We love this feast ... not only is it a great solemnity honoring the fact that Mary said "YES!" to God and the Word was made Incarnate ... not only is it a beautiful gift to us honoring and reminding us of Mary's great faith and obedience ... not only is it a harbinger of Spring and the soon-to-come Easter season ...
it is also our wedding anniversary!
12 years ago today, Rick and I stood before a couple of wonderful priests, with a church filled with family, friends, students, and faculty, with my sister cantoring and my dear FIL as best man and my dear friend Kris as matron of honor ... and we spoke our vows to love, honor and obey. That day we placed roses before the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa and placed our family under Mary's protective mantle.
We, too, said "YES!" to God that day ... and we continue everyday of our married life to say "YES!"
I love you Rick more today than I did 12 years ago ... may we continue to grow old and grey together, handsome!
BTW, the image at the top is a shrinky-dink plaque I made a few years ago ... it's the size of a postcard and I made a series of Marian plaques which we take out each feast to adorn our family altar. The original picture was one from Waltzing Matilda -- but I added Mary knitting (how else did Jesus get a "seamless garment" that the Romans couldn't rip?)....
... 
