I loved her first

[fcvan]

I am a serial monogamist, my wife is not my first. My youngest daughter is not my biological child, but every bit my daughter. I became 'Dad' when she was almost 3. My older daughters were 13 and almost 11, but sisters almost from the start. Raising blended families is never hard if you have faith.

My Angel, my Wife and I, chose to marry early in our relationship as we both did not believe in 'living together.' Our children planned our wedding, after 2 months, and we have enjoyed our marriage for 23 years. Our relationship has always been 'faith based', and after 24 years, we have successfully married 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, and such pride in our children.

There have been highs and lows, mostly highs, and a wonderful life. I am grateful for the success for our children, and the relationship with my wife. We learned the hard way to deal with adversity. My wife will likely not read of my respect and devotion, I only hope that others are inspired to love that angel who makes their life complete.

I love you Windy, you don't hear that enough

"I loved her first" was the song my youngest daughter chose for her dance with her daddy. Yes, I cried

[Pressman]

Well stated, Thank you for sharing with us.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Thank you, fcvan. A great story. We need more like yourself and your wife. God Bless.

DG

[Texas by God]

That is wonderful.
It only took 6 months of knowing each other before my wife and I wed. 33 years ago New Years Eve. Faith is key, as you stated.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[fcvan]

Texas By God says it all. Born and raised in CA (Ptui, hack, cough) but retired LEO. I moved the family to CO before I retired. CO Springs is quite conservative, first sign says 'El Paso County,' next says 'Ronald Reagan Highway.' In 12 years I have doubted the conservatism of CO. My Wife and I are considering Tejas, nowhere near Austin or Huston, or even Dallas.

My kin came from OK and TX, (dust bowl) and am relatives of the original Ewings from Denton. They weren't as ornery or hateful as the TV show, but cattle and oil were their thing. South Fork was a real place, maybe someplace to where I might need to finally settle. Few places left to be free, Tejas By God!

[bedbugbilly]

"My wife will likely not read of my respect and devotion, I only hope that others are inspired to love that angel who makes their life complete."

That's why it so important to let them know each and every day and to live each day to the fullest.

Congratulations to you and your loving wife - it sounds like you worked as a team, filled your house with love and raised three fine daughters. Marriage is like a job - you have to work at it every day - give and take - put your partner above yourself - let your partner know how much they are loved. Every marriage has its ups and downs just as life does - but you work as a team to meet every challenge and above all, communicating with each other is one of the most important things.

Too many young people today get married and then lose sight of the commitment they have made - it's easier to walk away instead of taking a good look at what the issues are that is causing the problems - and along with commitment comes the responsibility of both partners to ask some difficult questions if the marriage is in trouble in order to realize that it takes two people to create a problem or issue.

My wife and I will celebrate our 49th anniversary this next August. I don't know where the years have gone but each and every one of them was a beautiful adventure in spite of life's issues that came up - sickness, responsibilities of taking care of sick and aged parents, deaths, job changes, etc. Lots of laughter, learning to not take ourselves so seriously and the sharing of tears in the bad times makes a couple grow stronger. There is not a night that goes boy that when my wife and I go to bed and the lights go out, that I don't tell my wife how much I love her and how much she means to me and I hear the same words back. i then roll over and say a prayer to give thanks to God for the blessings he has bestowed on me - my wonderful and loving wife, our friends and family and for the day He has given us. When you get older and you are on the downhill side of life, you realize just what the important things are. And, when it's my time to leave this world, if I should happen to go in my sleep, the thing I want my wife to remember is that the lasts words I spoke to her were to let her know how much she was loved.

fcyn - thanks for your post - you have all of your ducks in a row and both you and your wife are blessed with each other just as your lovely daughters are blessed with both of you.

[MrWolf]

Good for you and congrats. I have told my kids goodnight and that I loved them everyday of their lives. They are now 28 and 26. For my ex after 30 years it seemed we had different priorities.

[mexicanjoe]

Wonderful! My wife and I will be married 25 this year. Though Im 14 years older, its been a pretty good ride. God sent us 4 kids with disabilities( 3 autistic and 1 blind quad), but she never let that gget in the way of keeping it all together... We live in the middle of a cotton field, and my wife wants to move where we cant see neighbors. Guess ill go see what's available for the domestic goddess, again.

[fcvan]

After writing my post, I forwarded it to my Wife, and our youngest Daughter. I received a reply from my Wife, she cried, my youngest has not replied. Being a busy mom herself, her baby girl is 4, the boys are 6 months and pretty much keeping her busy. Daddy got the virus, then my Daughter, Wife had to take over the kids while taking her mom to cancer doc visits 4 to 5 trips a week. My Wife is truly an angel and I don't deserve such a blessing.

Daughter and SIL are recovered, Wife has rested since, MIL is responding to treatment, FIL lives with us, and thankfully is healthy. Dang, both my folks are healthy at 81, I can only thank the grace of our creator.

[mozeppa]

tell her you love her often...and mean it!
FIND WAYS to show her that she is special to you EVERY time you get a chance.

i do my wife because she'll miss me when i'm gone....and i'm dying.
so right now just might be the last time i get to tell her that i love her.

[MrWolf]

tell her you love her often...and mean it!
FIND WAYS to show her that she is special to you EVERY time you get a chance.

i do my wife because she'll miss me when i'm gone....and i'm dying.
so right now just might be the last time i get to tell her that i love her.

Hang in there buddy. Praying for you.
Ron

[koger]

Awesoem read. The wife and I will celebrate 40 years of wedded bliss, for the most part on July 3 of this year, if we both make it. We raised two fine kids, and lost our son at age 19 in a car wreck 2 miles from home. Our daughter has done us proud, earned her masters degree in 5 years, and has a great job, and a beautiful grand daughter. Losing our son, about killed us all, and today there arent many days I go without shedding tears, thinking of the man he would have been. The wife an I have had our share of health issues, 3 back surgeries for her, one back surgery for me, two rotator cuffs surgeries, a broken leg in 5 places between the knee and ankle and my foot dislocated. I came back from all that and worked another 24 years. 3 years ago I had a hip surgery, that ended back in the hosptial 3 weeks later with MRSA, and I came close to dying. The did the 2nd surgery when they decieded I was going to make it and did the 2nd surgery. 5 weeks later I was walking with a cane and cleared for PT to start. The next morning I woke up, could not see and sat up and fell out of the bed with a massive stroke, layed there 5 hours unable to move.I finally regained use of my arms and crawled to the phone and called the wife at work, she came home with an ambulance and got me to the hospital where I had 2 more strokes in the next 2 hours. It has been rough since then, slow comeback, my right leg is paralyzed and my right hand comes and goes. All the next spring and summer I had seizure like episodes, went to 3 docs and finally found one who figured out I was nearly septic with MRSA again and another infection worse than that. 2 more hip surgeries over the next 5 months and I have done well since then. My last 20 years in Corrections left me with a decent retirement and insurance. She has been there for me thru all of this, the point I am trying to make telling this story. We are both crazy about each other, have been since high school, I am the luckiest guy on the planet in spite of all this that happened. I keep a positive outlook, am still barely able to keep the farm up, with an occasional hired hand to help me. I cherish ever moment of every day with here. I do anything I can to make her happy and she requires little. We hunt together, and she gets her 2 deer at least every year. Did I tell you how lucky I am. No that is wrong, Blessed is the right word. I thank God every day for letting me wake up, and knowing the love of a great woman.

[John Wayne]

I just said a prayer for Mozeppa and Koger. A prayer sure doesn't seem like enough. I've had the good fortune to get to know Koger due to a purchase I made. To stay on topic, we are lucky to have the wives we have, 26 years here. Mine shoots Cowgirl action ;^) IDPA and occasionally sporting clays.