Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Coming Up On Fifteen Years



Back in the days when our hair was dark and our future looked bright. Now our hair is bright, and our future looks.... just kidding! Truth be told, we have both gone gray (I think it's been a few years since anyone has caught us together on camera), and we've both put on a few pounds, but life is going well. We certainly have our challenges as a family, but we have been very blessed.


At the Gordon Folger Hotel, Nantucket Island, October 3rd, 1992

There are all sorts of suggestions out there on what the gifts should be for each anniversary year. The last thing in the world that Anne needs is a crystal bowl, or anything like that. We actually packed up all of our wedding crystal a few months ago, when we gave our display hutch to the newlywed daughter of some friends of ours.

No, what my baby needs is a house with more space! As an anniversary gift to each other, we've taken out a new line of credit, in order to make needed repairs and improvements so that we can sell our house properly in order to buy a new one in which we can all fit without being on top of each other all the time. So, we are in "moving mode", in the midst of a housing slump. Keep us in your prayers.

Please pray for me in particular as a husband and a father, especially as a dad. I really do need your prayers and I'd appreciate them. Thank you.



TEISREADH TAIGHE

Dhe, beannaich an ce's na bheil ann
Dhe, beannaich mo cheile is mo chlann,
Dhe, beannaich an re a ta 'na m' cheann,
Is beannaich, a Dhe, laimhseachadh mo laimh;
An am domh eirigh's a mhaduinn mhoich,
Is laighe air leabaidh anamoich,
Beannaich m' eirigh's a mhaduinn mhoich,
Is mo laighe air leabaidh anamoich.

Dhe, teasruig an teach's an t-ardrach,
Dhe, coistrig a chlann mhathrach,
Dhe, cuartaich an spreidh's an t-alach;
Bi-sa fein na'n deigh's da'n taladh,
Duair dhireas ni ri frith's ri fruan,
Duair shineas mi a sios an suan,
Duair dhireas ni ri frith's ri fruan,
Duair shineas mi an sith gu suan.


HOUSE PROTECTING

God, bless the world and all that is therein
God, bless my spouse and my children,
God, bless the eye that is in my head,
And bless, O God, the handling of my hand;
What time I rise in the morning early,
What time I lie down late in bed,
Bless my rising in the morning early,
And my lying down late in bed.

God, protect the house, and the household,
God, consecrate the children of the motherhood,
God, encompass the flocks and the young;
Be Thou after them and tending them,
What time the flocks ascend hill and wold,
What time I lie down to sleep,
What time the flocks ascend hill and wold,
What time I lie down in peace to sleep.

13 comments:

Garpu said...

Congrats!! Maybe with the housing slump, you'll be able to get a great deal on a house? hopeful thinking...

crystal said...

Happy Anniversary! :-)

Very nice photos too and house protecting prayer.

Jeff said...

Thanks guys!

Aren't Gaelic prayers the coolest, or what?

Maybe with the housing slump, you'll be able to get a great deal on a house? hopeful thinking...

You know, that it what I'm banking on. According to the realtors, the houses in the town where we live supposedly hold their value better than in other towns, so we'll see. Of course, I always tell people that our neighborhood of modified cape houses is only in this swank town by virtue of a mistake of someone's pen years ago... To say otherwise would ruin my carefully crafted populist image, if a Nantucket wedding hasn't done that already. :-)

Anonymous said...

So sweet, both of you. Happy Anniversary!. Of course I pray for you.:-)

cowboyangel said...

Feliz aniversario! La Reina and I just passed 10 years, and that felt good. 15 is even more impressive.

Great photos.

I'll definitely keep you in my prayers. Husband, father, and NEW HOME!

Mark said...

I know you said not to bother you again. But I will be a RC in two or three weeks. This would not have been possible without your being my 'confessor'. I will never forget that. Jack

Jeff said...

Hi Paula,

Thanks for your well wishes and especially for your prayers. I have been keeping up with you, by the way, but for some reason I've been having troubles posting on Wordpress blogs lately. I'll have to check my popup settings. Did you know that Crystal tagged you for a 'Mathetes' honor? I would have too, but she's beaten me to it. :-)

William,

Thanks for the congrats. Yes, hoping to find a new home... We'll see if it all works out. Keep your fingers crossed. We have a lot of stuff to refurbish here first, including a structural problem with the roof. There can always be a slip 'tween the cup and the lip.

Jack,

That's great news. Good luck with that, and God Bless.

Anonymous said...

Felicitaciones, Jeff. From nigh on 33 years of wedded bliss, I submit that nothing beats having someone with whom one can comfortably grow old and share all the memories. You can count on the prayers!

Jeff said...

Thanks Mike,

33 years? That's quite an accomplishment. I'll bet it doesn't feel a day over a third of a century. :-)

Liam said...

Jeff --

Congratulations! A year and a month from now I'll have my one year anniversary...

Jeff said...

Hi Liam,

Hey! Just a month away now until the big day? That's exciting. New academic year, a wedding to plan... To say that you guys are very busy right now must be an understatement.

Anonymous said...

Jeff, Crystal made a great surprise. I jaw-dropped.:-). Now you come and say that you would have nominated me also...this is way too much. Thank you.

Jeff said...

Hi Paula,

Oh, no surprise whatsoever. Not at all, at all. :-)