A Letter to my Husband

It's late. I just finished cleaning the kitchen, there are piles of laundry dotting our room that haven't seemed to find their home in a week, and you're sitting in the other room trying to finish up some work. This has been a pretty common scene in our house these days - both of us running here and there, stopping briefly to say 'Oh, hey you. Nice to see you!' We've had a lot of change happening in our lives this summer, and some days I'm surprised we're all still standing!

Tomorrow we celebrate 7 years of marriage. Seven.years. That seems impossible. I remember as a child, when I heard someone had been married for ten years thinking 'Wow! They've been married for so long.' We're closing in on that, and we're not even 30! Ah, young love. Really young love. We were barely 21 and 22 respectively, and had no clue who we were or what we were doing when we got married. But, we did know that for whatever reason, we were supposed to be together.

It hasn't been easy. Years 3 and 5 were particularly rough; there were a few times we both seriously doubted if we'd make it. There have been times of hardship: financial; medical; job uncertainties; threats to the very vows we made; trying (and trying) to get pregnant; that crazy time we actually had a kid and our worlds turned upside down.

But there have been joys! Learning together, growing together, buying our first home, traveling and making so many memories, graduations, promotions, that crazy time we had a kid and our world turned upside down. :) So.many.joys.

I have loved watching you grow - as a person; emotionally, spiritually, coming into yourself and being confident in that man. Things that used to bother me about you I have learned to now love. I know that if we ever are in a spot where we need a shelter built, a blanket knitted and a cake to survive on, you sir, are the man for all three. And watching you as a daddy? Don't even get me started. You and Graham have something that is pure magic to watch.

Lord-willing, we have many more years in front of us, and they will include a lot more bumps and bruises, but also lots of new joys, and just a lot of plain living. I know we've got a few big challenges coming very soon - new adventures that will stretch and grow us even more.

But, as I sit here, I remember our very first date. 10 pm coffee (Miltons, actually) at the Drowsy Poet (who were we?! Coffee at 10 pm?? Pure.Crazy.) They let us stay past close and we talked til almost midnight (had to get back for curfew). As I walked up the steps to my dorm room, I remember very clearly thinking that in spite of everything that was different about us, and maybe because of those very things, that I was going to marry you. I'm so glad I was right.

Whatever God has in store for us, whatever new roads, new places, new struggles, new memories - I am so very grateful that God chose you for me to spend this life with. I know our future is only beautiful, whatever it holds.

Happy Anniversary my Love!!