Today is another landmark in the lives of my retired groom and his bride.  48 years ago today he and I were on the road to the beginning of a family that would immediately take us on the adventure of our lives.  We thought that marriage was the beginning but that just joined two very in love self absorbed  people that were now opening their hearts, their home, and their lives to the most loving and beautiful baby we ever saw.  As we drove to the little civil war hospital that looked like Robert E. Lee could still be a patient from the outside, we were both excited and too happy to be fearfull. That day I was lucky to get to the one and only delivery room that the hospital had, before the 6 other women who delivered at almost the same time.  The room was small with only room for me, two nurses and a little space left for the Dr. to squeeze in when he arrived. Fathers -to-be didn’t seem to have a place in this holy room of birth even though they were part of God’s plan of new life through His miracle of conception.  But my retired groom didn’t wander far.  The nurses told me they watched him pace and at times stand with his ear to the door that separated us, with his Brownie Camera in hand hoping to document what he could of this wondrous day.  The nurse said he heard me cry out (no epidural back then)  and then asked them what the noise was and they told him my water broke and new life was on its way.  They said he went down to his knees, they thought in prayer, until he heard a baby’s cry.  The wait wasn’t too long.  Thinking the process from walking in the front door to your arrival was no more than 2 hours.  I can’t even imagine how he reacted to seeing his child.  When they brought our little girl into us the tears flowed and he could barely see through the lenses of his camera to get a picture. There we no hospital pictures back then either. We were over the moon and today 48 years later as I think about that day and all the days of our lives with you, I know that God’s love and graces where given to us in abundance in you.  This was the beginning of our totem pole. My retired groom holding his retired bride and now his little girl up in thankful praise to God.  As we have aged our totem pole has risen even higher with my retired groom insuring our safety and care with his strong and loving foundation

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET SUSAN!🎈🎁

FYI. The Dr. Charged $150 for all the prenatal care and delivery and 4 days in the hospital $150.  I think dad paid all in full as we were discharged from the hospital. $300 total.  Unbelievable today but I think I have the bill somewhere.