Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated 13 years of marriage and 16 years of life together.
We began dating in college and got married on our anniversary in my hometown area the summer after we graduated. It was nearly 120 degrees. My legs were sweating in my wedding dress, and our wedding pictures include us laughing while using Steven’s handkerchief to wipe sweat off our faces. But, we got married on our anniversary, and that’s what we wanted!
I look back on our young faces on our wedding day. There’s no way the younger versions of us could anticipate all our different seasons.
Our marriage has endured seasons of loss, unemployment, bankruptcy, infertility, miscarriage, anxiety, and depression.
Seasons when we have been completely on the same page, and seasons where we are not even living in the same book.
Seasons of joy, celebration, peace, and growth.
Steven is my person in every season. He reminds me to laugh and forgive quickly and often. I love him with all my heart and pray that God continues to strengthen our marriage every day.
I pray for more years of love. More years of hugs in the kitchen that result in our boys dropping what they are doing to join in. “Group hug!,” one of them will usually yell. More years of laughter and finding peace together in every season that comes our way.
Being a Monday this year, we both worked all day on our anniversary. While we did not do anything major to celebrate, the way we spent the day was actually perfect.
I woke up earlier than normal and prayed with tears my gratitude to God for my husband and for seeing us through to this point in our lives. I see His goodness all around us. I felt it all day as we spent our anniversary doing the very normal things we once prayed so hard for – work, dinner together as a family, homework, and bedtime snuggles with our boys.
We ended the day exhausted – a Monday and third day back to school will do that to you! But, our greatest blessing of the day happened just before we fell asleep.
Steven heard our younger two talking in their room – a common thing we are trying to break at bedtime so they can get good rest for school. When he called out, “no more talking, boys,” they responded with, “we’re praying, Dada.”
We are so blessed and so grateful. ❤️ Thank you Jesus for my husband and family.
