Anniversary Day!

Today I celebrate 14 years of being married to the wonderful man God gave me! In some ways it seems like we've always been married, and in other ways it feels like just yesterday...I can remember so much about our wedding day...getting up in the morning, being surrounded by my family and closest girlfriends, getting our hair done, getting dressed, trying to eat lunch without messing up my lipstick, getting our pictures taken at my parents house, having one of the cars break down on our way to the church which made up 35 mins late for the wedding! That's the memory My Man likes to bring up all the time...he wondered if I had changed my mind...he wondered if I had gone to Antigua with Shelley (that would have been fun too, but not that particular day!) But no...it had been his car that blew a head gasket on the way to the church so all the bridesmaids and flower girls had to pile out of the car and my dad had to push it around the corner into a parking lot. When I arrived at the church, I had two little nieces sitting on my lap and four other ladies scrunched into the back seat beside me!! What fun!! It certainly relaxed everyone!

My greatest memory of that day is standing at the back of the church, arm in arm with my Dad. I can remember wanting to take it all in, to not forget a thing. I can remember him squeezing my hand as it rested on his arm and him saying to me, "Are you ready?" Then as the doors opened in front of me, I looked down the aisle to the Man that God had waiting for me, and I was so overwhelmed with joy! I had been so blessed with the family God had given me - wonderful parents and two of the greatest brothers a girl could want - and now I was standing on the precipice of my new family. I held onto my Dad, knowing that he was so happy for me, knowing that he felt confident to give me to My Man, and we walked step in step down the aisle. I am so glad that I remember that. I have a picture of us walking down the aisle, and I just love it. (I'd post it, but I gave it to my Dad as part of a collage, and I don't think I have another one.)

So today, I want to remember everything about my wedding day. I want to remember the new love that we had, I want to remember the thrill of the unknown, I want to remember the anticipation of the adventure, I want to remember the private smiles we shared and the quiet words we whispered. But I also want to remember the days, weeks, months, and years since then...wow! God has been so good! He has brought us in, through, and out of so much, but never without his grace, never without his presence, never without his corrective hand, never without his consistant touch, and never without his blessing.

I love My Man so much, and the wonderful adventure called LIFE that we are on together. I'd do it all over again!

Happy Anniversary Honey.