This is us, thirteen years ago. We were high on togetherness, reveling in the new end of our day together (a kiss, a “good night,” and a settling into our pillows instead of a hug and a parting of ways in our cars). We found fun in grocery shopping late at night, taking our disobedient dog to obedience school, and singing together in our church’s choir. We laughed hysterically at our catastrophes (dish soap in the dishwasher and the resultant shoveling of suds out our back door, bread that rose until it overflowed the pans and puddled in the bottom of the oven, just to name a few). We slept until noon on Saturdays and took weekend trips without a second thought.
Our life together today is different and the same. We still revel in the end of our day together, a kiss, a “good night,” and a settling into our pillows (though I’m often found reading before I switch my light off). We have a new dog, but we’re training her on our own. We still have many catastrophes at which to laugh (more bread that overflowed the pans), a skill I’m still developing. Once in a great while, we sing together. Sleeping in as parents means waking up at 7:30am on a Saturday. We have to work really hard to make a weekend trip happen even once a year…you know, a trip that’s just us. (It took a year, but we’re excited to have two such trips on the calendar in the next few months.)
It didn’t take long for us to taste the dark bitter depths of the words “for better or for worse / in sickness and in health,” and we continue to discover new layers of those wedding vows. I would never have chosen the hard things we’ve endured together, but I’m thankful for them in one sense. Spending so many days and nights in hospitals, tending to very sick children, and planning the funeral of our firstborn, trained us to savor the simple joy of normal every-day little things.
Squaring our shoulders, linking arms, and facing those hard things as two-become-one has welded us together tightly. That doesn’t mean navigating hard things is easy, but it does mean that we’re committed to finding a way together. It means that going our separate ways is never part of the discussion. It means never growing complacent and taking each other for granted. It means that sometimes we stop and acknowledge that we have hit a challenge we’re not prepared for, getting help, and learning better ways to get through that new challenge.
I love you, Scott.
Counting #472-499 of 1000 gifts with Ann today.
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Congrats on thirteen years Joy!
Amy Nabors recently posted..Wildflowers
I love it! Congratulations to you both on 13 years! Here’s to many more!
Alise recently posted..Stuff I’ve Been Reading
Congratulations!! You two have aged well! I love your blog, Joy. I don’t comment often, but I read it, and I’m so thankful for you.
The sunglasses hide the crows feet. *grin*
So good to see you smiling face here, Marla.
Congrats, Joy and Scott. Blessings on your continued growth as as disciples of Jesus Christ, as wife and husband, and as parents.
From one who is approaching 41 years…
Rich recently posted..How deep the wound — How much deeper the healing
Thank you, Rich. It seems like a good thing to celebrate publicly.
Yes, indeed. For clarification, we are approaching our 41st wedding anniversary.
Rich recently posted..How deep the wound — How much deeper the healing
I love the photos and hearing some of your story. “Squaring our shoulders, linking arms, and facing those hard things as two-become-one has welded us together tightly.” May your oneness continue to deepen, and God bless you on your anniversary!!
Congratulations! Enjoy your trips and abide in HIM!
Happy anniversary!
Barbie recently posted..Winner – Furious CD
Happy anniversary!!!!! This is so sweet… and based on “we found fun in grocery shopping late at night” — Colin and are truly following right in your footsteps. I’m encouraged by the fact that if we can acquire the kind of faith and love that you and Scott have, then our marriage will no doubt last forever.
XO.
PS: Scott, if you’re reading this… I’d be very interested in reading a post from you about your anniversary, too.
Some day we’ll have to meet up with our spouses, Lindsey. That would be SO FUN!
Oddly enough, Scott is working on a guest post for our anniversary.
I passed along your request. Maybe it will be ready tomorrow…. we’ll see!
Happy Anniversary!
The memories of marriage before kids is so sweet.
Annie recently posted..Chasing the Puff
Oh yay! What a beautiful celebration post. Congratulations on the years you’ve spent together learning new layers of your wedding vows. My hubby and I celebrate this same year anniversary this year, and like you, we’d not choose what we’ve faced together, but it truly does, as you said, cause you to square shoulders, lock arms, and face life resolutely as a pair. Blessings on you and your hubby! Many more happy returns!
Laurie Wallin recently posted..My Kid’s Melting Down! 6 Ideas To Help.
When we were close to getting married 61 years ago – - – my uncle told me, that I was smelling roses now, but there are a lot of thornes on those roses.
Being a fiesty teen, I retorted, “there are no thornes on this bush.” For the most part we have gone around the thorns, even the sick children and my husband being sick and not able to works anymore. God has seen us through and around all those thornes and he is the God who is able to keep you and Scott close to Him and close to each other. Congratulation to you both!
Hazel Moon recently posted..Change Your Thinking
Happy anniversary, sweet friend!
Tamara Out Loud recently posted..What We’re Worth: A Community Collection
Beautiful…on many levels.
Congrats to you both!
Leanne Shirtliffe recently posted..Bedtime Rhymes, Grimm Style
Such a sweet, beautiful post. So many gifts. Congratulations. We celebrated 13 years this year too!
Happy anniversary. I love what you said about how it means there’s never discussion of going separate ways — it’s togetherness. May you have many more anniversaries.
Hyacynth recently posted..Thinking, That’s All: What we Had Hoped
Beautiful! Happy anniversary!
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