Today we are celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary! Isn't that amazing? Our marriage has survived dealing with deaths of loved ones, accidents, major illnesses, surgeries, loss of job, job changes, and a major move of over 1,000 miles!
When I told grandson Noah we would be having our 40th Anniversary, he asked, "Does that mean that there will be cake?" I asked my granddaughter Mia if she knew what an anniversary was, and she said, "Yes, that's when you go out to dinner!" We did plan to go out to dinner and celebrate on our Anniversary, but we were told by son Joshua not to make plans. There had been several whispered and suspicious phone calls between family members, and even some mysterious clues, but we were uncertain what was being planned. "Just keep the day free," Joshua said, and Heejin said, "Wear something nice".
On the morning of our 40th, we received the elaborate "instruction sheet" from our family with details for the day. The directions included this itinerary:
5:10 Photo Session
6:45 Dinner Reservations
Following Dinner - Ice Cream
Sounds easy enough, right? WRONG!! Dinner and ice cream we could handle, but my husband Charlie's eyebrows raised as I gasped at the mention of a Photo Session. Charlie is definitely not the "Photo Shoot" type, and I am definitely not photogenic. I could count on one hand the number of times in 40 years that we have had scheduled Photo Sessions with a photographer! Joshua said we were to have some "funny" pictures taken as well as a photo with a "40" and some serious poses. After discussion, we reluctantly agreed that since the family planned it, we would get through this somehow! "Hey, it might be fun!" I said rather uncertainly. Charlie's comment was, "I doubt that".
The Ruby is the traditional, modern, and gemstone symbol for the 40th Anniversary, so I guess we were in style as we arrived promptly for the Photo Session in my "Ruby Red" Camaro.
After a brief wait, the photographer immediately put us at ease as he assured us that all would turn out okay. We told him Joshua's requests, and he said it would be fun.
The first photos were with a carnival background, and my husband told the photographer that would be a very appropriate background since we'd had an "accidental meeting" at a local carnival before we were actually dating. That evening we had experienced "spins and turns" on several carnival rides and had a great time.
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| Joshua wanted his Dad to wear the boa, but this is the best I could do! |
Next were some more serious photos.
I spotted some daisies in the props and asked if we could use them next. Daisies are among my favorite flowers, and I often went "Daisy Petal Picking - He loves me, he loves me not!" as a child. When we were dating, Charlie often picked daisies and brought them to me when he rode his motorcycle over to my house to visit.
Of course, we had several photos taken with the "40" blocks.
The "framed shots" were a chance to be ourselves - very silly!
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| 40 years? You've got to be kidding! |
The bears are supposed to represent us as parents with 3 sons!
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| Our 3 Sons??? |
Here we are really "stepping out on the town"!
The photos actually turned out better than either of us imagined, and the photographer thanked us for being such good sports. Although we are not normally the "photo shoot" type, I will readily admit that our Photo Session was lots of fun!
Next, it was a short drive to our dinner reservation at Cafe Vermilionville. This historic restaurant is a former inn that was built sometime in the 1800s and was occupied by Federal soldiers during the Civil War.
Dinner at Cafe Vermilionville was simply awesome! I loved the atmosphere and period decor. The chef was able to accommodate my diet restrictions, and the food was delicious!
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| Charlie's Wedge Salad |
Last on the list was ice cream, and by this time we were stuffed and a little tired! (Remember, we have been married 40 years.) We decided to pick up ice cream and toppings from Baskin Robbins and take it home to share!
All in all, our 40th Anniversary surprise was certainly fabulous and memorable!
I wonder what is being planned for the 50th???
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| 40 Fun-Filled, Fabulous Years!! |
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