6 years

 When Jon and I were getting married we spent over a year planning every single detail. I even designed my wedding and engagement rings with a jeweler There was nothing that we didn't have a say in. We wanted the day to represent us perfectly. It did! It will always be one of my most favorite days and cherished memories.


It is ironic that what we felt had so much importance at one time...doesn't.
I loved my rings. I would get them cleaned every month and would get distracted at eating my meal in restaurants from the light catching the diamonds I had handpicked.
I loved my rings. They represented so much time, thought, love and value.

I wonder what I would have thought if someone has said...

"You know, 6 years from now you will not be wearing these rings. You will be the busy mother of two little boys. You are too swollen from 9 months of pregnancy and swallowed emotions to fit them over your fingers. He won't be wearing his either. He will be fighting Cancer. He will have lost too much weight to keep it around his finger. 6 years from now, those rings will be sitting in a box".

I would have thought then...as I do now... that those rings are beautiful. But as long as I still have his fingers to wrap around mine, I don't care what's on them.

6 Years later.



 Three houses, one crazy dog, three pregnancies, allergies, asthma, home schooling, home renovations, three kids under five, Cancer. Whew. Has it only been 6 years?!
Do we really feel like we did the day we said "I do"?
Without hesitation, I can say absolutely not.
I am so much more in love with him than I ever knew I could be. I am so proud of him and so very blessed to be his wife.

I love being married to him.
How have we stayed on top of all the things life has thrown at us over the years? Become stronger for it?

I thought about it...



We have enough differences to keep it interesting but enough that unifies us to keep us on the same page.
We share the same priorities and agree on the "big stuff"
We don't bicker over the little things.
 We talk about things...and in the end may paper scissor rock it.
We compromise. 
We don't get upset easily.
We give the benefit of the doubt to the other and don't take things personally.
We take time together everyday without children.
We laugh a lot.
We have defined roles- He is the provider, I am the nurturer, it works.
We appreciate one another..
We pray together each day.
We  have purposeful quality family time.
We are honest with one another.
We say kind things to each other and about each other.
We take good care of one another.
We are best friends.
We prefer to be with each other over anyone else.
We can count on the other.
I let him win when we play games. I don't care about winning as much he minds losing! 
We never tease, name call, belittle or raise voices to the other.
We are happy in our life together.
We don't take anything for granted.
We are grateful. 
We love each other.

A lot.

You don't need a ring for that.