Forty years - amazing!

Ron and I celebrated our thirtieth anniversary yesterday equally amazing. During these years we helped raise his two daughters, Julie and Charlene, and had two children, Amanda and James. Ron started his own business, an R&D management company for agricultural chemicals. I was a stay at home mom, except for the eight years I was a substitute teacher while Amanda and James were in middle and high school (a great way to get to know their friends).

James has a great job at Valdosta State University. He is a reference librarian and instructor of bibliographic instruction. Last year he moved into my mom's house (she passed away in 2000), which is only about five minutes from here.

Amanda got her DVM at Auburn when she was 23. She had gotten married the year before, and last year her husband, Jeremy, got his PhD in plasma physics and got a job at the University of California at San Diego, working on a new propulsion fuel for one of the Saturn flights. Sunday they moved into their new house which is only a few miles from her veterinarian clinic. Charlene and her husband, Ralph, live in Lexington, KY with their 2-year-old, Victoria (Tori). Char was a fourth grade teacher til Tori came along; now she is a stay at home mom. Her husband is getting his PhD in child psychology.

Julie and her husband, Roger, both work with Ron, and had triplets 2 years ago – yes, four grandbabies within a month! Conner and Drew are identical, but it is Savannah that rules the roost (or playroom). They have a wonderful nanny so Julie can work and keep her sanity.

I still love to read, watch TV, play on the computer, and cook. Not a very exciting life but I like it. Living in south Georgia seems to agree with me (I learned how much I hate the cold when I came to Middleport last December when my grandmother turned 100!).

My best to all of you - feel free to e mail if you would like to. (momlandis28 at netzero.com)