Lucky 13!

Monday marks 13 years of wedded bliss for Josh and me.  I could not possibly be happier.  He is an amazing husband.  I never knew how much fun marriage could be.  

We entered marriage filled with love and lots of naivety.  We had fun at the beginning as we got to live with each other and learn how to work through matters of life. Some people say the first year is really tough.  It wasn’t for us…I remember it as a lot of fun and quite care-free.

We bought our first house after two and a half years of marriage.  We actually signed the papers on January 27, 2003 (our 2nd anniversary) and then waited five months while they built it.  I remember the agent leaving the room and us looking at each other and saying, “We don’t know what we are doing.”  The Lord was most definitely helping us!

While having kids was a bright spot in our marriage, it was filled with some of our most challenging moments.  Josh had to figure out how to live with a mad, sleep-deprived pregnant lady (three years in a row, basically). And for that he deserves an award.  But then again, so do I…since I was the sleep-deprived pregnant lady for three years in a row.  Those days are now a fog, but I know we had to exercise much forgiveness and grace as we tried to figure out how to parent together.  Adding three other personalities so quickly can really strengthen one’s prayer life and change the dynamic of everyday life.  I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Then there was that two year period when we built a house, moved and sold it and felt like things were spinning out of control.  Our marriage was strengthened as we faced hard circumstances together…and we realized and said out loud that even if we didn’t have a single material item at the end of our episode, we would still have each other and our faith and that was more than enough.  We made it through those years, and I was more than certain I had married the best man in the world.  

We have had an exciting past couple of years in our family.  We feel extremely blessed with the way the Lord has led us so graciously. Josh and I enjoy being together more than ever.  Marriage is hard work.  It requires effort and love and tons of forgiveness and mercy and patience…and much perseverance!  I hope and pray that each of my kids will one day find marriage to be as fulfilling as I do!  It really is so much fun to be married to your best friend.  

Happy Anniversary, Joshua Lee!  I think you are the best.