Our Wedding Day

On Sunday, April 5, 2009, we were happily remarried!  Surrounded by John's wonderful family, and by mine in spirit, our ceremony was held at United Methodist Church of Camarillo.

It was an incredibly beautiful warm day, and the Friendship Garden was a lovely setting.  It was even more special as we were the first couple to be married in the Garden of the church where we were first married 31 years earlier.

We were so happy to have John's sister Pam, and John's son Cameron stand up for us as they have been unconditionally supportive of our coming back together.  Dr Jim Decker-Mahin performed a perfect, in his words, renewal ceremony.  He captured our feelings about each other so well.  It was romantic, spiritual, sweet, funny, and perfect.

I was glad to have my sweetest friend Ellen Winters in attendance, she is so special to both John and me.  An added note to the day?  High school pals Ellen and Pam were able to see each other after 26 years.

Also in attendance was Martha and Roger, Tad, Mary Ellen, Abigail and Erik.  Good friends and neighbors Pam and Trevor took all the great pictures.

We felt the presence of family that were not with us physically that day.  I especially felt Maureen standing next to me....she was instrumental in reconnecting John and me, for which I am eternally grateful.   Our entire family has been so incredibly supportive of us...thank you.

Following the ceremony, Pam hosted a wonderful reception at her home where we cut  a yummy chocolate and fresh strawberry filled cake while enjoying the closeness and precious nature of the day.

We ended the afternoon at sunset, heading up the 101 to Santa Barbara for our Honeymoon.....

Tad's Birthday Celebration in the Desert

Pam and Tad were in the Desert over Valentine's Day weekend with the Tahitan 10 and we celebrated his 60th birthday. They invited us to join them for dinner at their timeshare in Palm Springs. We had a great evening with lots of laughter and shared a delicious grilled filet and lobster tail dinner. The 10 are a fun people and they made us feel a part of their special group!

Tad loved his birthday "cake" consisting of Hostess Cupcakes, Moon Pies and Peeps! It was also Jennifer's birthday and Tad created a hilarious candy gram for her. We played Jenga and had a ball.

Thanks Pam, Tad and the 10 for including us. It was a terrific time!

We went to Dana Point on Sunday to visit with Matthew Houser. He was a bachelor for the weekend as his wife Suzanne was skiing in Mammoth. We arrived in the afternoon and Matthew had a yummy spread of appetizers waiting for us. We sat by the pool and enjoyed catching up. The weather was unbelievably warm, it was actually warmer there on the coast than it was at home in the desert. We grilled steaks for dinner and continued our conversation in the spa under the stars.

The next morning Matthew took us on a tour and we ended up in Crystal Cove. As Matt said, it's like going back into time. It is a cluster of beach cottages that have been there since the 30's and the State of California recently purchased and is restoring them. Several are completed and are available for vacation rental. As John would say, "it's a cool deal"! After a long walk on the beach, we ate breakfast at the restaurant there. We dined on the patio where they provide colorful felt lap blankets for their patrons to keep warm. Charming.....

John and I can't believe how lucky we are to have Matthew back in our lives. We have been friends since age 12, and then John and Matthew met in high school. It is really special that a couple can share a best friend.

OASIS

We checked out the 1000 Palms Oasis that is located about 6 miles from our home. It is a lush site with hundreds of ancient palms, running water and lots of critters. It was created by the 350 million acre underground aquafier where the San Andreas Fault exposes and catches the water. There is a chain of these oasis all along the Fault. On our hike we did see a mountain lion and we quickly headed in the opposite direction!

Christmas in Camarillo

For the first time in so long, we shared Christmas together. Words can't describe how unbelievably wonderful it was to be able to celebrate as a couple, but to also spend precious time with Martha, Roger, Pam, Tad, Erik, Kevin and Arin at home in Camarillo. We still can't believe how perfect it all was.

We drove up after we both worked Christmas Eve morning. We arrived with the rain and into the Cox's warm, cozy home which was beautifully decorated for the Holiday. We then headed to the family church where Pam led her Youth group in the children's Christmas program. The church looked so pretty by candlelight and the kids performed wonderfully. Great job Pam! We then went home and enjoyed a yummy baked potato bar and chili for dinner.

Everyone gathered at home late Christmas morning and we were served a delicious pot roast and chicken & dumplings for dinner. It was a lively, joyous meal with lots of conversation and laughter. Afterwards it was into the living room to exchange gifts. We were overwhelmed by the great and thoughtful gifts we received! We then went back to the dining room and devoured the incredible deserts made by Martha.

We headed home that afternoon....it was a short visit, but it was seriously the most wonderful Christmas ever.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas. We're off to Camarillo on Christmas Eve to celebrate with John's family. We're so excited to be able to share this holiday together again. Love, John & Laura

Early Christmas

We went to St George to celebrate an early Christmas with Cam, Mary Ellen and Abby. We had a relaxing, fun time. We loved being with them in their lovely new townhome. We spent the first morning curled up on the sofas watching HGTV, drinking coffee, talking and being entertained by Abby. She is quite the face maker! The Christmas tree was decorated on our second evening after a chili dinner. We gave Abby her first set of wheels and we all got a kick out of her reaction to the trike. On Sunday we went out for breakfast and afterwards went to a lake and checked out the ducks and swans. Later that day we headed to Bed Bath and Beyond and Cam and Mary Ellen picked out their Christmas gift from us....they selected curtains and a rod for their beautiful french sliding doors in their kitchen. Abby helped Daddy with the installation. Thank you for a great early Christmas Cam, M.E, & Abigail!