14 Years...and counting.

On this Wednesday, I am going to skip my "Large Family Organization" post to celebrate our anniversary:)

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Today I celebrate fourteen years of marriage to the love of my life.

  (wow...look how young we were back then...haha)

When we met as young college kids, we had no idea what the Lord had in store for our lives.  We look back and just have to laugh at how immature and inexperienced we were back then.  I'm sure we will look back fourteen years from now and feel the same way...haha.

Our life together has been many things...and they have all worked together for good:)  Here are a few of the things that come to mind as I look back over the last fourteen years of our lives together.

 
It has been fourteen years of adventure.
 

Boy, what an adventure it has been.

We have lived in two states, five cities, seven houses, completed four years of graduate school and had six children.

There has been work.

Relationships take a great deal of work and marriage is definitely no exception.  As much as we had in common, we had just as much different about us, our personalities, likes, and background.  We have had to navigate through so many issues and work hard to keep our marriage fresh and alive.



There has been fun.

If you know Peter and his free spirited approach to life, you know that our lives couldn't be anything but fun.  He has taken me along with him...sometimes kicking and screaming...like the long drives to nowhere or looking at houses that we will never own.  But it has been fun.  And, I have learned to let go of efficiency and just enjoy the ride...sometimes:)







There have been seasons of grief.

 (This was Grammie's 100th birthday)

In our fourteen years, we have had many losses and seasons of grief.  We lost three of our precious little ones before they were born and the grief just cannot be put into words.  Even though we have six children here with us, we will always grieve the three who are in Heaven. In addition to this loss, we have lost family members who we loved dearly and some whom we will never have the joy of knowing.



There has been lots of sweet little ones to snuggle.

With six kids, there has never been a shortage of hugs and snuggles in our lives.

There has been laughter.

From laughing at ourselves to the cute things the littles do and say, we have so much laughter in our home...and there's never a dull moment.  Laughter truly is good medicine...and it's a god thing because...


There have been hospital stays and emergency room visits.

Actually , I think Peter and I deserve a "fast pass" in the ER.  From broken bones to gaping wounds to rare medication reactions to a near scalping we are at home in the ER...haha.  Beyond six labor and delivery hospital stays we have also had a child who was a cardiac patient and three other minor surgeries...that just don't seem minor when they involve your kids or you.  But we have gone through it all together:)

There have been blessed family get-aways.

 
While we have taken a few family vacations over the years, some of the best get-aways have been day trips to play in the snow or visit friends/family a short distance away.  One of our favorite get-aways is the homeschool convention where Peter and I have a chance to be together for a few days and set goals for the next year.  

There has been so much politics...so much!

After the kids are in bed, we love to watch political talk shows, listen to Supreme Court cases, and analyze current events...fun...no?  Even as I type this post, Peter is reading aloud to me a book about the attempted Reagan assassination.

We have spent countless hours to support the causes that are near and dear to our hearts.  And, we look forward to the countless hours that we are yet to spend supporting causes together.

(Nathan and Brennan shaking hands.)

But above all else there has been an enduring love and commitment to both each other and maintaining a biblical perspective in our lives.

Thank you Peter for choosing me and being the husband and father that you are.