27 Years!!!

It’s hard to believe but tomorrow is our 27th Wedding anniversary! We’ll be heading up to the States in a few minutes for a Missions Conference and to visit some family coming in from the mid-west, so we are holding off our celebration for the end of the month. We’ll be packing up the Kayaks and heading 12 hours south of us to a little town called Mulege for about a week or so. From there we’ll pack up the Yaks and go for about a 40-50 mile paddle. We set this time aside as being very important and no matter what we do we do our best to make our celebrations fun and adventurous.

All together Debbie and I have been together for more than 30 years if you count our time when we were dating. How did we meet you ask…Well you see Debbie and I actually met during our Jr. Year at El Toro High School and I hung out with my youth group from Lake Hills and we had a big group. One day Debbie came over to say “Hi” being that she was the new girl in town, so she walked over with someone that was already comfortable with all of us. As we all stood there introducing ourselves and egg came out of no where and hit Debbie in the head—a raw egg too! We all scattered, some of us laughed and the last time I saw Debbie she was walking away headed for the School office. At that time I did not think too much about it as I was dating a Song Leader (like a cheerleader, but does more dancing) and my head was as big as a water melon,,,,hey come on she was a very cute girl too.

Eventually (after getting dumped) I found myself with no girl friend and a summer job driving a dump truck that took up lots of

Jr. Sr. Prom 1979

time, and I eventually followed after my mentors “The Three Stooges” and joined the “Women Haters Club” and focused my time on just having fun with my buddies. Our senior year got off to a great start and there was much excitement in the air being our last year of high school. Then it happened,,,One day as I was walking to class minding my own business my world came to stop,,,or slow motion I guess you could say. Debbie rounded the corner and for brief moment I think neither of us wanted to make eye contact, but I think we also wanted to make eye contact at the same time. Call it one of those “Shy” caught off guard things, or as I also call it “my Westside Story Moment” (the dance scene where Tony meets Maria). The next thing I know Debbie was there,,,Bom! Sitting down with our group eating lunch with us and each day she would slowly change spots until one day she was sitting right next to me. Not really knowing what to say or how to strike up a conversation with the Hottest, Foxy Chick in school I soon saw my way in,,,,,,,, She was playing the Helpless damsel in distress that did not know how to peel an orange, and I fell for it Hook Line and Sinker. The next thing ya know she was bringing an extra orange to school, and eventually a whole lunch.

The funny thing is, she planed all of this, even before the school year started! We had senior pictures going

on and Debbie was a few appointments in front of me so as she was leaving I was arriving. She snuck  around, tip toed back with her sister Diane, and little did I know that as I was getting my picture taken she was watching! Then she said to her sister “Diane, that’s the guy I want to out with”.

February 13, 2007 Our 25th wedding Anniversary

As Christmas in 1978 came around and the Girl ask Guy Christmas Formal apporched Debbie worked up the courage and asked me to the dance. All seemed good until one night the phone rang and it was Debbie. First I had to duck and weave and get around the HaHa’s and HeHe’s from my sister and I got to the phone to hear a tone of voice I’ve heard before (ya know, the old “I just want to be friends stuff), so I took a deep breath and waited for the Axe to fall. However, Debbie was calling me to inform me that she did not know how to dance and was apologizing for possibly disappointing me. All I could do was to let her know that it was no problem and that we’d go to the dance together and have a good time. And man,,,,,,what a dance it was. First of all,,,I got to drive the new Pontiac Grand Prix–my Dad was so cool—Thanks Dad! The dance was held at the Queen Mary–coolest place to have a dance. We double dated with my good Buddy Greg and his date. We didn’t do much dancing that night but rather just sat and talked and had a great time, and we endded the night with a nice chilly walk on Huntington Beach Peir,,,,,well yes there was a good night kiss as well. Then I guess you could say the rest was History, and in the famous words of Paul Harvey “Now you know the REEEeeest of the Story”… Page two!