Week 58: 32 Years and Counting

32 years together -- Yippee!

Highlights this week included Elder Hadlock selling four of the six cars the mission has for sale and celebrating our 32^nd wedding anniversary.  We did so by getting a bite to eat and going to the movie Interstellar.

We didn’t take any photos during the week, and Saturday was  full of chores and errands. Today (Sunday) we rode to Chehalis for a missionary fireside.  We used the drive time (one hour each way) to talk about memories we’ve shared in 32 years of marriage and some things we’ve learned along the way. Also gave us an opportunity to take a few photos. 

So, in the few minutes I have until bedtime, I’ll share just a few memories and things we’ve learned. Some of our favorite memories include (in no particular order):    

• Trips to Disneyland -- just the two of us as well as with our whole family.
• Family vacations to Yellowstone, Jackson Hole (the Bar J Wranglers), South Dakota, and Lake Tahoe.
• Our Alaskan Fishing Trip, a trip to Hawaii, and a Bahama cruise
• Family reunions
• Watching children develop their talents, interests, personalities, and become contributing citizens
• Spending time with grandchildren
• Having our hearts ache like none other when children are experiencing trials
• Having prayers answered in their behalf
• Growing closer to one another through these trials

  

  WATAC missionaries from Vernal, Utah

• Feeling joy and satisfaction when children "figure things out"
• Feeling even greater joy when we "figure it out"
• Feeling extra joy when that last Pinewood Derby car rolled down the track!
• Working together to start and run a business
• Seeing the hand of the Lord in those efforts and how it all turned out.
• Serving in the Church -- much of the time with the youth in Scouts, Single Adults, Young Women, etc. 
• Three "treks" at Martin's Cove with the youth and three of our children 
• Serving a mission in Tacoma Washington

A selfie attempt

The list of memories could go on forever. We feel so very blessed.  We are grateful, too, for challenges faced. We know we've been strengthened and watched over in our trials.  We look back and see the hand of the Lord trying to help us and teach us.  What have we learned? --

• Life doesn't always turn out like you think, but God is in charge and he knows what's best, but He will not take away one's agency.
• Our parents got smarter.
• We feel "dumber" -- the older we get the more we realize we really don't know.
• There is a supreme being -- a God. There is life after life.
• The most important relationship to take care of is with God and His Son Jesus Christ.
• Second in importance is our relationship with our spouse. Dates after marriage are critical.
• Relationships are worth the effort; we still need to make the effort daily
• Van says, "If Mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."
• Wendy says, "Papa's not ever happy about going shopping -- leave him home."
• Happiness comes from living the gospel and keeping covenants.
• Nothing feels better than the Spirit. Contention drives away the Spirt
• Laughter heals
• Selfishness hurts
• Popcorn makes everything better!?

Well those are a few of the things that came up in our discussion (except the popcorn thing). The list could be better (and much longer) if we gave more thought to what 32 years together have brought us. Suffice it to say, Life has been good to us and we hope to continue to learn what we need to learn.