Eight Years Already?

This was the only picture I got of us for the day. Mobile picture. It doesn't cut it for me, being that I am a picture snob, but it will have to do. :) I wanted to spent the evening with my hubby instead of fiddling with my big camera. We spent some family time during the day at a river park in our area and dinner and downtown for a date night getaway!

This picture makes me laugh...

throwing rocks...

It's supposed to be nap time for her, but a float down the river with Daddy and some milk will cure those sleepy tears!

This week Greg and I celebrated our anniversary! Eight years to be exact. Eight years FULL of amazing memories, times of change, growing experiences and so much more than I can put into writing.

How do I even begin to express my love for this amazing man, let alone the love I have for my Savior for gifting me with such a friend for life? That is what Greg is to me. My best friend. He has also held that title for much longer than the years we have been married. We have known each other for over twelve years now. Our relationship began in high school. I was never looking for any kind of relationship at that time. In fact, I promised myself that I would not get into any relationship so young simply because I knew something at that age couldn't last. Little did I know at that time that the Lord had other plans. Amazing plans.

Greg and I became friends. And although we had been in the same small private school class since elementary school, we really discovered each other our Junior year in high school.

As I mentioned before, I really wanted no kind of relationship, so I fought Greg for awhile :) I fought hard and long but gave into the feelings of friendship that I had for him that turned into love in only a short time. I still remember a phone that call he made to me sometime in our Senior year. A phone call he made to me on a Sunday afternoon. The call began with a very serious tone. I suspected "our relationship" was over.

As he continued to talk I was amazed by his words.

He said that he was sitting in church that morning and felt like the Lord had appointed him with the task of loving me, through the love of the Spirit.

I knew Greg and I knew that this was not empty words or ways to win my heart. He lives his life being REAL and he was always a gentleman, taking every step of our relationship in a very thoughtful way. In fact, we had been "dating" for over a year before he officially held my hand. A fact that I was consistently made fun of for and pressured by my friends to "do something about it." "Make a move myself." It's funny to think back to those high school years!

Time went on and we became closer as friends. With closeness came times of fighting and bickering even before we were married. It's funny because I think we have had the worst fights before we were ever married! Even in those times we loved each other and began to learn how to work it out in a healthy manner.

February 14th, 2001 came and he asked me to marry him.

I was surprised. Funny, I know.

He just always told me we would wait to be married until he finished school. He had a year left and I believed him!

He kept the proposal a secret from everyone, purchased the ring and had it all planned out. My parents visited us up at A&M the weekend before he proposed and he asked my Dad if he could marry me.

I was surprised but so excited!

The next 6 months would be spent planning for a wedding and preparing for a lifetime in marriage together.

That day was the happiest day of my life. The most amazing part is thinking that it has only gotten SO much better with each passing year. I cannot even count the amazing times, talks, laughs and days that I have spent with this man, completely in love with who he is and how he has helped me grow and change. He is not only my best friend, but the one who consistently points me to Christ. He is thoughtful, steady, wise, and funny!

He has truly helped me become a more confident, loving person and I am so grateful for the love that he has poured out on me. The Lord could not have gifted me with a better husband to grow a family with.

Now I know that the Bible is very clear that a marital relationship does not extend into the heavenly eternity. I do like to think however, that every now and then we will take each other by the hand up there and look back with excitement, laughter and awe as we worship together, the ONE who made us one for HIS glory.

One thing I have definitely learned through my relationship with Greg is that I cannot truly love without first learning, knowing, and EXPERIENCING the love of Christ. I am doubly blessed in this matter because not only have I learned to truly love (with the love of Christ) through our relationship, but I have also consistently found CHRIST in the one I love.

As with everything else in my life:

TO HIM BE THE GLORY.

I love you Greg and I look forward to the next eight years!

I cannot imagine what my life would be like without you.