Happy Anniversary Jane & Larry Jr.

This is another of those "my how time flies by" moments for us.  I had the opportunity to take a new position in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in 1982 and accepted the job after talking it over with Gerry and Larry Jr.   Jr was 11 years old and thought it sounded interesting so he agreed to go with us.  That was good, since I was committed to the job by that time anyway.

He did really well until it was time to get on the plane from JFK to Paris and that is when it hit him.   NOOOOOOO  I don't want to go.  Fasten your seat belt, we are on the way.  He had a rough 1st year there at the school since they gave him a test the 2nd day after his arrival, and the teacher was surprised he failed.  The fact that he hadn't had that subject yet never entered her mind since there wasn't a lot of space there. 

One thing that made the transition easier was that he met this beautiful young girl there who he hit it off with from the beginning.  She and her family were there for her father's job with the Embassy and the young ones became fast friends.  Since he was 11 years old at the time, he didn't see any reason to talk to his parents about his friends, but he did talk about her.   Oh Oh, our boy is noticing girls.

We went to visit one of the many US Navy ships that put into port in Abidjan and managed to capture the picture shown below of the two of them.  No, can't touch a girl yet.  Icky.

Jane & Larry Jr on right - Abidjan 1983

Larry Jr. wasn't much for writing letters, but he did keep in contact with Jane after her father was transferred to another post.  He did mention her a number of times over the years and kept in touch with her via letters, emails, phone calls, mutual friends, etc.

He received a call from her in 2005 and by then she had been married and divorced and had a son, Grant.  One thing led to another and he invited her to Maryland to go on a Jeep Rally with him.  Jane, being the adventuresome person she is, said why not.  She didn't know what she was getting herself into.   She visited him and then he traveled to Oklahoma to visit her and finally moved out there to be with her.  They were married on Jan 23, 2006 in a civil ceremony and then later at the Dahlgren Wedding Chapel in Boonsboro, MD on June 23, 2006.

Jane & Larry Jr.

   Today is their 7th wedding anniversary and they are still in love as much as when they were younger.  This past weekend they were at the baby shower for grandson Ryan & his wife Dee.  Henry took this photo and as you can see they are still a happy couple.  Grant is in the photo and has readily accepted Jr. as his dad.

Jane, Grant & Larry Jr.

  

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 

& 

WE WISH YOU MANY MORE.