Twelve years...

July 1995. I had just ended a long term relationship. I was twenty-one years old. I went out with my sister, Rhonda, looking forward to meeting new people. My plan was to date around (I had been with the same guy for eight years). Fifteen minutes after arriving at the volleyball bar and finding Rhonda in the crowd, a friend of hers comes up and says "who's this?" (about me). Ten minutes later, I am being introduced to this smokin' hot volleyball player, Joe. We end up talking until they close the place down, then go to Perkin's for a middle of the night meal. A month later, we are dating. Three months later, we're in love. Fifteen months later, we are married.


We have lived in six different homes. Six years ago, we built our "forever home" in a great community with excellent schools and terrific (for the most part) neighbors. Three babies, countless job changes (Joe), a little bit of drama here and there, vacations, an anniversary cruise, the deaths of loved ones, three pets (four, if you count the hamster), a new church family...just a summary of the last twelve years. We were only twenty-two when we were married (what were we thinking?). We have grown up together since then, and honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way. What a blessing to be able to look back and say, "I wouldn't change a thing". God has had His hand on our marriage from the start, and in this day of short marriages and easy divorces done online, it's obvious that He is the reason we are still standing here today.

No, not every day is romantic and sweet. My husband does not leave me love notes throughout the house. I don't lovingly do his laundry while he is playing computer games. In fact, there are times that this marriage gig is just plain hard.

But then, there are times when he uses his hard-earned money to buy me a laptop computer, knowing how much I want one. He can build anything, fix anything, and all it takes is a suggestion from me, and ten minutes later he is on his way to Home Depot to buy the supplies. He is an awesome father, and our kids mean the world to the both of us. This family is our priority, and our job choices alone highlight this. Joe is a high school math teacher for teens with behavioral issues; I am a nurse. We hardly ever need a babysitter; our schedules allow for one of us to be home all the time.

God knew what He was doing when he joined the two of us together, even if we were too young and immature to know it ourselves. We are now surrounded by friends and family who love us and love each other, and it's a great place to be. Happy Anniversary, honey. I love you!

(Though this picture is blurry, I love it just the same. Our whole family, hiking at Hocking Hills, loving being together and being out in the "wilds of Ohio". We have made so many memories together, and I look forward to making many more in the years to come.)