It's funny, when you think about highlights over 30 years, how difficult it is to remember any of them! So I'll just start writing and see what comes to mind. I'll bring Jan in as well.
The two biggest highlights:
June 18, 1980--Minneapolis. We had already been to the hospital in the early morning hours walking up and down the hallways after Jan thought her water had broken. But it was a false alarm. But later that day Jan was pretty sure the baby was coming. But this time we waited until the contractions were a bit closer together. That gave me a chance to see the whole General Hospital Episode. Because you know how those soaps are--miss an episode and you're completely lost because the story lines move so quickly. :) This, by the way, was during the Luke and Laura days.
That evening after about 6 hours of labor, Alycia Janelle Wright was born weighing in at about 6 pounds 9 oz. She was a beautiful baby from the moment she came out of the womb. And she was two weeks late!
March 3, 1983--Phoenix. The doctor had said that if the baby didn't come by Friday (2 weeks late!) we might have to induce. But on Friday, Jan rolled over and whispered in my ear, "We're going to have a baby." A call to Jan's mom to pick up Alycia, a call to church to cancel appointments, and we were off to the hospital--in a flood-weary Phoenix. We had been blasted with heavy rains, the water sometimes up to the car doors. But we made it safely and Michael Timothy Wright was born, weighing in at about 8 lbs 13 oz. No wonder Jan said this baby was a lot more work getting out than Alycia.
Others: In no particular order--
Our internship at Community Church of Joy and then our call to serve there turned out to be pivotal in our lives. (See Musings on 25 years of Ordination).
Starting Community of Grace in 2005 (see Musings on 25 years of Ordination).
Sitting in the front row, middle two seats at a Barry Manilow Concert in Vegas and having Barry reach down to me as the show ended to shake my hand. (I'm guessing he was probably a bit shocked to see a manly man sitting in the front row of one of his concerts and enjoying it!) He shook Jan's hand, too. It was Jan's birthday.
Buying our first dog, Santi, the Beagle. Buying her brother a year later, Saba the Dachshund. Better than kids!
We had a chance to do a lot of traveling, in part because of church (see Musings on 25 years of Ordination), but a few highlights from our personal travel: 3 days in a Long Boat (canal boat) down a canal in Scotland followed by a two day bike ride in the Cotswolds. 5 days in Aspen in December with Mike and Amber, then another 3 when we got snowed in. Lots of great trips to Disneyland and Disney World. Israel. Australia--what a fantastic country. Norway is breath-takingly beautiful. England (too many times to count). A December trip to NYC when it snowed and we enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park with big, white snowflakes falling around us. The "Martin Luther" tour--seeing all the Luther sites in Germany. One of our favorite places is Salzburg. Communion at the Vatican with the Pope in the house! Alaskan Cruise. Hawaii!!!!! Lots of great memories for me running in those places. Some of my favorites--Hyde Park in London. The Salzburg River in Salzburg.
Jan and Mike jumping out of an airplane (I took the pictures from the safety below).
Meeting lots of cool people like Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul, and Mary) who liked to call Jan, Sparky. My close personal friend, BJ Thomas.
Renovating the house and having to live in the basement.
Getting a tatoo.
Lots of eating out--favorite foods including Italian and Italian and often Italian. And of course, the best of all, Peter Piper Pizza.
Watching our kids grow up.
Marrying my son, Mike, to his beautiful wife, Amber. Walking my daughter, Alycia, down the aisle and officiating at her wedding to her fantastic husband, Corey.
Christmas Eves at church (there usually through midnight.) One night, having gone to bed, I asked Jan if she felt anything under her pillow. She reached under, found a little box. She turned on the light, opened the box, and found a brand new diamond for her wedding ring (I had purchased it with royalties from my first book.) A very, very nice surprise.
The newest highlight: May 26, 2009, the birth of Clover Alia Wright, weighing in at 5 lbs 11 oz. The most beautiful granddaughter you've ever seen born to Mike and Amber. I said to Jan, it's amazing, in seeing Clover for the first time, how absolutely in love I am with her! Baptizing her (3 times! Once in a private family ceremony and at both services at Grace so that everyone could be a part of it).
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