40th Anniversary

It seems like just yesterday we agreed to take this incredible journey called life together.  There, on the balcony of the Harris Fine Arts Center, we decided that we could join together and start what we think is a pretty good life's work (even if we say so ourselves)! We have 6 tremendous children that bless our lives every day, 10 wonderful grandchildren that make us laugh and smile, and of course we have each other.  We are finding that true love means forgiving one another even when we are with each other every minute of every day.  This is a good start for us in this season (retirement) of our lives because it is a structured environment to practice.  Joe composed the following poem for our 40th Anniversary:

Janice & Joe

Forty years ago today
You took a chance to say,
"I want you forever."
So since then, we've just stayed together.

The years melt away
When we think of that great day -

Bouquet at 40th Anniversary Dinner

Our little kingdom since then grew
Into more than twenty-two.

So let's face forward with our eyes
On heaven's gate on each sunrise.
Our goal now close, is heaven's view
Each day, each step, each smile anew!

We stayed at a beautiful resort on our Anniversary night on the south side of the Island.  Imagine our surprise to find out that our sons had called ahead and paid for our dinner there.  They had a bouquet of tropical flowers and sang the next morning to us as we ate our breakfast.  We will always remember how special everyone made it for us.

Our Very Own Pineapple!

We have started our next BYU Hawaii class - Classroom Management.  It feels good to be making a difference in the classrooms here at Pesega.  It is a lot of work but we love to teach.  Joe is starting up a counseling class this coming week also.  We hope to have our first student teacher start soon also.  We harvested our first pineapple that we grew.  We rescued the plants when they were redoing the landscaping.  One bloomed in October and yesterday, we were able to pick it.

Have a wonderful week!  Manuia vaiaso!