Renewing Wedding Vows - from 1983

Return of the Jedi was playing on the big screen. The Rebels were rescuing Han Solo from the palace of Jabba the Hutt (or in my mind - the Slug Man) and attempting to destroy the Second Death Star, while Luke Skywalker tried to turn his father away from the Dark Side and bring him back to the Light Side of the Force.

The Police and Men at Work were playing on the radio and Clint Eastwood was telling people to "Go Ahead, Make My Day" while I was wearing my fashion forward Swatch Watch and the computer mouse was invented.

Lars was busy watching Wargames, Octopussy and Risky Business but I was more interested in Christine and The Dead Zone.

He was a republican and I was a democrat...but somehow we found enough in common to get married back in 1983.

Of course, back then, we never thought about where we'd be in 30 years. When you're 21 you don't think about hitting 50! That would be too old to even dream about...because in truth it would seem more like a nightmare. Or just plain gross! With all those wrinkles, gray hair and sagging flesh...we'd be picturing ancient artifacts and mummies. And no one wanted to hang out with mummies back then, except maybe Harrison Ford who (while we were getting married), was busy making Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984.

The year was 1983, the Christmas Nintendo Entertainment System hit the shelves and Cabbage Patch Dolls were the gift of the year.

It was a time of big hair and Flash dance. Everyone was partying because when you're young, there are lots of things to celebrate: graduations, engagements, bridal showers, marriages, house warmings, new jobs, baby showers, births . . . the list goes on and on.

Then you get busy with life, work and children and it's easy to lose track of friends and fall out of touch. We put off celebrations for another day...but the days slipped into years then decades and before you knew it, time was gone.

So, we decided to turn back the clock and celebrate the passing of time with a Renewal of Our Wedding Vows along with our family and friends and some fantastic food.

I made cupcakes...of course.

And, together, we stood up at one of our favorite parks (next to the dog park) to say a few words...

And - like always - I was looking up to my husband. But, of course, I couldn't keep my mouth shut or stop laughing.

And it just wouldn't be the same without the friends and family who were in our original wedding. So I insisted that they get out of their chairs and come stand up beside us--once again.

But the true story teller was Elliot...not us.

He told the story of how we met and even gave away our 30-year secret: he told everyone how we eloped back before our "real" "church" wedding. Yes. It's true. We snuck away and got married on our own.

Our first wedding was in the courthouse. We never told anyone--not back then. And with no family or friends we hired a Judge to do the deed. But, we didn't know we needed witnesses. And we weren't going to be deterred, so, we grabbed a couple passersby out of the hallway to stand up as our witnesses. That was the first time we saw them and the last.

So Saturday, we did it again. We celebrated our love by renewing our vows at our third wedding ceremony. Then, we went up to the house for the real party...the feasting and food.

Fatina and Kara worked hard to put it all together.

Shish-kabobs!

And were they ever delicious! And the fruit kabobs were even prettier.

And old friends we hadn't seen in years stopped by to wish us well.

And Andrea, who designed and made my original wedding dress, brought a few of the tee-shirts she makes for tall men (like my husband and boys) to show us some of her new clothing line: Altus Menswear

It was a day filled with food, feasting, new and old friends, family and even a few fashions ;D

What a way to spend a day!