Todays’ blog has special meaning for me, you see, today is our 38th wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe that 38 years have gone by because it really does seem like just yesterday, these two young crazy kids said “I Do”.
So, relax and let me share a little bit of how our story began…
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You never know when you will meet the person you are meant to spend your life with, for me, I was in high school. We met in the school auditorium at San Pedro High School. I was practicing for a Christmas show and Jimmy (my husband) was there as part of the stage crew.
It was kind of funny because I did not even notice him, but he says he noticed me right away. It was getting close to lunch and the school had two different lunch times. He had first lunch and went and got a sandwich and came back to eat it in the auditorium (on purpose I found out later).
My friend Jackie and I were sitting in the seats waiting to be called for our part in the show. He sat right behind us to eat his lunch. My friend and I were hungry, so I turned around and politely asked if he would go get us some food. Well, he gave us his sandwich instead and the rest is history.
We both grew up in San Pedro and we would spend a lot of time at the beach, Royal Palms and Point Fermin Park, which is on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We knew early on that we wanted to get married, but neither one of our families were too happy about it, because we were so young.
One Friday afternoon as we were driving along the coast, he stopped at one of the lookout areas (we loved to hang out there and watch the water and harbor). We were sitting on one of the benches and I was looking at the view and did not pay much attention that he was not next to me. When I noticed him not there, I got up, turned around and saw him on one knee with a ring.
I was completely taken by surprise. Yes, we talked about getting married one day, but I had no idea he was going to propose. I said “yes” of course. It’s funny because there was a group of Japanese tourist there taking pictures, but we did not pay any attention to them, it was like we were the only ones there. (awww)
We married pretty young, against the advice of several people, but when you are young and in love, you just go for it. We got married on July 26, 1980 at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in San Pedro. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a casual reception in my in-laws’ backyard.
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It was a great day and we look back at that time and ask ourselves; “who were those crazy kids?”. We are definitely not the same people we were back then and thankfully, we have grown together and not apart.
Our honeymoon story is hilarious and one I will share one day on another post. Let’s just say, that those few days were the beginning of the many adventures that were to come.
It has not always been easy, but no one said marriage is easy. It’s a choice we make every day to live out the vows we took 38 years ago. We like to tell people that we raised each other and in a way, it is true.
We have had our share of ups and downs, highs and lows, but that is what happens in relationships. But we never let the tough times beat us. Those are the times when you lean on each other the most.
It has been a great adventure so far and we have been extremely blessed with a wonderful family and I am ready to continue this adventure with him for the next 30 years.
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So, how will we celebrate this year…we both love the beach, so we are heading down to Oceanside and will probably end up at Rockin Baja for a casual seafood dinner, enjoy the cool beach weather and hopefully catch a great sunset.
After all, it is a work day tomorrow…Happy Anniversary to us!
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I would love to hear your love story and some of the ways you have celebrated your anniversary. Please share it in the comments, I love a great story plus I need ideas for next year’s anniversary.
If you have any questions feel free to email me directly at eventsbymaria@outlook.com.
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Until next time,Happy Planning…
Maria is bi-lingual and has been helping couples plan for their very special day for over 10 years. She is located in Temecula, CA and travels all over So. California and Mexico.