HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY

My husband and I just celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary yesterday - apart, as usual.

It's difficult today to even imagine that tall and skinny couple we were, although I have the photos to prove it... and Photoshop wasn't even invented back then.


Living in college married housing.

Driving across country with a Vega and a trailer with all of our household belongings in it.

Surviving on an enlisted military salary - being eligible for welfare at the same time you are in the Army now.

Flying to Europe pregnant and with a 16 month old toddler.

Living in British military quarters - nothing is designed for anyone over 5'3" - and holding all leadership positions in a brand-new English-speaking branch.

Moving  from Europe to Hawaii, and living there for six years - the last year completely separated geographically from each other.

Ten years in Maryland - another seven years apart 80% of the time, including the first Gulf War. Retirement from the military and right into the civilian government positions.

Move to Arizona for another job and Hope's health.

I wonder what will happen over the next 32 years... and I have to admit, I hope ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!

YOU'RE IN THE ARMY NOW

Pre-1984, the concept of living in Hawaii ranked right in there along with images of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, riding a camel across the Sahara, or climbing Mt. Everest.

People did it, there were pictures in the National Geographic to prove it.

But it wasn’t something that I would ever go or do.

People did live in Hawaii - I knew there were military assignments there - but it was like waiting for a bus that ain’t never, ever gonna come to your stop.

Plus the Army had not proven to be extremely reliable for our family over the past six years.

Bill was scheduled to go to Ft. Ord, in Monterey, California - beautiful coastal landscape that runs below San Francisco - as soon as he completed the M.P. training in Alabama.

Instead, we went to Ft. Riley, Kansas.

Bill got orders for Okinawa, an island south of Japan.

Then suddenly we were going to Giessen... West Germany.

But then the office in Giessen was bombed.

So we ended up in Duesseldorf.

I figured if we requested Hawaii, we would end up in Arkansas - Alaska - or Guam.

I seriously refused to believe it. Until the plane landed in Honolulu in June 1984.