Happy 39th Wedding Anniversary!
John and I didn’t have the most romantic beginning. When he suggested marriage he said, “I kind of really like you. But I don’t want a big wedding.” That was it!
We pulled a Lydia/Wickham by eloping to Lake Tahoe, Nevada where we actually did marry in a six minute ceremony (including pictures). The deed was done.
Six months later, I was three months pregnant with our Jennifer when he decided to set sail into the vast Pacific Ocean. John spent 21 years as the Captain or Chief Engineer of ocean-going vessels. Despite hating him being gone for months at a time, when he was home we played. The three of us enjoyed traveling the world, attending sporting events and concerts, and living life to the full. Often, we drug my nieces, nephews, and Mom along.
My John, he’s the best of men, both hard-working and handsome. Mostly, and you can verify this with our daughter, he’s kind.
Our 39th anniversary will be April 25th. However, before you think this might be our most important date of the year, you need to know that we found out 2 1/2 years later that we weren’t legally married. Someone forgot to sign the license as a witness. Thus, on November 25, 1983, we were remarried at the Coos County Courthouse Annex by a judge (very legal this time!) Do we celebrate both days? Oh, yeah!
Do I miss having a big splashy wedding? Not at all. Neither does John. And, fortunately, he still kind of likes me.
To celebrate, I’m releasing the last four Christie Capps stories in a boxed set. Also, I’m making my most romantic story ever, “A Forever Kind of Love”, which is actually very John and I in Darcy/Lizzy Regency context, free from April 25-28th. I sure hope you pick up a copy.
Was your husband romantic when he proposed? Did you have the wedding of your dreams? I sure do hope so.


18 Comments
Sheila L. Majczan
So very happy for you. Hooray for 35 years. And traveling together – that has to mean something special. I am not a lot of marriages would survive being uprooted all the time. May God grant you many more years together in happiness.
J "Joy" Dawn King
Sheila, before we married it would take John a week to plan a 100-mile trip. Now, he’s so spur-of-the-moment that it’s insane. We keep a tote in our car trunk that is for carrying wine (it has six separate cloth compartments) for snacks, water, laundry supplies, his grooming, my grooming, first aid kit and extra medications, All we need is a quickly-packed suitcase for clothes and shoes and my purse and we are out the door.
We were fortunate that we didn’t need to move around with John’s sea job. His home port was here in Oregon. It was particularly good since Jennifer was public schooled.
Thank you for your sentiments. We are working on many, many more years to come.
Sheila L. Majczan
I am sure not a lot…error – forgive me.
J "Joy" Dawn King
No worries.
Ginna
My husband woke up from his nap, and asked me if I could see myself being married to him. When I said that I could, he said that he couldn’t wait to tell his mother. I pointed out that he hadn’t actually asked me yet!
J "Joy" Dawn King
Ha Ha! That’s a story to compete with mine, Ginna. Thanks so much for sharing. Wishing you a long and happy marriage.
Ginna
Thanks, Joy. So far, so good!
J "Joy" Dawn King
❤️❤️❤️
Buturot
Happy Anniversary!!! The way I look at you double wedding.. your husband loves you so much, he had to marry you twice 😉 Blessings and many more happy days to both of you.
Thank you for your genorosity. (We should be the one gifting you for your anniversary.) But nevertheless, we will take celebratory gift. Thank you so much.
J "Joy" Dawn King
Buturot, I’m so pleased you will be able to download “A Forever Kind of Love”. It’s my absolute favorite of everything I’ve written. Thank you for your good wishes.
Debbie Fortin
Hooray for 35 years. Being able to travel together was wonderful. Hubby was barbecuing chicken at my grandparents house and I asked him when he was going to ask me to marry him. He responded with how about now. Thank you for your generosity.
J "Joy" Dawn King
Cute! Who knew Dan was so romantic? Congratulations on your years together too. A man who barbecues is a good man to have.
Anji
Congratulations on your forthcoming anniversary, Joy and John. It must have been quite tough at times with all of thise long separations.
Trevor and I rack up 42 years in August but we didn’t become parents for 15 years. No particular problem, it just didn’t happen until then, for no apparent reason. We’d been a couple for just over a year when he proposed on New Year’s Eve in 1975. Nothing specially romantic about it, we were sitting on the floor in front of the fire in his parent’s sitting room that afternoon, when he just said “How do you fancy getting married?” Then he added “To me, I mean!” He obviously hadn’t planned it, as there was no ring or anything! That came later.
J "Joy" Dawn King
Congratulations on your 42 years, Anji. That’s a true milestone in this day and age. I love the, “To me, I mean!” Adorable!!! Well done, Trevor. And well done you for accepting him.
J. W. Garrett
This October will be 48 for me. My husband actually went the extra mile and asked my father for my hand. Dad really liked that. Our families had known of each other forever. Back in the day… my dad’s mother was being courted by my husband’s relation. La! We could have been cousins. When he was killed, she later met and married my dad’s father. My father and my husband’s father played together when they were little. Life took the families in different directions. I never met my husband or his family even though we lived within five miles of each other. We met at a local hangout. That was it. I think one of us said… ‘where have you been all my life?’ Not original but effective.
Congratulations on your many years together and blessings on the launch of this new work. Your hard work is appreciated and I look forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve.
J "Joy" Dawn King
What a lovely story, Jeanne. Congrats on 48 years. John and I are hurrying to catch up with you.
Shelley Hoisington
Congratulations on 35 years! I am a married for 19 years myself, but have know each other since 1987. Glad to read that traveling is so easy going. I would love to do that.
Thank you for the free book offering and the box set of your stories. I look forward to more of your stories.
J "Joy" Dawn King
I appreciate your comment so much, Shelley. It’s actually 39 years for our anniversary. I remember our 19th. We seemed so young.