Living the Adventure, Telling the Stories
Tobin spent some time the last few days organizing our photos on our new desktop.
And, lo and behold, there are pictures I had no clue we had in digital format.
This one?
Just made me grin…
Gosh, we’re cute. Hard to believe it’s been almost ten years.
Love this guy.
That was the virtual sound of me…letting out a giggle with a high-pitched squeal at the end.
And it really happened… ask my hubby.
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
And those are a bunch of really big smiley faces.
‘ Cause Tobin and I booked our early-10th-anniversary trip tonight!
I can’ t wai
t to dip my toes in the Mediterranean.
Eat some paella. See how much Spanish is actually still in my bra
in. Explore Morocco. (And shop for bags??? Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know Mel will come home with at least one!) Take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Can’t wait to make more memories with my love.
I married my man.
To tell you that marriage has been the fairy tale I always dreamed of would be lying.
But to tell you that our marriage has stretched us, shaped us, and helped us grow…that’s better.
Today we are putting behind us the most difficult year of our marriage so far.
I suppose when you throw first-time parenting, transcontinental relocation, and a brand new everything all together, there’s bound to be some stress.
We’ve had some really wonderful times together this year, but some pretty stinkin’ hard times, too.
I don’t say this to sound negative…it’s true. But I think the ways we’ve grown through those hard times are what has strengthened us as a couple and as a family.
Yesterday I was showing a friend one of our wedding albums…not because our anniversary is today, but because I was looking for something else and found it instead.
I’m glad we have it because we accidentally taped over the video of our wedding.
Ooops.
But one thing I still have (on my iPod of all places) is this. (Ok, it’s at the bottom of the post because WordPress wouldn’t let me put it here. :))
The song I sang with three good friends just after I walked down the aisle. (I will not publicly identify these friends… unless they want to identify themselves in the comments.
:))
It’s cheesy, but I love envisioning that moment…as I was just about to pledge my life to the man I loved, not knowing what would come our way…but being completely ok with the unknown.
Marriage has brought so much more than I ever imagined, and though at times it would have been so much easier to give up, I’m so thankful we’ve stuck to the commitment we made to each other.
..and chosen to go forward.
Tobin, I love you. I love your strong, provider instinct but also the way you say dorky things to make me giggle like a ten year old girl.
I love the daddy you are to our daughter and the way she lights up when she sees you. While I don’t always appreciate our differences and the ways that you challenge me, I know that you’re good for me…that we’re good for each other. I love so much about you, and I look forward to many, many more years of celebrating with you.
Happy Anniversary.
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Ten years ago today, I met my hubby.
(It drives him crazy that I have all these “anniversaries” in my head.
So, honey, don’t feel pressured to buy me anything.
Although I do like chocolate…but I think you know that. :))
It w as through
a weird set of circumstances. We were basically being “set up”, but he was “checking me out” first. Does that make any sense
?
Anyway, we ended up going out after church with some mutual friends and the rest…is history.
I was sure he was “the one” almost immediately, but it took him a little longer to be sure.
17 months after we met, we got married.
Yeah, it was quick.
In some ways, it seems like a lifetime ago; in other ways, the years have flown.
We look so young here…
but I’ll take this…any day.
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We don’t have the kind of story that people write love
songs about.
We met when I was a senior in college, and he was already working a job he planned to stay with for awhile. I wasn’t planning on getting married and had big dreams of heading to the mission field alone.
But then he walked into my life… and I fell in love.
It wasn’t instant…it took a couple of d
ates. When he dropped me off at home after our second date, I knew this was the man I was going to marry.
It took him about another month to be sure.
A lot of people disagreed with us. We were young, we hardly knew each other.
But we didn’t care what other people thought…and still don’t. We knew.
And that was all that mattered.
We dated five months, were engaged for ten, and married on August 3, 2002.
It was a simple wedding. I’m not a froo-froo girl. I picked out my wedding dress (and bought it) in 45 minutes. I went barefoot. (One less thing to trip over :)) The decorations were simple…daisies, blue, and silver. My bridesmaids were five of my closest friends. From the beginning of the wedding to the end of the reception, it was maybe three hours. Oh, and we ate pie…it was really good.
That was just us.
And it was perfect.
We spent a week in Jamaica…so. much. love.
And then we returned to normal life.
And that life has brought many, many things.
Unemployment, searching, praying, obedience, goodbyes, adventures, adjustments, tears, waiting, hoping, trusting, seeing God’s provision, perseverance, acceptance, joy…and love.
Not always the jump-on-top-of-each-other or make-out-for-hours kind of love.
..but true love.
The kind that hangs on when things get rough and promises to be there no matter what. The kind that can survive the biggest arguments, the most unkind words, the really terrible days.
When he walked into my life ten years ago, I had no idea what the next decade would hold…but I’ m so thankful.
Thankful for the man who sees all of my imperfections and flaws and still chooses to love me. Thankful for the guy who calls me “Honeypie” and teases me endlessly with a certain word I despise…and then gives me a wink, just to let me know that it’s all in love. Thankful for a guy who was willing to stay with a girl when life seemed so upside-down and unfair…and love her through the many ugly and awful days.
It’s been just about ten years now since I fell in love.
And although life hasn’t turned out like what we first pictured, I would do it all again…every single moment…for that kind of love.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Tobin. I love you.
I looked in the mirror
the other day and caught the reflection of both myself and my husband.
We looked so old.
Tobin was not pleased when I shared this with him, either.
I don’t think I meant that we look like we’ve aged 30 years in the past eight…I think I was referring to experience. Things we have seen, done, ways we have changed, what has stretched us, what has hurt us, how we’ve grown, and how we have come out of it all looking…well, more experienced.
Sometimes when I look back I just don’t believe that we’ve really squeezed all we have into the last 8 1/2 years. It felt like so much of that time was go-go-go, and in the midst of that, I forgot to soak it up. Between the two of us, we’ve had nine different jobs, lived in four different houses on two different continents and two different states,
and driven five different cars and two motorbikes. We’ve “adopted” two dogs, had a baby girl, gone through more transition squeezed into six weeks than most people go through in a lifetime, all while trying to keep it together in our marriage.
And when I look at our marriage and family, that’s where I see the hand of God most clearly in our lives right now. There have been so many times when either of us could have just walked out…quit, been done with it all. There have been a few times when I think the sheer stress and emotions of life could have completely destroyed what we had…but somehow we hung on.
And I know now, more than ever, that we didn’t hang on in our own strength.
So today I’m just thankful for the man I married.
He keeps me laughing with his goofy sense of humor. He shows me his love in a million ways–especially by working so I can stay home with our girl.
He also does the dishes most nights, which I am really thankful for, even if I don’t always express that appreciation.
He goes on crazy adventures with me, like African safaris and Indonesian beach trips. (Heck, for those, getting there IS the adventure.
:)) He even bought me my own website because he thinks I can make it in the mommy blog circuit.
I love this guy so much.
And I have absolutely no regrets…even if I forget to soak up some of the moments.
Follower of my Father. Wife to Tobin. Mama to my Mae and Mac. Friend. Writer. Dreamer. Lover of adventures. Throw in some coffee, chocolate, running, music, and that's me. I fill this space with the real of my heart and life as I dance through my days with one hand holding my daughter's (or my son's, if I can keep up with him!) and the other holding my coffee mug. Welcome! I hope you'll stay awhile.
