14 years

Robbie and I are celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary today. That makes me sound so old, but really it's just that I got married young. Someday I will admit that I'm old, but today will not be the day.

When I walked down that aisle 14 years ago, I remember being worried about how the flowers turned out, who all came to our wedding, is our cake going to be good, and if that little white 'chill' pill Robbie's mom gave me would wear off enough for me to be able to remember something about that day. I had no idea what all God had in store for us. I didn't know how high our highs would be and how low our lows would be. I didn't know we would have trouble having babies. I didn't know all of the awesome friends He would put in our lives. I didn't know God would give us 2 precious boys when His timing was right. And I didn't know that God had created Robbie just for me.

Fourteen years later, I now know that we have gone through a lot of hard times, but have always come out stronger on the other side of it. And I know that we have more hard times coming because that's just how life is, but I don't have to worry about us not going through them together. I know that we are doing a pretty good job raising these 2 boys that God is trusting us with. And I know without a doubt that God created Robbie and I for each other.

We have had to make so many big decisions together, some of which have been in just the past few months. But we've always tried to think about what God would want and what is best for our family overall. I love that we both live our lives with the ultimate goal in mind: to get to heaven. We have made some really stupid decisions in the past, but when you know better you do better, and I think we've always learned from our bad decisions.

This past Sunday we sang 'Father Hear the Prayer We Offer' in church. It was also sang at our wedding, and every time I hear it I think about the commitment we made to each other and to God so long ago. Here's a few of my favorite verses:

Father, hear the prayer we offer:
Nor for ease that prayer shall be,
But for strength, that we may ever
Live our lives courageously.

Be our strength in hours of weakness,
In our wanderings be our Guide;
Through endeavor, failure, danger,
Father, be thou at our side.

Let our paths be bright or dreary,
Storm or sunshine be our share;
May our souls in hope unweary
Make Thy work our ceaseless prayer.

I think that no matter how far off track life gets, as long as you bring it back to your commitment to each other, and the commitment to God, and lots of prayer, you can get back where you need to be. I hope I never forget that.

I love you, Robbie, and I can't wait to see what our next 14 years will hold. Happy Anniversary!