22 years...

Greg and I have officially spent more of our lives together than apart...
22 years of wedded bliss... HAH!!

In all honesty, my heart is full of gratefulness... I would be lying if I said that all 22 years were good years... But I will say, that all 22 were growing years...

It was through some of those most difficult years, especially after the death of our son Samuel, that my heart truly knew even more the reasons the Lord put us together...

 Not many would have loved me through that darkness that consumed me at times...
Not many would have been so faithfully patient with me through my grief...
 Not many would have continually encouraged my heart that "WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS..."

He never pushed... always accepted where I was at... tenderly loved me when I was probably hard to love at times... He loved me through the WORSE of the for better or worse that we vowed to 22 years ago...

When I think of the man that God gave to me... I think... Wow, we couldn't be more different than each other in so many ways... That makes for some challenging times when wading through a life of 7 moves, 8+children, job changes, mountains of dirty diapers and dirty cars/bedrooms/garages:)

But that also makes for a balancing out of our lives... What would we do without our Safety Patrol Man to reel me back in and set more realistic ideas before us some days? What would we do with our goofy dancing daddy who can get us all to laugh? What would be do without the faithful provider and protector of our family?

He is loyal, funny, compassionate, hardworking,  a steady eddy, patient, faithful, one who is willing to be stretched and grown, and one who beyond a shadow of a doubt loves his kids and me deeply...

He has allowed me to passionately pursue the things I love... orphans, adoption, homeschooling, leading MEND (our local infant loss support group), missions, traveling... He has graciously and joyfully sent the kids and I off on numerous loooooong road trips entrusting us into the Lords care so willingly while he stayed back to work hard to provide for our crazy adventures:)

We have walked through...
So many joy filled years, along with difficult years....
So many challenging parent moments, along with so many amazingly beautiful miraculous moments..
So many days full of laughter, along with tears...

Together we have watched God crack open our broken, fault ridden hearts and seen God bring new life to our marriage and hearts...

Together we have cracked the door to God's plans for our family wide open and said yes to moving away from family and heading to the seminary with 4 kids...

Together we have walked through cancer, the death of a child, disappointments, and joys beyond our wildest dreams...

Together we have said to our gracious God again and again, "Our family is yours..."
And time and time again He has blown us away with the births of all 5 of our biological kids and knocked our socks off through the adoption of Hope and Isaiah...

Together we have watched God breathe life back into what was once frozen... FOR FIVE YEARS.... and miraculously bless our family with Levi Ryan... (I will forever stand in awe of his power, might, and healing touch to bless us in such a way)

The past 22 years of our marriage are NOTHING of our doing... (well I am pretty sure the rough, stubborn, ugly parts were probably all our doing:)

But the growth and the beautiful parts, they are all GOD'S DOING...

It is because of HIS abundant faithfulness and grace that we stand here 22 years later, loving each other more, relying on each other for love and support as we daily parent the beautiful, sometimes wild blessing of our 7 kids here with us now, and stand committed together for the long haul...

Committed to see what God has in store for the next week, next year... Lord willing, the next 22 years... (Maybe the Lord will come back before then... wouldn't that be AWESOME?!!)

I can still say, 22 years later, just like I did the day that we were married... That HE HAS CHOSEN YOU FOR ME...

And I am still so grateful to God that HE Chose you for me... always will be...

I Love this song by Steven Curtis Chapman... says a lot of what I feel today:)