5 years

Today we celebrated 5 years of marriage!

I still remember the day I met Tony on our college campus on the first day of orientation - his freshman year, my sophomore year (yes I robbed the cradle!)

To this girl with Midwestern roots, his Southern accent was so thick I had to listen more carefully to understand some of the words he spoke. But I was intriqued by him - I could tell he was someone I wanted to get to know better - he was definitely not your "average guy" - in more ways than one, haha!

So the crush began...

I told one of my best friends just a couple months after meeting him - "I want to marry that guy." But at the same time, I thought - that will never happen. "He's just too perfect." Well of course I knew that wasn't true - we are all sinful human beings. But I sure couldn't see any faults! Certainly I could never be so blessed as to be the wife of this amazing, godly, energetic, funny, servant-minded, friendly young man.

[Looking back, I know I was comparing his character to a previous relationship that I had been in - and there was just no comparison. At that point I think I doubted that God could really have someone that great out there for me.]

We got to know each other little by little throughout that school year and then to my delight he asked me to be his date at our annual Spring Banquet.

Summer break came quickly thereafter... and though the two of us didn't keep in touch, he was never far from my mind.

That fall, we reconnected, and after much prayer and both of us trying to seek God's perfect will, our dating relationship began. September 29, 2003 ~ a day when I couldn't stop grinning my face off (and for many days after!).

3 years later [seemed like forever to this impatient girl who already had known for so long that he was the one I wanted to marry!] ~ our wedding day arrived. It was such a beautiful day with so many family members and friends and wonderful people who had supported us in our relationship and would continue to along the way. Unlike most grooms, Tony has even said a few times in the last 5 years how he would love to do it all over again [and no, not just for the delicious food!] both because of how special it was for us to finally promise our lives to one another and because we had all the most important people in our lives with us in the same place!

Our wedding favor was a ballpoint pen personalized with our names, the date, and our theme verses : 1 Peter 1:15-16. And attached with a red ribbon was a little note pad with our names and the small cursive words at the bottom "We appreciate your prayers for us."

Boy did I have NO idea at the time how much we would NEED those prayers -

When the journey of life would take us just under 2 1/2 years later through the valley of the shadow of death -- when our little Alethia Joy was born still. [If you have been one of those faithful prayer warriors, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Please don't stop now!]

The last 5 years the Lord has brought us through lots of changes - 2 moves across the country, job changes, seminary, ministry changes, 3 pregnancies ~ such mixtures of joy and sorrow.

By no means have the last 5 years of marriage been easy. And by no means do I expect the next 5 to be without their own roadblocks and detours.

But I am so incredibly thankful that through it all - when emotions and hormones changed like the wind, when grief seemed as if it would swallow us whole, when we couldn't see the hope of tomorrow, when I needed a shoulder to cry on and strong arms to hold me tight, and even when I felt like turning and running the other direction, far far away- he was there.

My partner in life.

My gift from God.