29 Years Of Marital Bliss

Today marks 29 years of marital bliss for Denise and I. This is a fitting weekend for the celebration. We will be spending it with Camille, Emma, and our wonderful friends, doing the kinds of things we love to do — it’s been a very busy weekend and will be, right up until our heads hit the pillow tonight.

I had to work yesterday and, as I was driving home down the Old Downieville Highway, with my sunroof open and Eric Whitacre playing, I was reflecting upon how blessed I am and the fact that all sorts of wonderful things have come my way in unexpected or unusual ways.

For example, I went to the same high school with Denise for three years and never met her. I do, however, remember checking her out, because she dressed a bit differently than the other girls. She was in the same general ballpark, if you will, but something about her was slightly more different or hip. She wore Dr. Scholl’s clog/sandals and was definitely the first person I knew who wore Birkenstocks, before they became the rage. One of our first outings was driving all the way to a store in Laguna Canyon to track down a pair. I learned later that she made her own clothes.

We were introduced by our mutual friend, Amy, while I was at the high school track, putting the shot. I was in track, simply so I could stay in 6th period gym and take a shower at the end of the day and not sometime in between whatever semi-academic classes I was sleeping through. Denise and Amy just happened to be walking home while I was loitering, so it was a “chance” meeting. We hit it off immediately.

Denise and I were wed in 1976, the year of our country’s bicentennial. We got off to a rocky start by getting hitched in the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons. The ceremony was “secret, not sacred,” containing numerous blood-oaths with the appropriate names, signs and tokens. We got new names and I was given Denise’s, so I could call her forth on the morning of the first resurrection… that is, if she proves to be a decent spouse and a good cook. None of our family members could be there and we have no wedding photos. I call it our Las Vegas Temple Wedding, because we invited all our Mormon friends, but a very popular old-timer in our ward had died and was buried that day, so only one couple came to our wedding. When it was time to tie the knot in the sealing room, they needed two more witnesses and had to run all over the temple to find another pair of initiates, while we waited at the altar. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Denise and I have led a somewhat quirky, yet interesting, life.

In spite of our first stumbling and bumblings, we did something right and immediately conceived a son. He was born on Labor Day and it was the hottest day of the year. Sam was followed a couple years later by Camille, who was born on the busiest day of the year at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. Dr. Michelin and the maternity nurses had been there all day and ordered out for pizza. I still remember Denise with Camille on her stomach, eating Frank’s Pizza. Emma was typically stubborn and would not conceive for years, in spite of valiant, consistent, enthusiastic effort on our part. Finally, in 1986, she popped out (literally) into the world, mohawk and all. That day was memorable, because we were sitting on the brow of the hill in the parking lot, waiting for Denise’s labor to get a bit harder. It was a beautiful day and the Lord gave us a sign in the heavens that this would be a special child… I saw my first SR71 banking hard as it approached Beale Air Force Base to land and it looked like a big, black UFO.

I won’t bore you with the details of the following 28 years — that’s what this blog is for.

15 Comments

  1. That was a sweet post.

    “Denise and I were wed in 1976, the year of our country’s bicentennial”
    …and the year of my birth. Heh heh. Old timers. Just kiddin’.
    I love you guys.

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  2. Sadie Lou said:

    That was a sweet post.

    “Denise and I were wed in 1976, the year of our country’s bicentennial”
    …and the year of my birth. Heh heh. Old timers. Just kiddin’.
    I love you guys.

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  3. Nattalie said:

    I’m glad that you both are happy together. It’s great to hear about how you both are together despite your interesting start.
    Happy Aniversary!

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  4. Diane said:

    at least you had a great reception at Mom’s, with great food catered by Limons! And a backyard filled with tables and chairs, seated with all those that love you both! Happy 29th and many, many more! 🙂

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  5. Foolish Man said:

    Bo-
    It’s awesome to see a such a lasting and continuing testimony of God’s gentle grace and calm faithfulness. Alison and I started on the wrong foot in many ways as well, but not in the freaky, Temple of Doom-like wedding way. We fell in love when I was still a Non-Christian, and even though God brought me to Himself before we were married we had a lot of “past” to deal with. But He has been patiently faithful to us, and has blessed us beyond imagination.

    By the way, the first time I saw an SR-71 blackbird was in one of the best 80’s movies of all time,
    D.A.R.Y.L. The first time I saw one in real life was last year, in McMinnville, Oregon at an aviation museum. Not that you asked, or anything. Just F.Y.I., you know.

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  6. Team Kerbel said:

    Bo-
    It’s awesome to see a such a lasting and continuing testimony of God’s gentle grace and calm faithfulness. Alison and I started on the wrong foot in many ways as well, but not in the freaky, Temple of Doom-like wedding way. We fell in love when I was still a Non-Christian, and even though God brought me to Himself before we were married we had a lot of “past” to deal with. But He has been patiently faithful to us, and has blessed us beyond imagination.

    By the way, the first time I saw an SR-71 blackbird was in one of the best 80’s movies of all time,
    D.A.R.Y.L. The first time I saw one in real life was last year, in McMinnville, Oregon at an aviation museum. Not that you asked, or anything. Just F.Y.I., you know.

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  7. D.A.R.Y.L was a cool movie! Wasn’t the kid/robot the same child actor from Neverending Story?

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  8. Sadie Lou said:

    D.A.R.Y.L was a cool movie! Wasn’t the kid/robot the same child actor from Neverending Story?

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  9. Bo Salisbury said:

    As uncle Rico would say, rite own Diane. It was a festive occasion and everyone was there, including long deceased grandparents and great-aunts and uncles. The Limons knew how to cater!

    Hey, SR-71 sightings are an important part of life. I’m glad you reported it, Simon. We saw one at an airshow at Beale and the announcer said “It’s making it’s turn over Seattle and should be here in about 15 minutes.” It came over the runway a couple hundred feet off the ground … completely silent, when it went by. Then, after passing us it hit the afterburners or whatever… there was a slight pop and a glow and the thing went vertical… amazing!

    July 10, 2005
    Reply
  10. Levi Nunnink said:

    Congrats, Bo. It’s hard to imagine you without Denise. I think that’s a good clue that a couple is God-joined.

    July 11, 2005
    Reply
  11. Michele said:

    I was wondering what had happened to that school photo of Denise. You used to whip it out of your wallet every 5 minutes when I first met you.
    Such a good story of a great love. To me that is one of the best accomplishments of my life: to look at my old man and know I’ve been faithful to him.

    July 11, 2005
    Reply
  12. Foolish Man said:

    Good catch Sadie! Yes, the kid from Daryl was Sebastian in the Never Ending Story. Your 80’s knowledge rocks!

    July 11, 2005
    Reply
  13. Team Kerbel said:

    Good catch Sadie! Yes, the kid from Daryl was Sebastian in the Never Ending Story. Your 80’s knowledge rocks!

    July 11, 2005
    Reply
  14. 29 years? Is that the record for California couples? 😉

    A big congrads from both of us. 😀

    July 11, 2005
    Reply
  15. nikki said:

    How exciting Bo. I would like to complain that Denice looks better the day before she had Sam than I looked around…oh say..three months along. Good thing you have a great wife that I love, or I may be annoyed. Hey, Eric and I are going to Reno this weekend for our Biggy. You and Denice are an awsome example of Goddly peeps. I love that you are so into your wife. She is da bomb. God Bless you both for your commitment to your lives together.

    July 14, 2005
    Reply

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