June 1st 1968

As you can see we have not changed much! The bride weighed 98 pounds, the groom weighed 170, the expectations were high, the excitement was everywhere, the weather was perfect and we had no idea what a wonderful life lie ahead. A few (so as not to bore you) interesting details

• The next day we headed back to Minot to start summer school
• The first year of marriage Gail went to graduate school and I finished my BA degree. Both of us were on scholarships and we probably had more money to spend than any other time in our lives!!
• Gail finished her BA degree with no debt as she was able to work and almost spent nothing. I finished with $2200 in loans none of which I paid back because I taught in special education for several years. In Gail's second year she spent $1000 for tuition, books and everything else. Mean while at NDSU in Fargo I was the big spender at $1300.
  
• We took a honeymoon in August to Uncle Hugh's cabin in Minnesota. We took our school files along to get them in order. Does that paint a picture or not!
  
• In 1971 we bought a house for $$17,500 with a payment of $165 which of course included taxes and insurance. Many people thought we overextended ourselves. We had to argue to get a loan because we had no credit card and only 1 small car loan so we had no credit rating.
  
• In 1970 we bought a Chevy Impala with 10,000 miles on it. The sticker price was $4300 and we paid $3700 for it. It was my all time favorite car. It featured a 400 engine, 8 track tape, 4 door hardtop and I loved to go driving with the windows down and Gail sitting right by me on the front bench seat!!
  
• My first job a year later in 1969 was at the school for the deaf. I agreed to be the assist football coach and to coach grade basketball so my salary was $6000. We lived at the school for the deaf in a 3 room apt with NO kitchen. We were allowed to go down 2 flights of stairs, through a tunnel and into a kitchen in another building. Our full size bed was 2 old iron single beds put together with the mattresses across the beds.
• During that first year we lived in Minot for 3 months, moved to Devils Lake for 3 months, moved back to Minot for 3 months and then back to Devils Lake. During that time we were able to get everything we owned in the car!
• That summer after we graduated I needed to work so I was hired at Lake Ready Mix cement. I drove 1 of those 6 yard cement trucks and was paid $1.60 an hour.
  
• As we were expecting Gail said it sure would be nice to have a baby with red hair and I said it would be nice to have a boy so God gave us a red headed boy!
• I did not KNOW what health insurance was so we had to pay the whole bill of $495
• Those first years we were so in love and so silly it was all exciting. Now 41 years later we are so in love and we try to live on the edge and life is still all exciting.

O my I think I probably did bore you a bit but I did want to say life is good and God is great. Have a great week.