Eleven

Darling,

It's been 11 years since I was riding to Bible Study with my best guy friend. We were belting out whatever oldie was playing on the radio like we always did. It's been eleven years since I looked over at you from that passenger seat and realized that I was in love with you. Head over heels, crazy, I want to marry you love. I remembered feeling so confused as to how that happened and why. All of the sudden, I knew. I just knew you were it for me that very day, at the ripe old age of 15. I was worried about ruining our friendship if I told you, but missing out on you if I didn't. There was also the fact that I had dated your best friend. Then there was that tiny detail that you were six years older than me and I knew people would judge, because they wouldn't understand. They wouldn't understand that it wasn't about the one thing they would think it was about. That wouldn't be happening until we were married.

I was a wreck all night at bible study, not myself at all. Of course, you noticed. It's been eleven years since you drove me back home and, when we pulled in the driveway, demanded to know what was wrong with me. You were worried about me because of some things going on in my family at the time. I promised you it had nothing to do with that but you wouldn't let it go. It's been eleven years since we took that walk, we loved to take walks together, still do. We walked. And caught fireflies. And you waited patiently for me to tell you what was on my mind and why I was acting so strangely. We reached the end of my street and you took my hand. You had held it before, but not like this. This time, something was different. I looked up in to your eyes and I knew what I had to do. I had to tell you. I couldn't risk never knowing. It's been eleven years since I admitted to you that I was in love with you. And it's been eleven years since you let me know you felt the same way.

I have over eleven years of memories with you. That's 4,015 days of memories, plus some. Most are beautiful memories, (some that stick out- our first date, the meteor shower; the anniversary scavenger hunt; jumping off the bridge at the beach; dancing "our dance";11 birthdays, Valentines Days, New Years Eve kisses, Christmases, Thanksgivings; you putting my initials on your car tag; the night you proposed; Disney World; our unbelievably perfect wedding day (and night); our amazing honeymoon in St Lucia; NYC; the births of the two most incredible babies that both look so much like you- just to name a few) and 
some are not (6 funerals of loved ones between the two of us; long distance relationship woes; our month-long break up in college; and other really rough times). That's the way 11 years goes. But it doesn't matter if we are going through a beautiful season or a tough one, one thing has remained constant for 11 years and will for every day that God keeps me on this earth; I love you. As madly and as passionately as I did 11 years ago and it has grown stronger with each passing day. I am so proud to be the one on your arm, handsome, because of the husband and father God has molded you in to. I've witnessed Him work miracles in your life and in our marriage. It's obvious you are allowing Him to work in you daily. I adore you. I respect you. I love us. I cherish these last 11 years and look forward to at least 60 more.

I'll end with the quote I wrote in your letter on our wedding day, one of my favorites from the movie "Shall We Dance." "We all need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet...I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in marriage, you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things...all of it, all of the time, every day. You're saying 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness.'" I am SO honored to be your witness and to have you as mine. 143 Baby. Forever and Always.

" I have found the one that my soul loves." Song of Solomon 3:4 


-Wifey 

Here are some photos of us from 2006-2013. The Photos from '02-'05 are not digital and I don't have the time to scan them and such. Our children will think it's wild that we are older than digital cameras. Maybe we will save all of those pics for another time (or maybe not, those were during some of our awkward years!) Once again, blogger got many of them out of order, oh well.