Four Years Ago

Yesterday was my four year anniversary. It doesn't seem like that long ago, but it also seems like it's been forever since June 14, 2003. It's been the best four years of my life, no doubt about it. I feel so lucky to be married to my best friend. We've had so much fun together and been through more already than I ever would have imagined. I look at these pictures and like so many others I would say I had no clue who I was or what I was getting into. I guess I still don't really know who I am, but can easily say that getting married to Sherry was the best day of my life and the beginning of so much more than I ever imagined. It's not like we live this fairy tale life or anything like that, it's just to have her and to talk alongside her through life as a team is better than I could have ever imagined. Getting to know her each day is exciting and something I continually look forward to. I never imagined we would have two kids by now, but here we are. Parenting for me is an adventure as well, each day different than the one before. I love it. It's the hardest job I've ever loved.

I guess above all as I reflect about the last four years I'm just amazed about how much fun it has been to journey with someone else so closely. She knows me better than anyone else on earth, often times better than I know myself. She really is the best part of me. At camp where I work there are about six couples that have retired and live in the R.V. Park for the summer and volunteer their time and energy into camp life. As I talk to them I wonder how they were when they had been married a whole four years, as compared to fourty or fifty. What were they like? I'm starting to see they weren't much different than us. That makes me happy to think about. I have such a respect for them. They've faced trials, joys, unexpected turns, and just about everything else one could think of. But they've braved it all and come out still smiling, laughing, and serving God. They're more in love with their wives after fourty-five years than they were the day they got married. I want to be just like them. They're my heroes. I can't wait to see what comes about over our life together. Four years has brought more than my naive self on June 14, 2003 could have ever even thought about. I can't wait to see what the rest of our life looks like. I know it'll be rough at times, maybe more than I will ever want to deal with. One our wedding day there was thunder and lightening and rain, but I hardly remember it. Looking at that picture the clouds look dark, but the view is ubeatable. It was a beautiful day. Maybe that's what life is like. Even though there's dark clouds sometimes, the view is still pretty stellar if you choose to see it that way. But I'm believing that we'll love each other and be side by side each step of the way, stride after stride. I couldn't ask for anything more. God has blessed us. God has blessed me with her. God has blessed us with two awesome kids. I don't know what the future holds, I guess it doesn't matter that much. But what I do know is we're in it for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer (the more likely scenario), in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, as long as we both live.

I think that's pretty exciting.

I really love her a whole lot.