November 8: Our Wedding Anniversary

Heaveno!

Well, let the itch begin! Just kidding. Angelique and I were married 7 years ago today. I love her AND I am in love with her more today than on this day 7 years ago. After a very productive day, we dropped Ali off at grandma and grandpa's house and had dinner in Duke's Huntington Beach, the site of our first date! It was also the site of our 5 year anniversary, where I threw a surprise live concert for Angelique with all our friends in attendance! For our wedding favors, we made a CD of our favorite love songs, and for anniversary number 5, I performed the whole album LIVE for Ang with the help of a couple of musician friends of mine! She had NO IDEA; it was a total surprise. It was awesome.

This year understandably was a little more subdued than that. We just had a nice quiet corner booth and split 3 courses and a half bottle of Rombauer Chardonnay. I think the last time we split a half bottle at a restaurant was the last time we were there 2 years ago! We looked back and realized that we have created our marriage in the same conscious way as everything else in our life. We truly are one. Plus, we chose early on that as the years went on, our love would naturally increase for the other. We laid down that rule in the grass of our imaginations and hearts and fed it year after year. Now, after all we've been through, we love and respect each other more than EVER before. Good stuff.

They say 95% of marriages with special needs kids fail.

We are the 5%.

I'm going to ask you some questions:

Do you give your love to your spouse without a reason to, because you simply choose to?

Do you initiate love, or merely reciprocate?

If your child or spouse was taken tomorrow, was there anything you meant to say that you haven't?

Are you willing to entertain the possibility that you might be wrong sometimes?

Do you say "I'm sorry," without ANY qualifications - and MEAN IT?

During a disagreement, is your objective to understand, or be understood?

Do you give credit or take credit when someone compliments you as a couple?

These are just coming off the top of my head, but I just wanted to get you thinking a little on how to make a bad marriage okay, an okay marriage good, a good marriage great, and a great marriage AMAZING.

:):):):):):):):):)

Earlier today, we met with our minister Dennis Short who will be presiding over the CA memorial on Sunday. We had a great meeting and hashed out a wonderful program. We are still in need of someone locally in socal who can run the webcast for us. If you know anyone, or you are that someone, email me at timringgold@gmail.com. Thanks!

Our little hacienda!

Gosh, there is so much more I want to share about from "the first day of the rest of our lives," but I am falling asleep at the wheel again, so instead, I bid you adieu. Life is good. God is good. Today was good.

The view over our condo complex...

God night.