9-2 Married my best friend

11yrs ago I walked down the aisle and met my wonderful man at the altar. 
We pledged our love for each other. Vowed to keep Jesus at the center of our life.
Committed to have and to hold til death did us part.  Exchanged rings, and kissed.

But I thought for our anniversary I would share a few highlights of our life thus far.

It all began in Sep of '08.  I was back from Russia, praying that God would bring my
husband to me.  I was DONE being out there looking for my Mrs degree. 
And there he was.  Da da DA!  Hunk of a man building my parents new home.  Sleeves
rolled up a little, freckled and muscled arms swinging that hammer.  To say I was smitten,
is just not adequate.  The clouds parted, the angels sang, the sun shone.  :-)
He asked me for my phone number and I said, "You know the verse that says 'No-one can
come to the Father except through the Son'?  At our house it's no-one can come to the
daughter except through the father."  A year of ups and downs, early morning Bible Studies,
late night conversations.  April 1st he asked me to marry him, Sep 2nd we said our vows. 
A friend found me a dress by a dress maker that was too small to sell.  She sowed rosettes
on it.  Her mother took in a few more inches and made it fit like it was made for me. 
I can NEVER thank them enough for all the things that they did for me, for us.  We had a candle
lit service, with just our families.  My sister-in-law was my bride's maid and maid of honor.  My
father-in-law stood up with my husband.



One year after we were married, the dress STILL fit.  ;-)  And my sister took these black and whites in the mountains near where we were living.

Our 11th anniversary, GREAT friends watched all 5 kids. 

Here is a GREAT example of our world. We play together,

he is silly, I follow suit.

So cute!

He is not perfect, our life together has not been easy.  We were given tickets to a Family Life conference 8yrs ago, and one of the speakers said, 
"Marriage is 80% hard work, but it's the 20% that makes it worth it."

He waded through my family's first courting experience.
He initiated a conversation with my family after a year of quiet.
He let me cry and be angry with God after our first mis-carriage, but he also held me hand and said,
"You and God are gonna talk, get this thing straightened out between you."
He stayed with me for a week in the hospital, going back and forth to see our little Trey-trey in the NICU 60mi away.
He held my hand while Benji was being born, cried when they handed that sweet little baby to him.
He arranged it with the Dr's that he would be the one to tell me Boy or Girl when our sweet Abi was born.
He cried while he held her for the first time too.

So many reasons to love him.  But here is the best. 
God created him as my perfect gift.