
Tag: anniversary
“I do” or shall I say… “I did”…

Twenty one years ago today I said “I do” to the sweetest man on Earth, my husband, Fred Stroud. I remember that day well! We were so excited to get married, we didn’t want to wait for an evening wedding… we were married at noon on a hot August day. We had a beautiful wedding in Summerville, SC – we left the reception on the way to the John Rutledge House Inn (Charleston, SC). It was such a treat to spend the first (luxurious) night in Charleston!
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From the moment I met Fred I KNEW he was the one. There was something about him. We clicked. Is it cliche to say that we’re soul mates? Well, we are, I can’t think of any other word to describe it. He is an amazing man, and I pray that I am as wonderful a wife as he is a husband. Something tells me I got the “lucky end of the stick”… ha ha…

Here’s to you Fred! You’re the best! I feel so blessed…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
F L A S H B A C K
O NE Y E A R A G O.. You see this man? He is the love of my life!
T W O Y E A R S A G O… The great escape on our wedding day… 19 years ago…
You See This Man? He Is The Love Of My Life!
You see this man? This man is the love of my life. When I first met him it was love at first sight. I thank God for him every single solitary day. I am so thankful to have met him, I still cannot believe it! Fate had me dog sitting for a friend at her house, when Fred pulled around the corner in his sporty BMW with a big smile on his face. I grabbed the puppy and had him leashed up in no time (didn’t know the dog had NEVER been on a leash, or had never gone for a walk…) and was taking him for a “walk”, that little puppy pulled me right into Fred’s driveway and sat at his feet. If that isn’t a sign… ha ha… That was Easter weekend 1991. I woke up on Easter and walked out to get the newspaper. I saw a large gift bag hanging on the front door. I thought to myself how lucky my friend was to get such a thoughtful gift on Easter. I set it on the dining room table. Walking back to the house after getting the paper I thought, hmmmm, WONDER IF IT COULD BE FOR ME?? Nah… Well?? Check the bag for a card… and there it was… To: BARBARA, whaaaaaat?????? A huge stuffed Easter bunny in the bag so beautifully presented. What a wonderful beginning… we have been together ever since the day we met. I cannot imagine my life without Fred. He’s wonderful in every single way.
Today we’ve been married for 20 (TWENTY!) years. It seems like just yesterday we were planning to meet at the chapel. That we were both nervous and hopeful that all of our planning would work out as we had hoped. Fred was at the church washing windows early that morning. He wanted everything to be perfect. And it was!
We had the best time at our wedding. That was too much fun! We had the best honeymoon ever tucked away in a cabin in the woods. It was magical.
I hope you have found someone who captures your heart and makes you smile. I am so fortunate to have a husband who is truly my best friend AND the absolute love of my life bar none. I consider myself the luckiest woman in the world! I would take this kind of love over any amount of money or any other possible “possession”. Things are things. Things can be replaced. You tire of “things”.
I will never tire of Fred.
He is hands down the sweetest man I have ever met.
August 22, 1991
So thank you for coming into my life Fred, here’s to the next twenty years… and twenty after that! I love you so much… Barbara
Catch you back here tomorrow!
See… it IS possible… it CAN be good!
Look at this happy couple… this is Fred’s parents, Bobbie and Carlisle Stroud. Today my friends… is their 55th wedding anniversary. So you see, it IS possible to be married for a lot of years and still be happy! IT IS possible that life can be good when married to the same person for a number of years. We wish them the happiest anniversary day ever!
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
~Marcel Proust
Catch you back here tomorrow!
The great escape on our wedding day… 19 years ago…

Ohmygosh, we had the time of our lives on our wedding day! This is us, big hair and all, NINETEEN YEARS AGO today! Whew does time ever fly. Right when you decide to forget about finding the one true love in life do you happen to walk a friends dog right up to their very feet. What a happy day that was. I knew almost immediately that Fred was THE ONE. It was his gentle demeanor, the way he listened when I talked, the way he was truly HAPPY to see me. Fred is everything in the world to me, he’s my ONE TRUE LOVE, and I will be forever grateful!
Happy 19 years Fred! I love you!! More happy days to come… xoxo barbara
Catch y’all back here tomorrow!! I believe we have some anniversary cake to eat, ha ha…
Many happy wishes!
Lots of wishes for the next two days… let me start with my sister… It’s Bridget’s birthday today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! You’re a great sister, we have a blast and I miss you TONS… Hope this is a wonderful birthday for you!! You certainly deserve it! You’re a great mom, wife, daughter AND sister. You certainly keep busy making everyone’s world a nicer and more happy place. God is smiling down upon you… let your pleasures be many and your worries be few, that is my birthday wish for you… (i’m a poet and don’t know it?)!
Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad! I guess it’s 53 years now?? Whoa! Congratulations to you both for doing something that is almost unheard of in this day and age! You are an inspiration! Fred and I are so fortunate that our parents are still married. You guys are the best!
And finally… tomorrow is Bill’s birthday… HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILL! Hope you have a wonderful, relaxing birthday maybe with something tossed on the grill, some cake (real cake, please ask Bridget to make you a REAL cake) and a float down the river! ENJOY YOURSELF!!!