Differences and similarities

This past week, we celebrated our 48th anniversary.  I was thinking about our differences.

I grew up in southern Japan in a harbour town.

By the beach.

Allen grew up in middle USA, in Kansas on a farm.

On the plains.

He is a farmer at heart.

Professionally he is a pharmacist.

We joke that he went to school thinking it was spelled "Farmacy".

I was a stay-at-home mom and homemaker.  I loved that role!  Every year on our anniversary, I would put on my wedding dress and we'd take a snapshot.

I rode a train to school.

He rode a school bus.

Here is Allen with his sister and brother, waiting for the bus.

I went to a one-room school.

His class had more kids than my entire school!

My mother and I made several photo albums of our family.

Allen had only enough pictures to fill 2 small albums.

As I was going through his albums recently, I came across only one photo of their entire family together.

And then I did find this one when we got married too.

Our family took professional family pictures every year.  Missionary duty, you know.  We have one full album dedicated to our "sit-down pretty" family photos.

Other differences:

I like oatmeal, he likes cream of wheat.

I like Verona, he likes French roast.

I like rice, he likes potatoes.

I made him his favorites on our anniversary 💓

He's good at investments and budgets. 

I don't understand finances or money, but I like to spend it!

I like to take pictures and go bird watching.

He likes to study. 

He does help me with the birds though.  Yay!

We do have similarities. 

He has been a leader in the church and a great teacher.

I love teaching also -  the young moms and little children at church.

We both enjoy helping out at the Manor each month taking people to chapel for hymn sing.

We both enjoy being host/hostess to our friends and family.

Raising our family was such a joy!

We complemented eachother as parents I believe.

And one of our favorite roles is being grandparents!!

We both LOVE that!!

 We both love adventure!

Our marriage has been a BIG adventure!

Happy 48th sweetheart!!

I will always love you, Allen, even though we have our differences,

 because the best thing we have alike is that we love the Lord Jesus!  

On our wedding cake we had the verse from Psalm 34:3.  "Let us praise the Lord together and exalt His Name."  We have done this, as best as we can.  He has been the "glue" that has kept us together.  The closer we have drawn to God, the closer and stronger our marriage has been.