a DECADE strong

10 years ago, I married a 21 year old who I KNEW God wanted to be my husband.  I didn't really know what that meant, to "have a husband" but that was the logical next step, since we'd been dating 5 years!  :-)  We definitely didn't know what the next 10 years would bring.  Who does?  We dreamed of him finishing school and finding a good job, of buying a house, and maybe one day having a family. I knew that if we ever had a boy - his name would be Wayne.  IF we ever had a boy!  :-)

10 years ago, we had breakfast at Homestead with our families.  I left to get my hair done, because that's what brides do.  Tyler left to wash his Mustang, fresh out of the paint shop and ready to drive us away from our reception.  The whole day went by in a BLUR.  Lots of running around - I remember my friend Amanda who stayed with me the WHOLE day, and made sure I got my allergy medicine on time!  (I had TERRIBLE allergies made way worse by all the beautiful flowers!)  I remember the look on my Mom's face when I put my dress on...  Okay, she was probably in shock that I was actually wearing a dress to begin with, but also that it was a WEDDING dress.  I was the first of us four kids to get married.  I remember the look in her eyes when she told me that this was it, this was a LIFETIME decision.  I would only be welcome at their house WITH Tyler.  If I had any hesitation at all, I could slip out the back door of the church, and she would handle the rest.  I remember THINKING about it.  I wasn't just swept up in the moment, doing what I thought I should do.  Her asking that question made me THINK about it.  And I prayed.  And I KNEW.  This was the man that God had given to me.  Whatever our life would hold, it would be according to God's plan.

And here we are, 10 years later.  July 7, 2011!  We both have great jobs.  We bought and remodeled our house.  We not only have 1 boy, we have THREE!  Sometimes the days seem a little long, but the years have FLOWN by and I am abundantly blessed in the life that I have.  Tyler is not the same as he was 10 years ago on our wedding day.  When I look back at those pictures, he seems not much more than a boy.  Our relationship isn't the same either.  He is better, and we are better.  We know more about each other than we did back then - what buttons to push to get a rise out of each other, what habits drive the other crazy, and who does what around the house.  I think we have quite a bit more grace for each other to - letting the little things slide, and accepting things in each other that can't be changed.  Even when I am mad at him, I always know that I love him, and he loves me, even if he is driving me crazy!  :-)  Seeing him as a Dad - that's when I fell in love all over again.  He is the BEST dad our kids could have ever had, and they adore him.  We're off to spend the day together - with no agenda, and no kids.  I'm SO looking forward to it!  We might even have to pull our wedding photo album out a little later, and walk down memory lane.

Happy Anniversary Tyler!