#Julianne Kravetz

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Crossing Paths - A Julianne Story

Crossing Paths – A Julianne Story

Julianne as a toddler

I was a three-year-old boy in Albuquerque New Mexico when she was born in Mesa, Arizona. By the time she was five, I was on my way to Dallas, Texas with my family. By the time she was ten, I was learning the ropes as a junior high student in the Denver area. As she grew to the age of 15 and had begun her high school years, I had already traveled to Bozeman, Great Falls and…

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4 to 40: We Are Family - Part 1 (The Girls)

4 to 40: We Are Family – Part 1 (The Girls)

Obviously, there are five other people that have been very involved in most of the forty years of Julianne and my marriage.  During the course of our first decade of wedded bliss, we also had the blessing of five wonderful children…  We did the girls first gig with Amaree, Marissa and Chelsea.  These three were born within 35 months of each other and were all married in a six week period in…

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5 to 40: Hanging Out Together

5 to 40: Hanging Out Together

Forty years is a long time.  At least it seems like it is to me.  Throughout these forty years we have had much fun just hanging out together doing fun and interesting things. That is the best part of the relationship…having fun.

So, for today’s post I am adding a bunch of our “together” pictures without the kids.  Some have stories and some don’t.  Since our early years had relatively few…

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6 to 40: The Good Sport

6 to 40: The Good Sport

Julianne is a good sport.  She really doesn’t like me to take her pictures.  But, I am a picture taker (and sometimes photographer).  I have never really claimed to be  people photographer.  My favorite thing to do is either take straight candid shots of people or have them do silly poses.  Admittedly, the only real photos of people tend to be selfies…since I am the “Shamelessly Self-Proclaimed…

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7 to 40: My Best Friend, My Soul Mate

7 to 40: My Best Friend, My Soul Mate

It is now one week away from my 40th Wedding Anniversary.  This is a big deal for me.  Sure, the 50th Anniversaries are always the really special ones.  But, to me, we have almost made it to 40.  We are on the final stretch…one week to go.

According to various reports, only about 10% of all marriages make it to 40 years.  It drops to 5.5% for a 50 year marriage. Apparently, the national average…

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10 to 40: The Always Improving Inspiration

10 to 40: The Always Improving Inspiration

The ten day countdown has begun for our 40th Anniversary on July 15, 2019. What an amazing journey this continues to be for the both of us. The togetherness we have shared for nearly four decades continues.  But, today’s “togetherness” is not the “togetherness” of twenty years ago. Life changes and so do we.

Before we even became empty-nesters, our “together” paths began to become somewhat…

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12 to 40: Then and Now - Part 3

12 to 40: Then and Now – Part 3

This is Part 3 of the Then and Now posts for my 60 to 40 posts.  As noted in the previous two posts, a lot has changed in 40 years.  That includes our two lives as a married couple. As with any marriage, we have had our own roller coaster ride.  Each marriage has its ups and downs.  But, we have come through because we really care about each other and have made give and take a key part of our…

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14 to 40: Then and Now - Part 2

14 to 40: Then and Now – Part 2

In my previous post, I noted a number of things as they were in 1979 when Julianne got married.  It is absolutely amazing how things have changed in these 40 years and how these have had a profound impact on our lives.  I know that many of you reading these posts have likely had similar experiences.  But, as I try to do this countdown, and as I look back and compare to today, it behooves me to…

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15 to 40: Then and Now - Part 1

15 to 40: Then and Now – Part 1

Forty years is a long time.  The world has changed considerably in the past forty years.  Having a 40th anniversary not only causes much reflection on the relationship and partnership with my sweetheart.  In fact, it has made me look back on many other things.  How were things back then compared to now?

David and Julianne 1979 in Monument Valley

In this post I am not going to focus so much on my…

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16 to 40: Our House is a very, very, very fine house - for 20 years!

16 to 40: Our House is a very, very, very fine house – for 20 years!

One of the big events in a marriage is the purchase of a first home. For Julianne and me, this event took place on June 30, 1999, exactly 20 years ago today.  It was, ironically, just a couple of weeks away from our 20th anniversary as well.

Why did it take 20 years?  Well, a lot happened in our first 20 years of marriage…college, more college, new jobs, four and a half years in Japan, job…

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18 to 40: The Sad Story of Lizard-Beth

18 to 40: The Sad Story of Lizard-Beth

We all have those stories in our lives…you know, the unique and quirky story that gets passed down to children and grandchildren.  Well, the story of an Arizona gecko named Lizard-Beth is one of those kinds of stories and Julianne is one of the two main characters in the sad, but true, story. (Note:  The gecko photos used in this post are not mine. Back in the early 1990s we did not have cell…

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19 to 40: The World as Seen Through Her Eyes

19 to 40: The World as Seen Through Her Eyes

I have already noted in previous posts that Julianne has many talents.  One of those that often goes noticed is her photography talent.  As a photographer myself, I truly appreciate the way she captures the world. And no, she doesn’t use a fancy Nikon or Canon.  She uses her iPhone to capture the world around her.  For this post, I want to make it simple.  Following are about 30 pictures that…

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20 to 40: Adventures of Merried Life

20 to 40: Adventures of Merried Life

(Author Note:  Life continues to be busy.  I was once again not be able to add days 26 thru 21, but hope to continue now from Day 20 to Day 1…the last remaining days before our 40th Anniversary on July 15).

Yes, I wrote that correctly — The Merried Life.  As our 40th Anniversary approaches, I want this post, representing 20 days before the said date, to show some of the Merry things of married…

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27 to 40: The Amazing Mother

27 to 40: The Amazing Mother

(Author Note:  Due to an extended road trip, busy work schedule and more, I have missed out on two weeks of posting.  Sadly, I will not be able to add those in, but hope to continue on from Day 27 to Day 1…the last remaining days before our 40th Anniversary on July 15).

Julianne always wanted to be a mother.  From our very first discussion about the possibility of marriage, she would always…

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45 to 40: The Traveler

45 to 40: The Traveler

When we first met in Provo in 1978 I don’t think either of us had an inkling of what lay in store for us and our future together. Like any youthful souls, we had idealistic hopes and dreams. Of course, our main goal after being engaged was getting married, starting a family and finishing college.

Little did we know in July 1979, as we were bound together in loving matrimony, that we would have a…

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46 to 40: La Cucaracha

46 to 40: La Cucaracha

Julianne grew up in Mesa, Arizona.  Turns out that her house was notorious for being a haven for “sewer roaches.” This particular breed of cockroach is actually an Oriental cockroach and is the most water-dependent of the roaches.  In Arizona they like to hang out in the more moist areas of the desert, breeding in the sewers.  Thus the name “sewer roach.”

I first experienced when visiting Mesa…