Happy Anniversary to Us

It’s been pretty quiet around here lately (by here I mean my blog and definitely not my house). I miss writing and free time of any sort and sleeping. Oh how I miss sleeping.

With no sleep comes that foggy mind that makes you drive off without unloading all the groceries out of your cart and swear you slipped your credit card into your bag but it actually went on the sidewalk (truth be told I never found it). It makes you schedule doctor appointments on birthdays because you have no idea what today even is. It makes you burn dinner and wash library books in the washer. I swear, all my domestic skills have vanished.

No sleep also makes blogging near impossible. Besides the fact that I have no time, I keep losing my train of thought. Before you suggest a pick me up, caffeine makes my little bundle cranky. In fact this post has been pieced together from different entries on my phones notepad that I jot in while Joel nurses. Because that’s about all that gets done around here. Baby growing business is no joke. And apparently if I do find a rare moment to sit down and type it seems I have forgotten how because I keep deleting whole paragraphs on accident by highlighting them with the touchpad mouse. Thank God for the undo button. Where was I going with that?… oh yeah, sleep. I need some.

I did manage to eek out some prose for my home made anniversary card but never actually penned it, so I’m posting it here because I FINALLY WROTE SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE. Not to mention, we have been married for 9 years and this last year felt so good to get through together. Also, 9 is almost 10 and that feels special. Now that you have all that lovely background, here it goes:

Time is flying, each year goes by quicker than the last. With each season we pass through our relationship changes shape. Just like our kids, it neither looks like just you or just me but is a beautiful mix of each one of us. I tried to backtrack through our time together and remember some significant event for each year but it all just ended up in one big jumbly blur that was in no particular order. So here’s a few highlights from our 9 years together:

We purchased a house and a car and a tiny dog too quickly. We probably got married too quickly too, but apparently that’s how we do things.

We moved to a different state. We got degrees and more degrees. We worked jobs we loved and some we didn’t.

We took vacations to the mountains and to the beach and to big cities and little ones. We’ve done amusement parks and hikes and boats and camping.

We discussed theology and doctrine and sermons and books. We led youth groups and community groups together. We have worshipped together. We have encouraged each other in our passions, in our art or cooking or writing or constructive arguing.

We have shared dreams of writing a book, planting a church, starting a non profit, opening a restaurant/coffee shop/fire brick oven pizza joint.

We came to love each other’s families and made friends with each other’s friends.

We more than halfway raised a tiny woman, who is just. like. me. (sorry you have put up with me double-time) and are working on two tiny men who I’ll be proud if they turn out just like you.

We moved back home.

We moved to a different state. And one more time, we moved.

We survived a difficult pregnancy, which included losing a job and bedrest and a hospital stay.

But all of these things, jobs, babies, moving, travels, school, church, dreams, these aren’t us.

When you pare all of that down, we are just two kids.

Two kids who had many a late night conversation and felt a common bond.

Two kids who made a leap of faith and a vow of commitment that they knew they wouldn’t be able to keep in their own strength.

Two kids who were a little unsure of themselves but believed in a Love bigger than that.

That Love is what makes us “us.” To find this in our lifetime makes us lucky, blessed, maybe even a little crazy. But that’s ok, that’s who we are and I love it all. No matter what our life looks like on the outside that will never change.

Here’s to year 9, onward to 10 and many, many more.

I wasn't going to post this. ( I say that about every other post!) A bit too personal maybe. However, writing this brought such a sense of gratitude for my marriage. Reminiscing can do that. Give it a try. It doesn't have to be poetic, just your story. It's ok if it's not your anniversary or you haven't had any sleep.  Let your partner know how much it means to experience life with them and maybe they will take over for a couple hours so you can nap. (thanks sweetie;)

Happy Sunday,

Jenna