Thoughts on August

On August 15, 1954 Paul and I said our marriage vows in the old Methodist Church in Coronado, California. This was my parents' nineteenth wedding anniversary. After this I would never forget their anniversary and they would not forget mine. Paul and I were teenage sweethearts looking forward to our years together. We had a sweet wedding with many friends and family present on a lovely Sunday afternoon.

A year later on August 28th our first baby daughter was born at the Coronado Hospital. Kathleen Jean Marvin weighed eight pounds plus one and a half ounces. She shared my middle name Jean. My dad was known as Gene so my name was partly from him. Kathy was born on a Sunday which is my favorite day of the week.

Paul was in the Army at Fort Ord and not able to get away to see his new baby girl for another week. He had a weekend leave and barely had time to visit us for a day or two before he had to head back to his training at the base. Kathy was a week old when he saw her. Then again when she was six weeks old he was able to get to Coronado again to see us. Back to Fort Ord and more training. After this Paul spent eight weeks in Colorado in a tent in the snow getting ready to go to Korea where he spent sixteen months. Thankfully this was after the war. But it was not easy for us to be apart for almost all of his time in the Army. As it was, Paul only saw his new little daughter those two times during her first year and a half. Not a good way to start a new family.

Since these are my thoughts on August I will get back to my theme. Kathy spent her first birthday with her Grandma and Granddad Marvin and me on the trip we took that summer. We had gone to Washington state to see my grandma and other Davenports there. We were on the way home from Washington on little Kathy's first birthday. Yes, Paul's parents took me on this trip to see my grandmother. They were going to Canada so decided to take Kathy and me to Washington. They were always good to me and were great with their grandchildren.

On Kathy's second birthday I was in the hospital after having surgery. Kathy spent her birthday and many other days with her Grandma and Granddad Marvin. I'm sure my parents and sister Betty would have spent some of that time with Kathy. She was the darling of the family. My parents loved being grandparents as much as Paul's parents did. My sisters loved their role as aunts.

By this time my sister Donna was married and living in Los Angeles with her new husband. They were expecting their first baby by this time. Their baby was expected in September. I was expecting our second baby and she would be born in March of 1958.

We now celebrate another August birthday as our granddaughter Melissa Joy Golden was born August 16, 1988. She joined big sister Rebecca Jean Golden who was born four years earlier in September of 1984. Missy was born on Whidbey Island in Washington state and Becky was born in the Navy Hospital in San Diego. Their Daddy John Golden was in the Navy at the time.

It has been a blessing to be a grandmother and I have enjoyed spending time with Kathy and John's girls over the years. The girls are grown up now and Becky is a Mommy to Jacob who was born in December of 2010. They all live in Colorado.

My sister Donna became a grandmother six years before I did. Her first grandson, David, was born August 6th, probably in 1978. My sister Betty's first grandchild was also born on August 6th. Brittany is twenty one this year so she would have been born in 1990.

We have had other August weddings and birthdays over the years. Becky and Jay were married August 8th last year so they recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. They had a sweet backyard wedding with their close friends and family. I'm sorry to have missed their special day. But Laura and I were at the restaurant with the family when they announced their engagement. Becky and Jay also came to San Diego for their honeymoon so we got to see the newlyweds.

So in August we have many birthdays to celebrate as well as wedding anniversaries to remember. There may not be any holidays in August, but we can celebrate life and love. The next month we also have many loved ones to remember. We are certainly blessed.

top photo- Caroline and Paul
next photo- Paul
last picture- Becky and baby Jacob