11 Years & Counting

11 years ago today we said our I Do's and made a promise.  In that promise to love Troy till the day we die, that promise was filled with so much more.  To encourage him, challenge him to be a better husband, man, and father.  To encourage his faith, to compromise, to listen, to learn with him, to love him in all aspects of his life challenges.  There are so many ways in which I promised to love him and I know I don't always meet up to those standards I set for myself long ago but I work hard and try my best to come close.

We have shared in challenges and doing what the Lord's will is for our life together as a couple and now as a family.  We are thankful of each new year of learning and growing.  Always learning how to be better spouses and parents. We continue to change and grow in our faith and life.

The two of us have supported each other through difficult challenges as well as some of the most exciting surprises.  Here are our top ones:

• Each of our moves to new cities have brought on their own set of challenges.  But each city that God took us too brought learning or healing.
• Troy's job in Canton was a long challenge that we grew & learned a lot from.
• The worry if we would be able to ever conceive came to a halt one day in March when we got the amazing surprise that I was finally pregnant.  We then faced the challenge of surgery when I was 5 months pregnant and God protect our little girl.  Gracie coming into the world was one of the most amazing moments to see God give us that instant love and parenting affection from the moment we laid our eyes on her.
• Watching those daddy-daughter moments that I did not have growing up has been such a healing process I never knew I needed.
• The next best moment for me was the day of our baby reveal party and watching Troy's face light up as he found out baby #2 was a boy. And then watching him hold his son for the first time.

These are the moments that have brought on some of the most difficult times and challenges and from all of them we have learned so much.  

I am thankful for a husband I prayed for when I was in high school.  A man that filled all of those prayerful wishes and even though most of the time I forget about that list I made long ago, once in a while I run across it and remember how thankful I am for the reminder of how great I have it and how thankful I should be.  Because during the day to day mundane and the busy life I have, I like to stop and remember that there was a beginning and it was just the two of us.  That was just the beginning of our life together and look at all that has changed and think that there is so much still to come.

I recently heard this song that says, "he's not finished with me yet" by Brandon Heath.  It's so crazy to think that there is so much more God has planned for Troy and I and our future together.

love you babe!