Love the second time around!

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.
- Martin Luther

      Today is Lanny and my 7th wedding anniversary! I tend to be pretty sentimental, so I have spent the bulk of the morning remembering our day... the weather, who was there, how I felt, what I did before the ceremony. It was a day etched in my memory as wonderful. As has our marriage been to me.

     Lanny and I both were married before, in what were relatively unsuccessful marriages. Mine ended in divorce after 26 years of trying hard but ultimately failing, and his ended with the death of his first wife after 32 years of trying hard. We both learned a lot about ourselves and what we wanted from another partner, and both of us were a little afraid at first to try.

     We met via an online dating service-- something I never expected I would do. Even my mother shakes her head at the notion! However, my best friend who was single at the time helped me "learn the ropes" and I found I was enjoying the company of some very nice men. Nobody special, but certainly a way to get out once in awhile. Then... I met Lanny.

     We exchanged emails for several weeks before we met, then had a few telephone conversations. We met at a local brewpub for dinner. It was a warm late summer evening, with a full moon, so when we were offered seating "al fresco" we took it. We had a good meal, and even better conversation. The sun set, the moon rose. Still we talked. Closing time was 10 pm, and since it was a weeknight and I had to be at work early the next morning, we reluctantly said our goodbyes when the restaurant closed. The attraction between us was instant and electric... and it seemed we could talk forever! It felt easy and comfortable and yet exciting...

     There were a lot more dates and ultimately we decided to get married. Lanny proposed by taking me to a lake house in Michigan for a long weekend-- but only after he had spoken to my father and mother and obtained their consent. Our children were okay with the idea too, so we set the date. I was in the middle of a tremendously time-consuming job at the time-- opening up a new hospital-- so we decided to set the wedding date for 3 months after the hospital was opened. Hopefully by then the stress of opening would have subsided a bit and I could enjoy some time off.

     We were married in the chapel at Clarian West Medical Center (now IU Health West) by the chaplain there, Beth Newton Watson. She was also a good friend, and has remained so since. My matron-of-honor was my dear friend Kathy Wodicka, and Lanny's best man was his best friend Mike Carrico. Other than our close friends, only immediate family were there, so it was a small group that sat together in that chapel and celebrated afterwards with brunch at a local restaurant. 

     The following day we left for a week long trip to Sedona, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada. Sedona is "red rock country" known as much for its art as for its scenery. Our weekend in Las Vegas at the end of our trip was more than enough to convince us both that it is not a dream destination-- we just aren't drinkers and gamblers. We did see a Cirque du Soleil show that was fabulous there!

We had a sunrise balloon ride with a champagne breakfast in Sedona!

     So many wonderful memories of that early time in our marriage, but we have seen and done so many other things since that I can honestly say our entire marriage has been a wonderful trip. Mostly though, we still find we can sit and talk forever about anything and everything, and that the thrill of that early courtship is still there. We are comfortable together, yes... but we also are excited and invigorated by each other. The love has grown exponentially  since that first day!

This is us on our honeymoon... we're still grinning!!

     With Chaplain Beth's help we wrote our own vows. I would like to close with the benediction she spoke at our wedding-- it has been a guiding force in our marriage:

God keep you in love with each other so that His peace abides in your home.  May your home be a place of happiness for all who enter it, a place where all are renewed in each other’s company, a place for growing, understanding and laughter. When shadows and darkness creep in, may it remain a place of hope, strength and love. May those who are nearest to you be constantly enriched by the beauty and bounty of your love for one another.  AMEN!

 And thank you God, for bringing this wonderful man into my life. I pray I always treat him with the love and respect he deserves and he shows me every moment we are together. As we tell one another all the time, "We are the luckiest two people on this earth!"