families, friends, and many of our students in attendance. We finished out the school year, and then, since married couples were not allowed to work in the same school, I transferred to another building that fall. 

Since this is the 49th anniversary, we have nothing special planned, except we will go out to dinner, after a day of our usual walking and exercising and working in the yard. 

Next year is the big one. I have no idea what we'll do. 

24 comments:

  1. Congratulations you two crazy kids! Maybe you could celebrate by driving by the church in Puyallup where you got married. (On your way to Vassey and Watson's.) Here's to many happy returns of the day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations. I never dreamed Bob and I would make it to 50 but we saw our 55 th anniversary. I hope you have many more anniversaries in your future.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations and that is a beautiful wedding photo. I can't imagine that there won't be a major family celebration next year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm always so happy when I see couples married for such a long time. I wasn't so lucky in love but believe in it fully!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Anniversary! Aloha from Hawaii.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congratulations! 49 years is a real milestone. Happy Anniversary! What a stroke of good luck that the other guy didn't work out. I have a practical streak too, and I'm an introvert, so the deliberation makes complete sense to me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, Linda, what a wonderful story! And what a beautiful bride you were. I was married in 1968 and was also a teacher so I can visualize the two of you trying to keep your secret from your students "back in the day". Congratulations to you both on 49 years together. Here's to many more! Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
  8. That is such a wonderful story! I love hearing how happily married people met and felt.

    I fell in love with my husband the moment I heard his voice on the phone and he said my name. I knew that he was the one. Just thinking about that still gives me goosebumps.

    Congratulations on a beautiful partnership.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations and best wishes for many more years. Seeing that large wedding photo, have you ever thought of reproducing those poses? Perhaps for your 50th? Terry and I did that for our 30th. We had a professional photographer (which we did not have at the original ceremony) meet us at the church and duplicate various poses in the same places. I love those pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Fabulous! We'll be 40 years together this year and married for 31 of them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, big time congratulations on 49. Hope your celebration is warm, comfortable and fun. Next year you can bring out the fireworks though I think this year deserves some pop.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy Anniversary! Love seeing your wedding photo. You are still a cute couple.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Congratulations! How wonderful to hear about how you met and fell in love. Love the picture and the dress. You two are a wonderful couple!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congratulations to you and Tom. I like the story of how you met and carefully ( in your case) fell in love. Nice picture of you as youngsters.
    Have a great Easter long weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happy Anniversary! Congratulations on 49 years! We are just nine months away from our 49th. Time sure goes fast! I enjoyed seeing your wedding photo!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Congratulations! Happy anniversary. Great love story!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Congratulations, Linda and Tom! You certainly made the right choice - that other guy, probably, wouldn't accompany you on all those garden tours!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a great recounting! And congratulations to you both.

    ReplyDelete
  19. You two have had the most amazing life together, and I for one cannot imagine you being with anybody but Tom. Happy Anniversary! Even if I added up all four of my marriages, they wouldn't add up to 49! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sorry I am a day late! Happy Anniversary! Hope you had a wonderful dinner out. You two are such a special couple, just perfect together! It is so sweet to follow your blog and read about all that you and Tom do together; the gardening, traveling, working, shopping! So nice how you enjoy being together. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Forgot to tell you how much I loved seeing the wedding picture! It's beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Happy, happy anniversary. I loved reading the reading the entire courtship story here. I’m glad you found Tom, and that he found you. You seem to be the perfect match for each other. You have created a beautiful and satisfying life together, and then there is that garden. Through that garden, and through your children, you have written a lasting story which brings a lot of joy to others.

    ReplyDelete
  23. congrats, next year go on a cruise alone together....somewhere exotic!

    ReplyDelete

I would love to read your comments. Since I link most posts to Facebook, you may comment there if you do not have an account. I have eliminated Anonymous comments due to spammers.