45 Years - WOW!

Today is our 45th wedding anniversary! I love you, Honey, even more now than then!

We were a couple of 22 year olds who thought they had the world by the tail. Rich had graduated in May '64 from Westmont College in Santa Barbara with his B.A. in Music and was attending what was then called Valley State College, now it is California State University, Northridge (CSUN). At the time, he was studying for his secondary elementary teaching credential and preparing to teach high school music but he changed direction and received his elementary credential. He was also teaching piano lessons to about 35 kids, every day after school, driving to each of their homes. A lesson at that time was $6.50/half-hour! I was working as a clerk at North American Rockwell for the lofty wage of $2.27/hour! We rented our first apartment, which was totally furnished for $120/month. We thought we were really living. Oh, yes, Rich also worked as minister of music in a couple of churches (at separate times) for extra $$.

He began his career with Los Angeles Unified School District as a fourth grade teacher in September of 1967. Our first son, Jeff, was born that December. I continued to work until 1968. By that time we had our first home. Two more sons were born; Jeremy in 1970 and Brett in 1973.

A highlight in the life of our young family was the year we traveled the U.S., 1975-76. It was the Bi-centennial year and Rich was on sabbatical from LAUSD. We visited every state except West Virginia (still haven't been there!), Idaho, and of course Alaska and Hawaii. We traveled in a 26' trailer for 11 months! It was really a wonderful time together. We saw so many interesting places, visited family and friends and made new friends along the way. We learned much later that it was this year that gave Jeff his love for history and set him on his career path as a high school history teacher.

Rich taught for LA for 28 years and then went into administration, training and working with new teachers. I returned to Rockwell in 1977 and concluded my career there in 1999, as administrative assistant supporting the vice president and chief scientist, when I retired and started a micro home business, supporting small business owners with a variety of administrative tasks. Rich retired in 2004 and then went back to work as contract labor until we moved to Kansas in 2006. He also taught elementary ed courses at CSUN for many years and led the student teaching office there for a time.

Our sons are married to three wonderful women. We have been blessed by their Godly marriages and the blessings of one grandson and eight granddaughters. They are all a source of great joy!

We are enjoying our life of retirement and have been blessed by being able to travel to places such as Thailand, Italy, China, Canada, England, and various places, mostly in western U.S.

This past year has been quite a journey as we have been faced with Rich's three cancer surgeries and all that they represent. We are incredibly blessed with many loving, praying family members and friends who have been by our side during these last many months. We know one thing, that God is in control and just when we think we know what our days will be like, He reveals something different. We place our complete trust in Him for our future.

In many ways March 6, 1965, seems just like yesterday. The memories are still very fresh! And yet, there's been a lot living between then and now. Marriage is a time of stretching, growing, giving and taking. There are always peaks and valleys but with God's grace and our commitment to each other and our love for each other, we have reached this milestone.

The Bible says it best in 1 Corinthians 13:4-13...

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record or wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails....And now the three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

I love you, Rich Dewey!