7 Years

Today is our 7th anniversary.  I've heard there is a thing called the 7 year itch.... I actually read that in the US, most divorces occur in the 7th or 8th year of marriage because around year 7, people start to 'fall out of love' and their eyes start roaming for something fresh...  you've been together long enough to know you hate a lot of things about the other one, but not long enough to feel the blessing of a long marriage.  The people who have been married for 50 years got there by refusing to let those times determine their future.  I hope to someday know what it's like to be married 50 years, but I know that only God can do that for us.  We're just two sinners who come from divorced families with no idea how to do any of this, except based on what God's Word tells us.  I take not one day together for granted because I know it is God alone that has gotten us this far and Who will help us through whatever is to come.

We went out on Saturday to the Olive Garden... one of our favorite places.  We usually make them wish they didn't offer refills on the salad & breadsticks and since we were there in the middle of a salad craving filled pregnancy, it was no different.

We usually take a picture together each anniversary....so here it is...

I woke up this morning to a nice letter he wrote me and some hot coffee.... the longer we are married, the more I just soak up the simple things.  I will admit that this is the first anniversary we have had where I had absolutely no desire to get a gift.  I love presents, even if it's a candy bar!  But I honestly never even thought twice about getting anything at all (I actually recommended we didn't get each other gifts and instead get our photos taken together soon)..... I just love my life with Matt.  He is more than I could have ever hoped for in a husband - and he's an even better father.  I am blessed - and humbly honored - to call him mine.  I thank God every day for bringing us together in the most unexpected ways and for all the smiles, and tears, we have experienced together.  Left to ourselves, we would not have made it through some of the hard trials we have walked through.  But with God, all things are possible and He has proven to be enough... the 3rd strand that holds us together through it all. 

I asked him the other day as we stood over the changing table together playing with Asa, surrounded by the smell of poop "When we first met, did you ever think we'd have this many kids?"  He said yes.  But that is such bull!  He so did not think we would have 7 babies and still be together 10 years later the first time he saw me! 

And when I think about that first day - in rehab, smoking on the porch, when his first words to me were "who wants to lose at a game of ping pong?" and I thought he was arrogant and cocky (because he totally was!), although really cute...oh my gosh, he was so cute... still is...(I had my priorities in line! haha)  I wonder how in the world God could pull us out of that place in our lives and lead us to this - my childhood dream... a stay home mom with a house full of kids and an amazing husband who would do anything for me... and I just cry.  He was able, because He is God and that is it.  Nobody else could have done it.  And as each year passes, our love grows deeper and more meaningful.  The only thing that scares me about our future is that one day, death will separate us.  And I always tell him, I better go first cause I never want to have to live without him.