the young couple in the Jeep

Sitting at the stoplight, I looked out my window and saw a black Jeep Cherokee pull up alongside us. A Jeep just like we had over a decade ago...with a [very] young couple riding in it.  That WAS us.  

Here we are now with 3 kiddos in the back seat and we're not 20 anymore.    Was this what I pictured 15 years ago?  Something like this.  Maybe I thought I'd have things figured out by now.  

Last week we celebrated 15 years of marriage.  Just beginning, really, compared to some friends of ours who share the same anniversary and were celebrating 43 years.  They are in the pro-category.  
This is what I know...I don't really know much.  This marriage gig has proved to be one of the most difficult endeavors we've signed up for.  If it wasn't for God's GRACE I don't even know if we'd still be together.  Two imperfect people...who mess things up, love imperfectly and act in selfish ways.

There have been some battles to fight.  I'm so glad we fought.  There have been unhappy days.  I'm glad we hung in there.  And there have been joys, wonderful adventures, and blue sky days...I'm delighted to have shared with my guy.  

We celebrate what God has done.  In spite of our shortcomings...He has been so good to us.  

He's making something beautiful.  I'm so happy to be a part of it.  Tonight, I'm thankful to fall asleep by my best friend and husband.  

the [unforgettable] birthday

Woot.  Woot.  We've got a 3 year old in the house.  

I love this girl.  In typical fashion she is full of sweet, sass, and surprises.  She loves to talk!  Often in and out of reality and her imaginary world.  She came to the dinner table the other night with her shirt pulled up over her hair because she was "Princess Celestia".  For her birthday she said she wanted her friend "Sally" to come over and I was like, "Who's SALLY?"  The mayor of Whoville's wife, of course, one of Horton's peeps.  Oh my, girl.  

We had a mini-party in the screen room in the afternoon.  Just the five of us.  A day Addie will soon forget but I don't think the rest of us will forget her 3rd birthday... 

 

Later, at a friends' house for a Father's Day BBQ, Addie decided to climb up on a 2-wheel bike and ride it.  She'd never been on one before.  Quickly, she fell off and nearly bit through her tongue.  

A call to the doctor, who said we didn't need to bring her to the ER but that the tongue heals itself amazingly well and fast.  Next, stop for popsicles and tylenol right before the long night, with this thought running through my mind...I'm so sorry, birthday girl.  

Today Addie had her 3-year well checkup with her pediatrician.  She loves him so she pulled out all the extra sweetness and sang to him unprompted, hugged him and patted him on the back. 

She is also growing!  I've gotten so used to who she is now and sometimes I forget she is the same girl who [at 1yr old] was below the 5th percentile on growth charts and now [at 3yr old] is in the 70-80th percentile. 

He used words to describe her like...verbal.  active.  daring.  strong.  He also commented how much her personality has changed from quiet to way out of her shell.  She is wa-a-a-a-a-y out. 

ten on ten: June

Finding much life and beauty among the ordinary things of our day 

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