Little boys only tease little girls they like.

In Darryl Lambertson’s case, that was certainly true.

When he met little Carla Buechler in kindergarten at Daniel Axford Elementary, he playfully poked fun at her.

But over the years, their relationship evolved.

Sure, it had its ups and downs, but eventually, friendship blossomed into love and on Nov. 12, 1966, they were married at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Oxford.

This week, the Lambertsons, both of whom are 1963 Oxford High graduates, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

“We were just meant to be together,” Carla said. “He’s about the only guy I really dated. It was natural to have him in my life.”

“We’ve been together so long, we always know what the other one is thinking or is going to do,” Darryl said.

With the exception of the two years they lived in North Carolina while Darryl served in the U.S. Air Force, the Lambertsons have always hung their hats in Oxford.

In fact, they’ve lived in the same house on Moyers St. for 46 years.

“Our roots are here,” Darryl said.

“I have no desire to live any place else,” Carla said. “This is home.”

The Lambertsons made a good life together with Darryl spending 38 years as an electrician for General Motors and Carla maintaining the homefront and working various part-time jobs.

They raised two kids, Fran and Jay. Their kids got married to James and Becky, respectively, and now, the Lambertsons have four grandchildren – Adam, Hannah, Avery and Addison.

So, what’s the secret to staying together for five decades?

“Keep your mouth shut,” said Darryl, who’s quite the comedian. “Don’t say anything.”

But seriously, folks . . .

Communication is key.

“Talk things out” and don’t let small stuff bother you, Carla said.

Forgive each other and don’t hold grudges.

“We all make mistakes,” Darryl said.

Appreciate each other’s gifts.

Darryl loves how “talented” Carla is with her musical and artistic abilities.

Carla loves how mechanically-inclined Darryl is. “He can fix anything,” she said.

“And if I can’t fix it, I’ll destroy it,” Darryl quipped.

And most importantly, do things together. Share adventures. Share experiences.

The Lambertsons do everything together, from volunteering at the Northeast Oakland Historical Museum in downtown Oxford to crisscrossing the globe.

Over the years, the couple has visited about 50 different countries, plus the continent of Antarctica. This year alone, they traveled to Cuba, Iceland and Greenland.

Their very first trip together was their honeymoon. They visited the exotic land of Canada in a 1967 Pontiac Catalina on loan from Darryl’s parents. A surprise snow storm required them to purchase snow tires for the trip home.

Interestingly enough, that car is still in the family. Jay owns it now and Carla said the vintage vehicle “is still going strong.”

The couple recently celebrated their anniversary with a nice family dinner at the White Horse Inn in downtown Metamora. They found that to be fitting given they spent a few hours there following their wedding rehearsal.

Celebration of the Lambertsons’ golden anniversary will continue in the spring when the whole clan takes a trip to Disney World in Florida.

“That’s the climax of it all,” Carla said.